S E V E N T E E N | Y E A R S

Look closely at those smiling faces… We could have conquered the world with the love we felt that day

When we arrived in New Orleans, he asked for me to open the gift he had prepared. He was so excited about it, we had not even left the parking garage!! With the excitement of a young bride, I ripped off the ribbon, tore open the paper, opened the box, and found… an engraved Bible. My excitement faded quickly. I’m not sure 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 I was expecting, but I know it wasn’t a Bible

Our next seventeen years were filled with multiple court appearances, blended family drama, the death of my soulmate, Anna, sudden death of a parent, years of watching a parent pass away, suicide, cancer, autoimmune diseases, debilitating disease diagnoses, financial struggles, financial betrayal, family drama, grieving of grandparents, burning anger, betrayal, loathing, and of course, my daily attitude

Why am I airing my dirty laundry? To let you know marriage is hard, and sometimes, downright miserable. Marriage is full of compromises you do not want to make, the ability to put another’s happiness beside your own, and sometimes, the daily decision to make it work

Without that Bible, wise counselors, and the empathetic ear, we would not be celebrating today. Do not go through your struggles alone, but choose wisely with whom you share

Today, our marriage is perfect. We plan to celebrate by dancing on the clouds with fairies, feeding the unicorns, and will enjoy finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow 😉