16 Years

 Way back in July we hit 16 years of marriage! It is actually pretty unbelievable to think that we have already been married that long. It just blows my mind that we aren't those young newlywed kids anymore or that we now have 6 kids and some are becoming quite close to being teenagers!  Daily we are working towards and dreaming about building that legacy for future generations. 

This was an interesting year of marriage. We added Leeland to the family in a whirlwind labor and NICU stay during a pandemic. We faced many, many more challenges than a typical year and in the busyness of raising 6 children, we had very little time to devote to our relationship. And yet, we are okay. It's hard to explain but I am sure someone out there knows what I mean. Life did not give us the time to devote a lot of attention to our relationship. At many times we were under very high levels of stress and just pure exhaustion from a baby who still doesn't sleep through the night and the daily energy required for this family and work.  And yet, we've had each other through it all. Even if we didn't have time, we have been side by side, working together and supporting one another and that has gone really far during this season. Looking back, we've grown a lot this last year!  

These hard times have brought us so much closer together. In true crisis, we bonded more than we have through anything else!  While I long for more time together to have fun and date and enjoy life, I am grateful that even through our worst of days we have each other and know how to love each other through it! I am glad for what we have learned and become through 16 year and I look forward to the future years we still have because I know through thick and thin, we have this life together!