Twelve.

Today is our twelfth wedding anniversary.

We were just kids when we first met. So very young.

But there was something different about this boy. I just knew he was the ONE.

And now, nineteen years later, I am still just as intrigued, just as drawn to him.

My husband is such an amazing man.  And I am so very very proud of him!!

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

1. Humor. Oh my! He is just.so.funny. He has this way of perfect timing and subtle sarcasm that will have you laughing, tears and all.

2. Kindness. He has this natural instinct to help. To act instantly in a time of need.

3. Inner strength. He has this amazing ability to pull strength from deep within when a job needs 

done. Even when he's exhausted or hurting.

4. Gentleness. This man can go from hard and stern to gentle and loving in a moment. This makes him an AMAZING dad, by the way. 

5. Devotion. He has clearly devoted himself to his wife and sons.

6. Playful. Okay, sometimes, this gets on my nerves. He's a boy. He loves to romp around. But, mostly, it's adorable. And fun.

7. Giving. The man will give you the shirt off his back, if you need it. And to his family? He gives EVERYTHING. Actually, he spoils us.

8. He loves the Lord. This has come with time.  And it's probably been the most special privilege I have ever had; witnessing a man come to know God, learning to give his life over to the Savior, walking with Jesus. He has this quiet, natural way of sharing his faith and when he prays it is so honest and real.

9. Brave. He keeps us safe. He does hard things. And without hesitating.  

10. Entertaining. He loves to make people laugh. And that in itself can be so funny.

11. Creative. BJ has always been an artist and a builder. He has created some beautiful things with his hands over the years. Just another part of what makes him, him. 

12. Us. It's always been us. BJ and Kim. Kim and BJ.

I am incredibly blessed by this man. And so thankful for this day 12 years ago when love and life only got better, stronger.

Eleven Years; The Man Sums It Up.

"When I look in his eyes, I don't see perfection. I don't see a love story that someone would watch on a big screen and dream about. 

I see someone who will fight for me and protect me

 and love me in spite of all the ways I'm still a wreck.

I see home."

                                                  ~Melanie Shankle

This past September, my husband and I celebrated our eleventh wedding anniversary.  
Immediately, I wanted to write a sweet mushy post about love and marriage and how much I love this man.
And then I had a thought.
I should get his perspective on this 11 years of wedded bliss.
 

"Uh-oh. What if he has nothing nice to say?"
I asked anyway.
As soon as I brought him a pen and paper (3 days later), the man whipped out a list quick.  

 [his words verbatim]

_______________________________

Help making decisions

Sex=great sex

Unconditional love

Support 

Getting through tough times together

A warm bed

Someone to watch my back

Someone who knows me

Help accomplishing goals

Understanding without words

A reason to put the toilet seat down 

________________________________

There you have it folks, eleven years of wedded bliss from his perspective.
Maybe he should start a blog.

All My Love.

My husband has been my best friend for eighteen years. We were just kids when we started dating. Kids in high school, living with our parents.

All these years later; graduation, jobs, a cramped apartment, junk cars, debt, marriage, job losses, mortgages, bills, loved ones lost, new friends, eliminating debt, illness, gain, old friends, home remodeling, vacations, salvation, infertility, celebrations, twin boys, parenting, surprise baby boy, parenting!, toddlers, potty training, preschoolers, and so many birthdays later,

he's still my very best friend.

We've spent a little over half our lives together. We've been up and down and down and up. And through it all, love remains.

I am grateful to be his wife. He holds my heart.

Happy Valentines Day, babe.

 

 

 

Thank-full; This Man.

 

I am so thankful for my husband.

He works so hard for our family. He pays attention to us. He spends time with us.
He's witty, he's sweet and he's selfless, he's strong, he's stubborn determined, he's creative, and he's so smart (he can make something cool out of ANYTHING!).

Our kiddos think he's a superhero. (So do I!) They admire him and adore him. He's an AMAZING dad. I love watching him romp around with the boys and the way he spends time with them, even when there are other "things" that need done.

This man is determined to be different. To make a better way for his sons. He prays for and with us. He believes in, counts on and looks to God.

Bonus, he's a pretty good dancer too!


Yes, I thank God for this man.

Love & Marriage.

This month, my husband and I will celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary. Many of you know our "love story" began way before that. (you can read about our beginning here)

Marriage.
The butt of so many jokes. So much negativity. So many fairy tales. What's real, what isn't...

I don't know about you, but I want REAL.

...Marriage is like a triangle. Want to grow close to your man? Grow closer to God. As both of you reach upward you’ll not only come close to God, you’ll grow closer to each other. And if you are in a marriage where your husband doesn’t want to draw near to the Lord, you keep on anyhow. In Him, you’ll find the support, love and hope your heart desires.
Marriage can be hard, but it’s easier when we spend more time focusing on God’s encouraging truths and less time concentrating on each other's faults. ...

Mark 10:6-9, “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Ten years.
We're still young. We've got lots to learn of life and each other. And we're not the same people who fell in love all those years ago. We're not the same people who stood on that alter and spoke those vows all those years ago. We carried baggage into the relationship. We carried baggage into our marriage.

It was only after salvation and experiencing God's amazing grace that we let that baggage go. That we shed those former selves like a snake sheds and leaves behind it's old skin. And with God's consistent grace and mercies, we've never looked back.

Over the years.
We've had a wild ride.
High school. Well, that was just fun.
Graduation and moving out. That was fun, too. For awhile.
Careers, buying a house at twenty years of age. Again, fun, but only for awhile. Then came the bills, home repairs, job-changing, life-changes, you know all that "grown-up" stuff.
Then came marriage. That's right. B and I didn't get married until later. Statistically, our marriage will not survive because of this fact.
And we almost didn't.

“‘Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold I will do something new, now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.’” Isaiah 43:18-19 (NAS)

But, God.
God cut right in and reigned our parade.
Ahh, the sweet sound of salvation.
And you know what? The real fun begin.
When you can love without limits. When you can truly give your heart to someone without worry. Because God is the One who truly holds your heart. Because God oversees all that happens, all that you go through.
When you can let go of unrealistic expectations because He frees you from all that junk.
Forgiveness. Grace. Mercy.
Then, and only then, can marital love be pure, true.

Becoming Parents.
Well, this changes EVERYTHING. Again.
We prayed for babies for so many years. And through those waiting years, we learned so much about each other, God's faithfulness and our own strength through Him. God fulfilled His promise when he blessed us with not one, but three beautiful, healthy boys.
He is constantly growing us and teaching us through these precious lives.
Patience. Humble-ness. Trust. Self-control. Compassion. Empathy.
Grace. Lots and lots of grace.




And when things get rough? Because we're human and we mess up?

What works. Every time.
"I'm sorry"
"I was wrong."

"I forgive you."
"I love you."

"Let's make up."


“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10 (NIV)

.....

Giving Thanks Day Eight; What a Man!

 

 

My husband, my best friend, my soul-mate and the father of my children. He is the sweetest, funniest, most meticulous and stubborn man I know. And I love him to bits.  God knew just what He was doing that day in the eighth grade when "our story" began.

I'm so thankful for ALL of him,

For his strength;
For his love and affection for me;
For his light-hearted humor;
For his adoration for his children (and he has no problem showing them how much he loves them);
For his love of God and the way he prays for and with his family;
For his hard work; he will not hesitate to drag out of bed at 3 o'clock in the morning because he knows it will benefit his family.
For his kind heart; he will drop what he's doing to help someone in need (not stopping to think "what can you do for me?");
For his resourceful-ness ("Everything can be turned into something else..." and he never fails to amaze me.);
For his creativity; the man is a beautiful artist;
For the way he cares for us; he has never hesitated in any area, always fully here;
For his voice; there's none like it to us;
Even his bull-headed-ness is a treasure.

I am completely, fully head-over-heels for this man. I'm so very proud of him; he is a hero to us. And I thank God for him every single day (even when he's super bull-headed! haha.)