5 Years!

(No... I'm not talking about the last time I posted something on my blog, although it SEEMS like it's been that long.)

Collin and I celebrated our 5 year Wedding Anniversary last week! It occurred to me that many of my current friends didn't know us back then and didn't get to participate in that major event of our lives. So-- I pulled out the old scanner, dusted it off and awkwardly spent the next hour or so scanning the images from my gigantic black wedding album. (If you have one of these, you know what I'm talking about.) You know, the black leather-bound book with gold-edged pages... This book looks like it ATE a wedding. It took me a while, and the images are a terribly low quality (due to a setting I was unaware of until I had finished scanning all the images), but at least all my new friends can now feel like they were a part of that day and my old friends can remember the good time we had.

And, on a sappy note... :)
Since this blog is really a family journal, I'd like to write a little note to my husband. (Please feel free to quit reading here and skip to the pictures if you'd like! I totally understand. But Collin, my love :) the rest is for you, so you're kind of required to read on...)

I LOVE that we chose November for the month to get married because just hearing the name of the month, "November," evokes thoughts of thankfulness... and I AM thankful. Thank you for choosing me; For making me your wife and for vowing to love, honor & cherish ME until you lay me in Jesus' arms, or until He comes again.

Although we are still newlyweds in the eyes of many who have been married for decades, we've had quite a start! You've loved me so many times when I've been unlovable... in good times and bad... and you've valued and prioritized our marriage when it might have felt easier to just give up. You've been my buddy, my best friend, the best looking man in the room, my spiritual leader and the one I admire most. You've encouraged me in so many ways. You never miss an opportunity to stop me for a hug and to remind me that you think I'm beautiful-- many times when I have no make-up on and haven't showered in days! You bring such peace and perspective to our home, and also provide a wealth of creative dreams and ideas.

Nothing is ever broken for long at our house because of you, my amazing hubby! You can fix ANYTHING. Anything. From replacing my brake pads and rotors to save the money that a mechanic would charge, to conquering major electrical issues at the house, to fixing computer "gliches" that would cause others to be off-line for weeks, to installing everything from doors to appliances to French drains in the yard... I'm honestly convinced that there is very little that is too difficult for you. And if you don't already know how to do it, you WILL figure it out and you will do it better than anyone we could have hired.

And all the while, you are the most tender-hearted Daddy to our little girls. The same hands that come in greasy from the garage after working on the car are the hands that cradle Julia when she cries and "high-five" Avery when she sings, "Jesus Loves Me" all by herself. They love you SO much and look up to you. Their spirits lift in an unexplainable way when you walk through the door. (There's no peace quite the same as when Daddy comes home.)

But whatever "hat" you're wearing... whether it's husband, father, friend, young professional, Director, volunteer, brother, son (& son-in-law) ...you wear it well. And if I had it to do over again a million times, I would ALWAYS chose YOU. It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway because I can't tell you enough-- I love you. I LOVE you. Thank you for the life you've worked so hard to build for me, and for Avery, and for Julia. We couldn't ASK for anything more and I hope we're always as blessed as we are today.

Happy 5 years, sweets! We're just rookies... but I'm looking forward to many more years of memories for as long as we both shall live.