Getting to see each other for the first time

Getting married in the same church my parents did

Being surrounded by our wonderful parents who have modeled awesome marriages for us

A BEAUTIFUL reception with delicious KC BBQ

The most precious surprise of hearing my Dad singing to me on a recording during our Father/Daughter dance

And then off to a beautiful week in St. Lucia!

There were so many great memories that were made that day. But the cool thing about marriage, is that God created it to be lived out together – and so many special things have happened in year four of our marriage. I thought it would be fun to make a list of some of the highlights from this past year. Some are serious, but some are funny. Others are really quite personal. But I wanted to make a list of some of the memories that meant the most to me:

1. After going on a tour of the Roasterie last July, Eric learned how to make french pressed coffee “the right way”. He will often do this on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It’s a special treat for both of us. We are so hopelessly addicted to coffee.
2. Once I got the OK from my doctor, we walked almost every night together, the same route and everything, the last couple of weeks of our pregnancy. Those are some of the most precious, meaningful walks and talks that I will forever cherish. They often included picking flowers, holding hands (which is hard to do with a stroller now) and talking about our dreams as a family. And now we walk with our little Nora 🙂
3. Eric bought me the Harry Potter DVD series for my birthday last year. And since I had to go to work part time the last 2 months of my pregnancy from increased contractions, I would often watch them in the afternoons while resting/napping. Eric would come home from work and shower (thanks, babe!) then bring me pizza and ice cream in bed and we would watch the movies together…over and over again. It was so silly, but so fun! We have the movies memorized backwards, forwards and inside out.
4. Some couples dread birthing classes. And while we were a bit nervous at first, we ended up really enjoying them a lot. It was quite bonding for us and looked forward to it every week. And since my doctor wanted me to gain more weight at the end of my pregnancy, we would always go to McDonald’s for milkshakes before class. It became a fun weekly routine and actually missed it when the classes were over.
5. During labor, right before my last push, we were asked to “look down” and saw Nora halfway out into the world. We looked at one another, laughed and hugged each other one last time…just the two of us. It was so special. And then one push later, we met our daughter. We became a family. Words can not describe those moments.
6.  We started up, and had our first cruise, in the truck. After a year and a half of HARD work (mostly Eric’s) our truck was drivable and functioning. We took it to Culver’s on a date and it was glorious!
7. After a long day with a newborn, Eric decided to make dinner for us one night. It was a spicy sausage pasta dish that he found online. It has officially become a family favorite and will forevermore be Eric’s shining moment in the kitchen.
8. We had numerous snow and ice storms this winter and Eric was cancelled at work multiple times. It was so fun having snow days together!
9. Our first night away from Nora was at the Zac Brown Band concert and then staying the night down on the Plaza. Even thought we missed our girl, we had a blast together and it was so good to have some time just the two of us.
10. Eric bought me a Pandora bracelet  for Valentine’s Day (I have always wanted one). He bought it with only one charm on it, with the intent to let the bracelet grow over the coming years. I love it and can’t wait to see how it changes.
11. After months of prayer, Eric and I decided to find a new church home. This was a hard, painful decision, but we really feel like the Lord has blessed our lives, and our marriage, by following where we feel is His leading in our lives.
12. Eric’s Grandpa died in early May. This was a terribly difficult loss for him, but I feel like I was able to give myself and minister to him in ways that I never have been able to before. For all of the visitations and funerals he has been to for patients of mine, I was finally able to support him in his time of loss. My heart is so grateful I was able to do this for him.
13. Together, we have made some exciting, yet hard (mostly for me), decisions about our future – when to move, when to have another baby, finances… I feel truly blessed that we are able to and want to make these big decisions together. When it comes down to it, Eric is the head of our home, and I trust him to make the right decisions for our family. But he ALWAYS takes my hearts desires and thoughts into account. I am so grateful that he does this.
14. We just finished watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail together. I am overjoyed that I married a man who loves ridiculously stupid movies as much as I do. AND he can quote them as much as I can (that says a lot). After all, Dumb and Dumber and Tommy Boy were the movies that brought us together in the first place, but that’s another story for another time.

This list could go on and on, but these are some pretty joyful memories for me. I’ll end this post in a totally cheesy and corny way with the lyrics that I walked down the isle to four years ago:

I swear that I can go on forever again
Please let me know that my one bad day will end
I will go down as your lover, your friend
Give me your lips and with one kiss we begin
Are you afraid of being alone
Cause I am, I’m lost without you
Are you afraid of leaving tonight
Cause I am, I’m lost without you

I’ll leave my room open till sunrise for you
I’ll keep my eyes patiently focused on you
Where are you now I can hear footsteps I’m dreaming
And if you will, keep me from waking to believe this

Are you afraid of being alone
Cause I am, I’m lost without you
Are you afraid of leaving tonight
Cause I am, I’m lost without you

Happy anniversary, Eric. I am surely the most blessed woman to be yours.