Lucky 13

13 years ago today, a 17 and an 18 year old were driving away from a church, married. In fact, we were laughing and freaking out that we pulled it off. We got MARRIED and we were just teenagers. We laughed all the way to our honeymoon.

We held hands and jumped into youth ministry, together. We filled our apartment up with teenagers and taught them how to laugh, and love despite their pain.

We stopped laughing when R2 was born at 24 weeks, and then my dad died. We learned how to cry together then, and how to laugh through the tears. R2 taught us how to laugh for no reason. We held hands, side by side as our twins made a very brief stop on earth before returning to heaven. Together, we went to the deepest places in the valley of the shadow of death.

A little while later, we worked together, Richy with his piano and a desperate heart, and me with a passion to find peace and wait for Tobias. We made it! Together, we wept with the richness of holding our victory baby. Night after night we lay in bed with him in between us, marveling.

To add to our riches, we were given a tiny fairy princess. Every day our eyes meet, together celebrating the uniqueness and the beauty of Brynn.

Once again, we held hands and jumped across the country- into the next chapter. Here we have learned how to lean on each other, befriend each other, dream again together. This is a rich, rich season of peace and transition, of learning to hear God and to believe- together.

And we're laughing again, as our house fills up with people. Oh, the joy of being us!

Happy 13th anniversary, Richy. I love you.