18 years

Last Sunday, June 5, Matt and I celebrated 18 years of marriage. We went out to dinner for the occasion. As we were eating our meal (in between times when I'd have to get up to walk around and bounce Micah to keep him quiet!) I reflected on a few things. First of all, after 18 years I knew just what Matt would order even though we'd never been to the restaurant before and I knew just how much he would tip the waitress after the bill came!

We talked about our life over the last 18 years. I like the picture of it being a book with many different chapters. The chapters aren't divided by dates, but by seasons. Let me just say, if it was in print, our book would be some good reading! There are some pretty plain chapters, some wildly exciting ones, some really happy ones and definitely some that we would NOT have chosen to be in our book at all.

It did us both so much good to reminisce over the old times. I remembered what an awful cook I was. When I wanted "pan pizza" once, I just made the dough extra thick and pushed it up around the edges of a lasagna pan. When it cooked it was thick and doughy and there was so much of it- it was horrible! The first time I made meatballs in the crockpot, I had no idea they had to cook longer than they would in an oven and I basically served raw meatballs that night. Steak?? Couldn't cook it at all. (and why I chose to serve it when we had company is beyond me. my company still doesn't let me forget when I served shoe leather for dinner!) Now Matt tells me I am the best cook ever and even though that is far from true, I know he trusts me now and I know what he likes!
We remembered when he got beat up at the grocery store he worked at in SC when we were newly weds and we made the impulsive decision to quit his job and move back to NH. Only, we moved back there 2 years later AND then moved right back home!
We started from the beginning and went through the jobs he had, the houses we lived in, the pets we had, the friends we had.... We remembered how Matt asked my dad to help him set up one of our first Christmas trees because it kept falling over in the stand and now these years later Matt is a Christmas tree setter upper expert!
There were times we had money and even more times we didn't!
We couldn't help but talk about the kids' births and how being a parent had such an impact on us being husband and wife.

It was especially interesting to reflect on where God has brought us both spiritually. It makes me really want to pray that our kids have a teachable spirit. At 18 and 20 years old, Matt and I had MUCH to learn. If neither of us had been willing to be taught by godly people in our lives and by the Holy Spirit, we wouldn't be where we are today. I am so OFTEN amazed by Matt's growth over the years. He's not the same man I married! He has learned to truly listen to God's voice and not only to listen but to follow or obey. He is a man that I can completely trust.

18 years. That is a long time. I don't know how people do it without Jesus. Really. As cliche as this may sound, I mean it with all my heart- I love him more now than I ever have. I can't imagine my life without him and thank God for giving Matt to me as my husband.