#31 - Unbelievable, 25 Years Today!

I am experiencing a miracle today because it is my 25th wedding anniversary. Well, for those of you who are regular readers (Fabulous Followers) and for those stopping by for the first time, I want to let you know that this is our FIRST anniversary, out of two. Today is the anniversary of the day we eloped on June 14th, 1986.


Pre-Married days at his grandmother's house...I can tell that we weren't married yet
because David still has long hair. He was in the military by the time we eloped and
that meant a buzz cut.

In September, we'll celebrate our "2nd" wedding anniversary --- our second wedding is when we were married in church in front of our family and friends. The church wedding anniversary date will be honored by renewing our vows on our land. I'm glad that we decided to renew our vows in honor of our second wedding date because it'll be cooler in September as we gather on our land for this event. Today, June 14th, 2011, we're expecting triple digits here in our part of Texas. I'll be hibernating today. Whew!

In a colder weather climate - our early years in marriage, living in Germany.

A tad hard for me to believe, today is the day I've actually been married for twenty-five years. I can't believe that 25 years ago Deputy Dave and I were kids trying to find somewhere to get married near San Antonio.

David and I saying our vows...this is the day our marriage began.

We succeeded.

Today, I woke up around 3:45 AM and began to think about these past 25 years and what it has meant. There have been good and bad times, but our good times have been significantly more meaningful and beautiful than can be expressed. A healthy marriage strives to focus on the good times.


In Germany again, showing off the delicious dinner. Candles in Dr. Pepper cans.
You can barely see what is on my plate...a tiny piece of sausage, a ton of macaroni
and cheese with a slice of bread. Such healthy goodness!! haha.

God blessed us when he brought us together. I am thankful that we are so good for each other. My husband is definitely my match and the love of my life.

Reaching this anniversary means that we have held firm to our commitment. Anyone who has been married for this long and beyond knows that major anniversaries can be celebrated only after you've muddled through some really tough times.

In our late twenties...during one of our many trips to Louisiana.

Whenever anyone asks me how I managed to stay married this long, I tell them the truth...it certainly isn't easy. There were many times we could've divorced. Life sometimes got in our way and there were long moments when we had to fight, fight, fight for our marriage, but we did it. There were tests and divorce would've been the simple solution.

Staying married can be difficult and it can seem like a miracle event at times, but it can be done. I want my children and other people who are newly married or struggling in their marriage to know that staying united does not always bring roses and kisses to your world. However, this is when your commitment should be your uniting force. When you don't feel loving, you better still act in a loving manner. If you don't, an ugly spiral will begin.

My hard-learned advice, at all costs, avoid that destructive spiral. For those who cannot avoid it, my heart goes out to you because I know divorce is devastating for most people. Those are times in life that can make you crumble, but these experiences can teach you how to put yourself back together, better than you were before. My husband and I had times when we'd crumble; however, we'd find a way to help each other put the pieces back together. I don't know how we did it, but we did.

In our early/mid twenties, at South Padre Island, Texas
for a Thanksgiving vacation on the beach.

Loving each other through unloving moments is not a simple task. Carrying the load after the other one has completely dropped it on top of your head isn't something you savor having to do. Usually, we take turns doing this to each other. But, it's part of marriage, give and take. In the end, it can strengthen your bond.

Here we are in our mid to late 30's and life is hard, but we cling to each other.

Eventually, you learn that you can lean on each other and you can be imperfect around each other and you can make mistakes, yet in the end, you are still loved. Then, you find that you are sometimes a hero in the eyes of the one you love, and you are their best-friend, their secret-keeper, and their encourager.

Our little family. Precious love has created a chain reaction to be treasured.

For better or for worse...we've had each other. For twenty-five years, we've been through the best and the worst of times, yet we've stuck together as one. I love my husband. I love the life we've built together. I love the good side of him and the bad side of him and everything in between. I love the exciting times to come, especially as we prepare to move to our land and start our little farm.

Recently, snorkeling at the reefs of Grand Cayman Island.

This amazing 25th anniversary celebration says a lot more about our marriage than I can actually say.

The day our oldest daughter received her Texas A&M ring in 2010.

So, I will finish by telling the Lord "Thank You" for helping my husband and I stick together. Having God in our lives provided us with the "glue" that this world could not offer. And even though we will be officially renewing our vows this coming September, we have always remembered, from Day One of our marriage, to constantly recall the moment when we first stood, before God, as we said our vows to each other. Even if we didn't keep our vows perfectly throughout these long years that have flown by, we maintained faith in our love and in the great hope and anticipation that began the day we fully committed ourselves to each other.

And here we are...twenty-five years later. It's a beautiful day.