the first year of marriage was so sweet for us. not at all the difficult first year that some people warned us about. we loved having that time getting to know each other more & living together. were were able to take a few trips & spend lots of quality time together. in the fall of 2007, we took the Youth Pastor job at Meadow Brook Baptist Church. 6 days before our 1st anniversary (Christmas Eve) Ben told me that he felt like it was time to start a family & of course, i was on board with that plan!
our 2nd year of marriage was even more fun than the first. on March 20, 2008 we learned we were pregnant. i still remember that day so vividly. we were beyond excited & a little shocked b/c it happened so quickly. (Praise the Lord!) on June 30 we learned we would be having a sweet baby boy. Ben's excitement was off the charts! ha! we began preparing for our little Jack right away. we were able to have lots of date nights & 1 more vacation before Jack was born. on October 25, our precious Benjamin Jack was born, 5 weeks early. Ben was so amazing & supportive during my surgery & recovery. he was so patient & helpful. not to mention, he loved all the daddy time he got to have with Jack. we were able to celebrate our first Thanksgiving & Christmas as a family & we had a blast!
our 3rd year of marriage was VERY eventful, ha! we began making serious plans to start a church plant in Olive Branch. we, along with: my sister & her hubby, theDalombas & the Lyles felt the Lord calling us to plant together. we spent many, many days & nights talking, praying & planning together. the Lord had given us a tight knit group of people to minister with & we were so very thankful. we were also able to celebrate our first Easter, Mother's Day & Father's Day with Jack. our biggest news was learning on June 12 that we would be having another sweet baby. since Jack was only 7 months old when we found out, we were VERY shocked & so excited. we went on vacation in July with Ben's family. then on September 25 we learned we were having a baby girl. we were so thrilled. we decided to name her Jovie Claire. we began preparing for baby Jovie & the holiday season. we enjoyed one last Christmas as a family with Jack. it was such a sweet time.
our 4th year of marriage has been so hectic, but fun. we had Jovie on January 25. she was the perfect start to the new year. we couldn't wait to bring her home & begin life with 2 kids, just 15 months apart! after 2 months, Jovie had developed severe acid reflux & we began an epic battle. it was so stressful & really exhausting. we had so many doctor's appointments, we saw a few specialists & even had some hospital tests run. it was so frustrating to not be able to help our baby girl. through this time, Ben was a rock. he was worried for Jovie but he trusted the Lord completely and he never complained about the long days of constant crying from Jovie. he was so patient with me when my nerves were shot. he was there to step in when i needed a break & he was constantly encouraging me in my role as Jovie's mother. i really couldn't have made it each day without him. Jovie's condition began to improve at the end of the summer & life got a little easier for all of us. however, that is also when we learned that we would be leaving MeadowBrook & moving to Cordova. we moved in August, and we are loving it here. Jack turned 2 in late October and we had a blast planning his party together. and this year we were able to celebrate the holiday season with 2 beautiful, healthy children. wow. we are so blessed.
as we begin our 5th year of marriage, we are so excited about God's plan for our family. our church launches on January 9th. we are going to begin looking for a house in February & we hope to move before summer, if possible. we are planning our first vacation with our kids. we want to expand our family and try for a 3rd baby, late next year. we are so excited to watch our kids grow together & we can't wait to make memories with them.
i am so content with our life together. i'm so thankful for a healthy, growing, loving marriage. the Lord gave me the perfect help mate & partner. we are closer today than the day we married. we have a stronger more open relationship. Ben is without a doubt, my spiritual leader. i have learned so much from him about how to study scripture, how to pray, how to meditate on God's word & how to trust Christ with all my needs. Ben is a gentle, firm leader in our family & i am thankful for his sensitivity to God's will for our lives. my husband is constantly encouraging me when i feel down about myself or my job as a wife, mom & housekeeper. He has never belittled me or made me feel insufficient. i don't have to fish for compliments or beg him to give me attention. He tells me he loves me constantly & tries his best to meet my needs & the needs of our kids. He is THE BEST dad to Jack & Jovie. he has so much patience with them. he has done a fabulous job at making them a top priority & taking time for them. He loves & disciplines them in a way that is honoring to the Lord. He has been a blessing in every area of my life. i don't have one bad thing to say about him & there is nothing i would change about him. (ok, maybe i would change the way he leaves dirty clothes on the floor, ha!)
thank you, Lord for a wonderful, precious husband. you knew i needed him & i praise you for your divine will for our lives. we are a blessed couple & i am humbled to have such an amazing, supportive man.
Happy 4th Anniversary, babe. i love you so much. i am blessed to be your wife & i thank the Lord for you each day. you are my very favorite person & i love walking through life with you!
2 comments:
Happy Anniversary! It sounds like a wonderful marriage!
thanks, Dina! it isn't perfect, but we do love being married! Happy New Year!
Post a Comment