13 Years

January 18, 1997 in a little church in Roseville, California, Matt and I stood before God, family, and friends and said "I do".
We promised to stand by each other through the usual "sickness and health, richer and poorer, and the good and the bad." So far, we've covered all those... and added "in peace and war, in Hawaii or Alabama, and living under the same roof or separated by thousands of miles".
We have managed to stick by each other through all the challenges while falling more and more in love along the way. I loved that guy I married 13 years ago, but I love the guy I'm with today even more.
We argue, we are not always kind to each other, we don't extend grace the way God calls us to, and we have our share of "issues" but at the end of the day, we can't imagine living without each other.
I'm blessed to be loved by Matt far more than I deserve. I love him for who he is to me and to the boys. I love him for his grace, patience, and unconditional love. I respect him for being our provider and for sticking with a tough career in order to give us financial security and the gift of living all over America and now traveling throughout Europe. I love that we have a ridiculous amount of immature fun together and that despite the wrinkles, extra pounds, and loss of bone density - he still thinks I'm beautiful.
13 years in, and we're just getting started.