Life is full of choices. So many choices but they all come down to this: To Stay, or To Go. I mean, wouldn’t you agree?
Too often we make snap decisions with our emotions, and not our minds. What I should’ve posted yesterday was “Happy 13 year dating anniversary to this guy & I” with a cute picture of Mr. Awesome and I. But I didn’t.
I scoured my phone looking for pictures of just the two of us. Once upon a time there were plenty, I had even made a deck of cards full of pictures of the two of us. Lately however, candid couple selfies are lacking. We’ve just emerged from a tough season of marriage, and a crazy-busy season of parenthood (okay, maybe we haven’t quite emerged from that last one yet, and it may be another 18 years before we do, but we’re gaining traction).
Each photo I saw of us had a child in it, or a double chin, messy hair, and a set of eyes with bags under them and smeared mascara. As much as I love giving you snippets of my very real life, that sort of stuff just can’t go anywhere near the interwebs, folks!
So, instead, I’ve posted a photo of this guy; the guy I married. The guy I found a hero in sometime in the last decade plus 3.
Happy 13 Year Dating Anniversary to “This Guy” (yesterday).
The guy who knows my favorite cake is made of ice cream and has a gooey fudge layer in the middle, the guy who provides abundantly for both my physical and emotional well-being.
The guy who forgives and forgets quickly.
The guy who runs to Jesus in times of trouble, and triumph.
The guy who constantly reminds me to turn off the closet light, and put my dishes IN the dishwasher, not just by the sink.
The guy who doesn’t do social media often, because he’s busy doing life and the approval he needs in life can’t be found in a like, comment, or share.
The guy who isn’t afraid to say he doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing, and eagerly attempts to learn new things.
The guy who our kids call dad, daddy, and papa, and I call, Mr. Awesome.
This guy, Jesus has made MY guy.
If someone had told my 18-year-old self that the boy I was on a date with that hot July night was ‘the one ‘, I’d have never believed it. Not in a million years. We were just having fun, he couldn’t really have been serious about me, could he? He says he knew instantly. I believe him, and I thought he was crazy. What did I have to offer?
Side note: If someone had also told me those tight knit pants and crop top I was wearing that night I’d never ever fit into again after my first baby was born 3 years later, I wouldn’t have believed that either. Truth. There’s just so much you don’t know… until you do.
Just out of high school I was going to do a year of school at the community college, then I was on my way out of here to heal broken people, cure diseases, sing on a stage somewhere, and experience anything other than more of Iowa.
I even tried to leave a few times over the years… What was I thinking? I’m sure now that I just wasn’t.
You guys, I am older, wiser, and think a little clearer now. Without a doubt, I can tell you this: I’m a lucky girl. Also, Iowa is hands down the best place to raise a little family.
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