10 Years Ago Today...

I married you, my best friend.

We were SO excited, SO ready to start our life together, and SO in love!

Even though we've said, "I do" ten years ago now, I still get excited to be with you. I consider it such an incredible blessing, joy, and privilege to have been able to spend these last ten years married to you.   And today, I am more in love with you than the day I met you at the altar.

I'm so very thankful that you did not listen to that older, "wiser", and well-respected man who told you not to marry me, as "cross-culture relationships just don't work".  Either he was right and we are just an exception, or he was just. plain.wrong. Like you, I totally believe that God has made us for each other, and no culture differences can mess His plans up. 

We've gone through a lot together these past ten years.  Thankfully, it has never been just us two, but God was, and is, with us every step of the way.  By His grace, He has carried us through many challenging times, and rejoiced with us in many joyous times. He has been so very good to us! We never thought, starting out, that we would celebrate our 10 year anniversary here, and not in R-land. But thankfully, He knew it all along.  May His plans and purposes be fulfilled through our lives.

Things have changed a lot in these last ten years.  Our wedding rings fit a little more snuggly now than when we first placed them on each others fingers.  But most importantly, our family of '2' has grown to a family of '9'. 

Perhaps if we knew on our wedding day, that we would celebrate our 10th anniversary as the parents to 7 young children, we would have responded like your professor did...

Professor:  So, do you have any children?

David:  Yes.

Professor:  How many?

David:  Seven.

Professor:  You mean several?

David:  No, seven.

Professor:  What?!?

God is SO good!

We've been very busy these last ten years.  I wouldn't want to raise these little treasures with anybody but you.  You are a wonderful father, and I love you even more when I see you loving them.

David, I am so thankful that you are my husband.  These last ten years have been wonderful, walking by your side.  I look forward to many more years of loving you and serving Him together with you. 

I love you to the moon and back.

love, me