Celebrating 14 years as husband and wife: January 4,2016

So very thankful to have this man by my side for the past 14 years.

He is kind and loves me well. 

 We found a groupon for a restaurant close by and as 8PM rolled around, we noticed a ton of single people coming in and we quickly realized it was a speed dating event! It was so awesome to watch and talk about how thankful we were that we never have had to be single for a long time! And how very brave these people are to put themselves out there like that! It was such a fun date night! 

And I got some beautiful flowers! 

Flashback to our 13th Anniversary

Coffee in the morning
Ice cream at night
Make sure the kitchen’s clean
Then we turn out the light

Raindrops on the window
We’re on the couch
Fire in the fireplace
Best seat in the house

When God made you
He already knew
That we were meant to be
With love as deep
As the big blue sea
We were meant to be

Feet on the dashboard
Wind in my hair
As long as you’re beside me
I’ll go anywhere

I’ll make you dinner
You do the laundry
We’ll make mistakes
Then say we’re sorry
Our love will bend
But it won’t break
When we give more than we take

*JJ Heller (Meant to Be) 

{Grow old along with me; The best is yet to be}

 12 years married to my best friend. 

Everyday learning what true love really is and how it grows with each passing year.

 We had grand plans to celebrate with a fancy dinner and hotel but a nasty cold/chest thing got in the way. Instead, we cuddled up to a movie (The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug) on a cold, wintery night.

P.S. the theatre had these new red reclining couches- AMAZING! 

Love this guy

Mark and I enjoyed a fabulous 11th Anniversary on the 4th- we dropped the kiddos off for the night at Erika's house and went down to Rodizios- an amazing Brazilian steakhouse downtown. We ate more meat that night then I have eaten all month and it was delicious! The men come by with great big swords with all kinds of meat speared to the end of it (chicken, pork, steak, fish,sausages)  They carve the meat right onto your plate. It's pretty fantastic and some of the best meat I have ever eaten. 

After stuffing ourselves, we went and saw Les Miserable- it was beautiful. The whole movie is done in song and the music sends chills up your spine. Its breathtaking! 

And I love all the redemptive themes throughout the movie. 

The next morning, we continued our celebration and ate even more food

- yes, we love eating-

 at Snooze. 

It was a wonderful anniversary and I cant wait to celebrate even more in the years to come! 

A look back at the last 11 years with my love

11 years ago, today, on a Friday night in a little church in PA, we said "I do". 

Time has passed so quickly and I am honored and truly blessed to still have Mark by side.

We met in college our freshman year. 

A strong bond of friendship was formed and we hung out constantly 

although we always dated other people.

After 3 years, that friendship blossomed into love and we were married in January of 2002.

We moved to Massachusetts and started teaching in a little Christian school. 

In July 2004, we became parents as we welcomed twin girls, Sophia and Arianna into our home. 

In January 2008, we welcomed little Ella. And then moved cross country to Colorado. 

In June of 2009, our final addition was born- Elijah. 

and boy, were those first few years with little children tough! 

Your heart is quick to shows its ugly, selfish self when little babies demand all your energy, time and attention. Honestly, I do not look back on those baby years with lots of love. Of course, I loved my babies but it was hard and draining in every aspect. 

But, like all phases of life, you get thru and God's grace carries you along. 

                            

And here we are today. 

Life is very full and fun. It is filled with good gifts from a loving Father. Don't get me wrong- life is far from perfect. There are bad days when selfishness pushes out love.  But there is grace. Wonderful grace that pardons our sin and points us to the cross where the ultimate display of true love hung selflessly to a tree for an undeserving, sinful person such as me. I love the Gospel- it provides a poignant example to look to when I fall short in so many ways.

Thank you, Mark, for faithfully keeping those vows you made to me 11 years ago. I know it hasn't always been easy but thank you for consistently showing me patient and selfless love even when I don't deserve it. You are the cream to my coffee and I will forever be yours. 

Happy Ten To Us!

We are at a milestone as couple- TEN YEARS!! I always have looked forward to the big TEN! And today it is upon us. God has blessed me with a man that is very easy to love! He takes care of me and the kids and gives of himself to meet our needs and that is amazing in my eyes! I love him! Looking back over the past ten years, I feel like we are REALLY in the groove and loving where we are right now! Gone are the days with infants and little toddlers, the sleepless nights, the physical exhaustion of parenting! Now, we are enjoying our kids SO much more- having such fun conversations with them, laughing at their jokes, playing games that they finally understand the rules too, talking to them about life and Christ! - its a sweet time! Our marriage seems stronger than ever probably due to the fact that our kids arent frazzling us to our wits end and on the most part are getting a goods night sleep:) But I know that the main reason is the fact that CHRIST holds us both together. We are tempted. We have our irritations with each other. We are sinners. But I know we make a priority of and both highly esteem the GOSPEL and the LOVE that Christ showed us by making himself of no reputation, humbling Himself and dying for us! WOW! How my love for my husband should imitate that kind of love- its SO hard to and I fail every day at it but when I realize my failures and run to the cross there I find that Christ has more than enough grace for our marriage! Praise God for Christ and His exemplary love!

Mark brought home some very pretty flowers for me and the sweetest card as he always does! Here is just a small portion of what he wrote..
Five different houses
Four kids
Three jobs
Two cars
One marriage
Its been a full ten years!
And then a whole bunch of other mushy stuff:) Sweet, right?!

 Thanks to his awesome parents watching the kiddos we were able to enjoy a night on the town! Just to show you what an amazing man I married- he took me to Sushi Den even though he despises sushi:) He did find some steak but it wasnt the way he usually likes it! A bit too exotic! Anyhow, my sushi was divine, melt in your mouth, over the top amazing! It was such a fun evening enjoying the man who makes my world such a happy place to be!

Heres to many more decades together!

I am my love's, my beloved is mine

Arise, my love, my lovely one come,
Winter is past and the rains are gone.
The flowers appear, it's the season of song,
My beautiful one, arise and come with me.  

Who is it that appears like the dawn?
As fair as the moon, as bright as the sun?
Show me your face, let me hear your voice.
My beautiful one, arise and come with me. 

 Set me like a seal on your heart,
For love is unyielding as the grave.

The flash of it is a jealous fire,

No flood can quench

for love is as strong as death. 

Arise my love and come with me
Before the dawn breaks and the shadows flee.
You ravished my heart with just one glance
My beautiful one, arise and come with me.  

Do not arose or awaken love
Until it so desires.  

Arise, my love, my lovely one come,
The Winter is past and the rains are gone.
The flowers appear, it's season of song,
My beautiful one, arise and come with me.
I am my love's, my beloved is mine.
Arise and come with me.

-Song by Michael Card

Taken from Song of Solomon

I love you, Mark, and am so blessed to call you MINE!

Happy 9th Anniversary to us!!!

Happy 7th Anniversary

Here is a picture of us 7 years ago on this day walking down the road to start our life together ...

Here we are 7 years later- exhausted after 4 kids 4 and under!
All kidding aside, I am married to the most wonderful man in the world. He is SO loving and patient with me and spoils me more than I can say! Not only does he love me, he is GREAT with our kids. I work part time and at least 3 nights a week, when I arrive home from work late at night, he has the kitchen cleaned, house picked up, kids bathed and put to sleep- who could ask for more! Not only does he take VERY good care of our kids, he also loves them SO much and showers them with attention, hugs and kisses!
He's the BEST!
I love you Mark!