7 lovely years

7 years ago at this moment, I was sitting in the hairdressers chair, surrounded by 4 of my best friends, just having seen my fiance for the last time, wondering how on earth I would squeeze into the beautiful dress that had fit perfectly 3 months prior. At that point I was so sure that we were invincible.

I had no idea how much marriage would change me.

I had no idea how much I needed to change.

Now, 7 years, 4 kids, 3 moves, & 2 jobs later, we both have grown closer to the Lord. We listen better, take offense less easily, think less highly of ourselves and more highly of each other. We've learned to give each other space to pursue our interests and to stay close when things are difficult. We deal with issues when they come up and don't go to bed mad.

I've learned to be more careful, less demanding, more understanding, cleaner, more organized, more accomodating, less last-minute. I would have had a much harder time learning these things without Dan. And learning through our relationship is much less painful than learning on my own.

In the next 7 years, I don't anticipate 4 more kids (actually, I don't anticipate any more kids!), 3 moves (1 maybe), or 2 more jobs (Dan couldn't be happier at his job, and I couldn't be happier at home). But I do hope for the growth that the Lord has brought through learning to live with someone who is like-minded but completely different than me, through loving and being loved, and through having to share all of my life's experiences with.