Friday, August 29, 2008

Has It Really Been 11 Years?






Today is the day that I married my best friend 11 years ago. 11 years full of all that makes a marriage. 11 years of smiles, laughter, tears of joy & sorrow, passion, & even anger. We haven't had a perfect relationship, but we've had one with lots of love & commitment not only to one another but to our Creator. The way we met is a post in and of itself, but let's just say God's hand was in it. The awesome thing? There were things about Joe that fulfilled many things deep down in my heart that I had prayed for. Only God knew the desires of my heart, & oh how he has filled those desires. Here are the reasons that I love Joe, even when he makes me crazy (not in the sexy way, either!!).



  1. I love him for his commitment & desire to serve the Lord.
  2. I love him for his tender heart & love for those in need.
  3. I love him for the time he was helping a mentally ill woman clean her home & I watched as he knelt on the kitchen floor armed with only bleach water & a window scraper to clean layers of animal waste & newspapers off that floor. (I cannot describe the condition of this woman's home without making some of you ill, but I will NEVER forget the humbleness of heart with which my husband served the Lord during this entire situation.)
  4. I love him for standing by me through thick & thin, & when life turned our world upside down 9 years ago, he was my earthly rock and protector.
  5. I love that when he's truly happy and his heart is care-free, he will sing, albeit rather loudly & off-key, the National Anthem.
  6. I love him for the way he continues to love me & still gets that mischievous twinkle in his eye regardless of how I look or the pounds I may have put on.
  7. I love him for having the courage & commitment to go back to school at the age of 34, while working full time, in order to not only fulfill his dreams, but his family's as well.
  8. I love him for the way his heart swells & his eyes tear up whenever someone obeys the Gospel & puts on Christ through baptism.
  9. I love him for the way that he knows me, sometimes better than myself.
  10. I love that although he has a very tender heart, he is also the head & leader of our family.
  11. I love that despite his tender heart, I can't just run over him (not physically/literally...although there have been times....;) Those of you who know me, know that I am a little strong-willed, okay stubborn. (Wonder where are children get it from?)
  12. I love that ALL the kids look for "Mr. Joe" after worship to come outside for any number of games he gets together.
  13. I love that he gets excited when scoring a touchdown or homerun against a bunch of 5-12 year olds...seriously!
  14. I love that he has a soft spot for the elderly & can be seen not just helping them inside before worship, but you might often see him racing one particular man in a walker.
  15. I love that he loves ALL people regardless of looks, money, status, etc.
  16. I love that he's just a big kid inside.
  17. I love the ways that I've watched him grow, both as a man & as a Christian.
  18. I love that when I've been very sick he has done things that most would not do because I needed him.
  19. I love that although he can be a "mean sleep," he is also hilarious at times when talks/sleepwalks.
  20. I love him for the laughter that he brings to our home & to our children.

This list is certainly the abridged version of all that I love about my husband. Some were left out to keep this site family-friendly (ha,ha). I leave you with what I feel sums it up beautifully. (This was "borrowed" and the years edited.)

"Do you love me?
Do I what?
Do you love me?

For eleven years I've lived with him,
Fought him, starved with him,
Eleven years my bed is his,
If that's not love, what is?

Then do you love me?
I suppose I do.
And I suppose I love you, too.
It doesn't change a thing, but even so,
after eleven years,
it's nice to know."


4 comments:

Amy said...

So sweet!

I'm proud to say that I was there at the beginning of this relationship. It was (and still is) exciting to see how Joe really turned out to be the answer to your heart.

I'm tempted to bring up some old boyfriends, but I'll refrain. :) I'll just say that you ended up with the best!

Kristy said...

I believe what helped you resist your temptation to bring up old beau's is that I know TOO much!! LOL

Besides, how would we have known "the one" if it weren't for a few, let's just say, less than perfect guys? Seriously, WHAT were we thinking??

Lauren in GA said...

That was such a sweet post!!

Thanks for your kind comments on my blog!

jessica said...

Sounds like you got yourself a keeper. Happy Anniversary!

Thanks for checking out my blog:)