Two Years To Forever

Two years ago today I made the best choice of my life and married my very best friend, highschool sweet heart, and forever crush. 

I was 21 and Ryan was only 19 when we committed to spending forever by each others side. 

People told us that we were rushing into marriage. 

People told us we should wait, go to college, maybe date other people before we make such a life long commitment,

but we had no doubts. 

Looking back, it kind of reminds me of our adoption. 

People tell us we're rushing into adoption. 

People tell us we should wait, enjoy life, have some more "kids of our own" before making such a life long commitment

but we still have no doubts.

We have been through so much in two short years. Sometimes I look back at our wedding pictures and I hardly recognize this couple. They were indeed so young, they hadn't yet faced the true storms this life can send raging, but I can't say that they weren't prepared.

That day when we committed to loving and cherishing each other through the good, the bad, and whatever challenging roads this life may lead us down, we truly meant it.

We knew that God was going to give us a crazy life, the normal life wouldn't have meshed well with the crazy love He gave us for each other.

I can honestly say that I will not only grow old with my husband, but I am also growing up with him. 

Have we had to grow up fast?

 Ohhhh yes. 

Do we sometimes see other people our age and think wow, it would be nice to have such a care free life? 

Ummm.... we're not particularly proud of it, but yeah those thoughts cross our minds sometimes and when they do, we share them with each other. We hold each other tight, reflect on our crazy journey, count our countless blessings, and in the end, we always come to the conclusion that we would choose this crazy life of ours again in a heartbeat.

This life of ours has been far from easy, but it has been more beautiful than anything we could of ever dreamed or planned for ourselves.  

We celebrated our anniversary yesterday since today Ryan will be working most of the day today.

We stuck to our tradition of dressing up in our wedding attire and taking pictures. We wanted to go to the park and take them, but we chickened out. We figured if our neighbors saw us they might be pretty confused haha

More in love now than ever

Dancing with my little prince

Love his face!

Dang, those boys of mine are handsome!!

When I was checking these pictures after we had taken them, the first thoughts that crossed my mind were man, I wish I could photo shop out the ugly air conditioner, hair frizzies, toys, and unfolded laundry. But then I had one of those God moments where He tenderly changes my perspective. He told me that all of those things just make these pictures more beautiful.

Isn't that marriage afterall?

It's the miraculous wrapped up in the mundane.

It's Holiness hidden in laundry, dirty dishes, and unshowered ponytails.

It's completely sacred, but at times it seems so very simple.

It's two imperfect people completely surrendered to each other and more importantly to the God that brought them together.

It's loving each other after the perfection of the wedding day has well worn off.

It's embracing this beautiful, painful life with arms and heart wide open... together.

After we changed back into clothes we could breathe in, ate dinner out on the balcony, and put Landon to bed, we settled on the couch with our UNOPENED shutterfly box that has been sitting under our couch for two months (now that is self control people :)

After two years of waiting for the best discount offer, we were finally able to purchase our wedding album. We even splurged and got the 12x12 :) So awesome!!

 After looking through all our albums and reminiscing on our journey, I showed Ryan the video slideshow I made for him.

He said he loved it :)

This slideshow is a tribute to the greatest love of my life, Jesus Christ. For without Him, Ryan and I would be lost. It is also a tribute to the truest love I could ever know this side of Heaven. Ryan Maxwell you complete me and I can't wait to spend the rest of our earthly lives and all of eternity with you.

2 years down, forever to go.

To God be all of the glory, now and forevermore!!

Let's journey on my love :)