Fifteen Years and Counting...

Today, fifteen years ago, Buds and I were married in Colfax, Iowa.  It was a gorgeous night, especially for Iowa in mid-summer.  Around 150 of our family and friends gathered to surround us with love and good wishes.  Our best man, Chris’ brother, Zach, managed to make it to Iowa after being stranded in Madrid, Spain due to an absent passport.  My dad, Chris’ grandmother, my grandmother, my aunt Vicky, and my brother, David, were all still alive and doing well.  Our friends, Jana and Jeff, had just been married two weeks before us.  Our friends, John and Katie, were to be married two weeks after us.

We looked out into the crowd and saw Nathan, whom we hadn’t expected to be able to make it.  My very first boyfriend, Chris’ long-time college girl friend, my best friends from third-grade on (except for Todd, Gina, and new baby Jack,) Chris’ best buddies from college, we were truly surrounded by the people who helped make us who we were.  It was so humbling and so exciting.

Buds and I spent some time this morning talking about what we’d lived through together in the last fifteen:  Five out-of-the-country trips (Buds says Canada doesn’t count, but I count it.);  3 children; several deaths of loved ones;  acquiring 3 pets;  purchasing 4 homes; building one dream house; starting two businesses, one of which still thrives; and more laughter and love than I could ever begin to count.

I pray we have 50 more years together, and however much we get, I’m grateful for every…single…second.