3500 DAYS!

Today D & I have been married 3500 days! I can still remember like it was yesterday the night of our 'second' first date in Columbus at the lights at the zoo where he sat me down in a FREEZING cold tent with some hot chocolate and asked me to date him, promising, among other things, to always treat me with respect, to do nothing more than kiss me and to keep God as the center of our relationship. He continues to keep those promises today...well, except for the kissing part. :) 3500 days later I still feel as giddy as I did that night. I get so excited when he comes home from work, when he calls and even when he emails throughout the day...sometimes I get so excited to talk to him that I literally have to catch my breath first. I can remember practicing saying, "I Do" and we also practiced our "wedding kiss"...I can still remember that day so clearly. It was like he was the only other person in the room. I can remember turning around for the first time and thinking..."Oh yeah...look at all of these people! They've been watching us!" Today he still captivates me.

We have shared so much...sooooooo much, many long talks and long walks, hugs and kisses, we've gone to a ton of movies and a few countries, we've flown, cruised, parasailed & gone jeeping on mountains together. We've prayed through many decisions and have had high points in careers and low...have had a few not-so-fun experiences and a couple down-right tough ones. We've giggled and laughed out loud, we've been teary and cried out loud, we've prayed & prayed & prayed & prayed, we've had the best of times and the funniest of times, the happiest of times and some sad times. We've lived in 5 different houses/apt.s, had one pet & 10 cars! We've gone through the 'trying to conceive' and the conception of & delivery of our first baby. I've seen him as a minister, a teacher, a friend, a brother, a son, a husband, a dad, an aquaintance, a dean, a leader, a member, a visitor, a Buckeye fan, an Indian's fan, a Brown's fan, at parties, at camps, at retreats, at games, at home, at church, on vacation, shopping, driving & playing...no matter what he's doing, where he is or what his role he is the SAME man who loves Jesus and strives to be more like Him! He has such integrity!

We've had some sickness and much health...been richer & poorer...had better & worse...we've loved & we've cherished and have been blessed to have & to hold each other the last 3500 days...and we will stay together until death parts us. In this world where people getting a divorce is so stinking common I am blessed and thankful to know...to KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that I won't be in that 50% of marriages that end in divorce. No matter what this world has to offer or take from us we will always have each other. So 3500 days later with excitement in my heart and flutters in my stomach I can honestly say I love him more than I did 9 & a half years ago. I have more respect, more admiration, more appreciation for him than I really ever knew I could. He's an amazing husband, a gifted dad, & my best friend.

I prayed I'd 'marry someone like D' & God chose to bless me with the real thing! So 3500 days later I still sing in my heart (ok...and sometimes out loud to him)...David...You're That Prayer!