Happy Anniversary

Eight years ago today I married the man of my dreams.

Wedding Day

I met Marshall when we were 13 years old - 17 years ago this month. 17 years? Wow. That makes me feel old right there.
We started dating when we went to college - I was 17, Marshall had just turned 18 that week. That was 13 years ago next month.

Did I mention that we're only 30 years old? We've known each other 56% of our lives. We've been together 43% of our lives. And we've been One Flesh 26% of our lives. Wow. When you put it in to percentages we've been together a very long time!

But you don't want to know percentages. You want to know WHY, don't you?

Marshall and I met in high school. He was the dorky friend. He does not love how I put that, but it's part of our story so there it is...He was my dorky fellow trombone playing friend. However, he will tell you he knew he was going to marry me the week we met. I'm sure glad he knew that...I sure didn't. We did date however briefly in the 10th grade. Marshall was a very nice boy, but his life was very different from mine and I felt we were incompatible (hey - I was 14).

So, obviously, I'm the girl. Marshall is next to me in the band jacket...

We were part of a small group in high school and we all went to Clemson together. I had recently become a Christian and Marshall's good values were suddenly very appealing. That and he had grown 6 inches in height as well as a mustache and goatee. Dorky Marshall had become Hot Marshall. We started dating when we got to Clemson. People were so surprised, "Go out with someone you don't know!" they told me. But within 2 weeks I knew we would get married.

Marshall and I dated 5 years before we were married. (Remember - we got married at the very young 22 years old. So waiting 5 years was appropriate.)

Marshall is kind, funny, smart, patient, and godly. We enjoy spending time together, our dates consist of going to stores to window shop because we can talk.
We've been told we're wonderful communicators - in our DSS adoption classes we had to give each other instructions to draw a particular picture and the class leader said we got the picture the most accurate out of all the classes she had ever taught! That was one of my most proud married moments!

Is our marriage perfect? No, of course not. We fight. We both have things about each other that bugs the other one.
I heard a quote from a celebrity the other day that they were divorcing because their marriage was hard work and they didn't think love like that should be work. Um...newsflash! Marriage is hard work. It's supposed to be hard work.
Love is an action. A daily decision. Those feelings when you're first together or first married is puppy love - lust. An emotion. Love is not an emotion. It's being angry with the person you married and loving them and choosing to be with them anyway. It's being dog tired from life but taking the time to talk and be intimate anyway.

Marriage is hard work. Being married to Marshall is hard work. I'm sure being married to me is hard work as well...I know I'm high maintenance!

So Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband! Thank you for choosing me - day after day. I love you!

Haha! This is the most recent pic of just the two of us from a friend's 80s themed party!