A Child Bride

April 14th, 2001, David and I stood before everyone we loved and made a pretty big promise.

We were both about 19 years old, just kids.

We had a little house we closed on a few weeks before the wedding.

I made David sleep in the guestroom of our new house until we were married.
I, of course, still lived with my parents.

I was a freshman in college at the University of Arkansas and didn't have any time off from school.

So, we had a short honeymoon at a bed and breakfast nearby and drove to the zoo.

Eleven years later, my heart still hasn't changed.

I still look at him with eyes like I did when we first started dating at age sixteen.

I'm sure we are some statistic, marrying so young, high school sweethearts.

We entered our 20's together, forgoing wild parties for dinner and popcorn on Friday nights at home.

We "grew up" together.

We both celebrated turning the big "21" with two years of marriage under our belts, and didn't go out- we stayed home and made lasagna.

We taught Sunday School together.

I've had short hair, long hair, really long hair, and really short hair.

We've bought and owned four homes, one we built custom.

I've only had two cars in the eleven years we have been married. Don't ask me how many David has had. : )

We've vacationed in Rocky Mnt. Nat. Park, Yellowstone, Glacier Nat. Park, the Sequoia Redwood Forest, Monterrey Bay, Orange Beach, the Badlands, Dinosaur Nat. Park, Steamboat Springs, Garden of the Gods, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Arches Nat. Park, Telluride, Santa Fe, Aspen, Mount Rushmore, Niagara Falls, Crazy Horse Monument, Kansas City, Little Rock, Tulsa, Windsor, Ft. Morgan, Silverton, Ouray, skied at Wolf Creek, Breckenridge, and Keystone, whitewater rafted in Colorado, driven our motorcycle to British Columbia to spend only one night- we've made up for lost time since our college days are behind us.

In eleven years, we both earned our degrees.

We've added a total of sixty pounds between us. And neither of us notice it much. : )

Have experienced the passing of David's father, our two year old nephew, and countless other loved ones.

We waited seven years to start a family.

We both graduated college and began professional careers.

We began our "30's" together, wondering where in the world our "20's" went.

We uprooted and moved out of state, 1,000 miles from everyone we know.

We've prayfully thanked God for three growing babies within my womb-
This March, I miscarried 11 week old identical twins. Thank you again for your sweet prayers.

In the past eleven years, we have disagreed on everything from paying bills and whether the orange juice should have pulp or not.

We have agreed to disagree and gotten over it. It's okay to be wrong sometimes.
"Winning" an argument for the sake of pride gains nothing.

We have prayed our way through many a hard and trying times.

As God pulls us together, we build a life.

We are a family, no longer two 19 year old kids at an alter.

And I'm so happy.

Happy 11th wedding anniversary, David!