Against the odds... and still going

A Beautiful, overdue, amazing getaway. Every couple deserves one.

Taylors Falls

My Sweetie!

My husband and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary on the 31st,

and sometimes I don't know how we have made it this far.

According to today's research and society's standards -

there are a ton (well at least 13) reasons why we shouldn't still be together.

The stats say:

ONE - Out of every 2 marriages ends in divorce.

TWO - We only dated for 2 months before he proposed. I'm sure that is not advised.

THREE - Children can add substantial stress to a marriage - we have 3.

FOUR - Experts say married couple's can keep their marriage strong by dating once a week.

We are lucky to get 4 a year.

(I don't know anyone, with kids, who can still date 4 times a month - power to you if you are!)

FIVE - The average hours of sleep we get a night. Not helping the stress/patience levels.

SIX - Our sixth anniversary was our last "couple's weekend away".

SEVEN - There's the seven-year itch. Come and gone.

EIGHT - Eight of 10 marriages with a child with a disability ends in divorce.

NINE - Moves/relocation can add major stress to a marriage, we have done it 9 times.

TEN - Only 10% of marriages where one spouse is in the restaurant industry makes it.

ELEVEN - The amount of months we were engaged and "living in sin".

TWELVE - The amount of waking hours we see each other...a week.

Not too much opportunity to move beyond just updating each other of life's events.

THIRTEEN - Another major life stress can be job changes, these can be too much for just one person, but our relationship has gone through 13 job changes between the two of us,

and we are not even done yet.

I won't say any of it is easy. Most of the time it is just too much. It really does wear on each of us. We say things we wish we could take back, we get selfish, and we miss opportunities to be loving. And there are many days, and many reasons beyond these, that each one of us has our turn at wanting to just quit. And sometimes, only knowing that we don't want to quit is all we have.

But then there are these other days.

Days that make the hard ones better than bearable. Days that feel like the first kiss, the first time we saw each other, and like we are the only two people in the world that matter. There are moments when he looks at me, or when I hear his voice, and I still get butterflies. There is excitement in my heart when he calls, or when he pulls in the driveway. There are days when he does or says something that takes my breath away and reminds me so vividly as to why I married him, and why I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

There isn't always flowers or cards, but there is always a net. The one that he holds out to catch me whenever I feel the world caving in, or our world is falling apart. The one that he holds out every time I worry about the kids, another "issue" with Anthony, or just when that "what if..." fear creeps in.

Our "like" for the other can have it's moments, but we do truly love each other. The "world", and even some people in our lives, probably think we shouldn't still be together. But God doesn't let us go. He reminds us, just when we need it, that no matter what, we are meant to be together. Sometimes it's at the last second, but it's always just in time.

Just look at my list again, there is just cause for us to have had enough.

But we are still going, God can make all things possible.

And "just 'cause" we are sticking it out.

I thank God for our recent 2 days together, and my mom who had the kids. We had the time of our lives, did some major healing of each others hearts and just had a blast together!! We went to Taylors Falls, had some great conversations and even some belly laughs.

With our recent life changes, laughs have been missed.

I also thank God for a husband who is an amazing cook!!

Gotta love a guy who can turn your kitchen table into a four star restaurant -

without the waitress always coming to ask how things are just when you take a bite.

I love you honey, I am so glad that after 13 years, and after so much, - we still "fit".