Today marks a couple of important dates for our family. First, it’s Steve’s and my 28th wedding anniversary. I’d tell you that we were 10 when we got married, but you already know that I’m 50 so I'll let you do the math. We started dating when we met at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, and got married a couple weeks after graduating. If you’re from the Midwest and whining about how cold it is today, consider that it snowed on our wedding day in Edinburg, North Dakota. So count your blessings. Other than those cold flakes, the day was wonderful because we were confident about our decision and surrounded by people who loved us and have supported us to this day. Most importantly, we had a deep desire to commit our marriage to what God wanted for us individually and together. During our wedding ceremony, we lit a unity candle but kept the individual candles lit, which is symbolic of the way we wanted our marriage to be.
When we first got married, we divided the household chores in half (as equally as possible given the subjective nature of chores) by which ones we either each liked the most or disliked the least. Steve got washing clothes, cleaning the apartment, and taking care of the cars when something went wrong. (I am totally blonde when it comes to cars!) I got cooking, keeping track of the family calendar, organizing stuff, and managing the finances. As we've added more family members, we’ve added lots of responsibilities and have rearranged along the way but have more or less stuck to the half and half approach since we’ve both worked outside the home. One day I was nattering on about how annoying it is to unload dishes from the dishwasher because you’ve already rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher and…ugh! The next morning, Steve unloaded the dishwasher and has continued to do so nearly every morning since that day. Didn't I marry an amazing guy?
Probably the best thing about our marriage is that we trust God and each other through the joys and travails of everyday life. We have similar values and give each other space so it all works pretty well. He also points out when I’m self centered, which I desperately need now and then and am better for it. And most importantly, when life is tough, we stop and pray because we’re miserable at doing life without God’s guidance. He has given us strength, courage and peace in many situations.
The other important event happened 14 years ago today, which happens to be half of our married life. It's Chloe's Arrival Day, the day we brought her home. A week before that day, Steve, Leah and I flew to Seoul, South Korea. We arrived late at night, and the person who was supposed to drive us to the adoption agency was not at the airport. We fanned out all our Korean money to a rather sketchy-looking cab driver, handed him a piece of paper with the address in Korean, and prayed all the way through the flashing signs of the biggest city we’ve ever experienced. We finally arrived at a place that we recognized from a picture…whew! The next morning we rolled out of bed (literally, mattress on the floor) and waited in a room in next building (pictured below). There was Chloe with her foster mom. We peaked under her tiny baseball cap to see our beautiful baby. I only got to hold her for about 30 seconds before Leah wanted to hold HER baby. In the ensuing days, we spent time exploring Seoul. One of the amazing moments was having the opportunity to meet Leah’s foster mother. We learned through a translator that Leah was the only adopted child that she’d ever had the opportunity to see again. At four, Leah intuitively knew the poignancy of the moment and quietly walked over and sat in her lap.
So today, I am counting my blessings—for a husband who could not be better suited for me, and a winsome daughter who captured our hearts 14 years ago. I’m also thankful for a soulful 18-year-old daughter who is grounded in who she is and never ceases to amaze me with her depth of character, and of course, the sweet dog who rounds out our family.
When we first got married, we divided the household chores in half (as equally as possible given the subjective nature of chores) by which ones we either each liked the most or disliked the least. Steve got washing clothes, cleaning the apartment, and taking care of the cars when something went wrong. (I am totally blonde when it comes to cars!) I got cooking, keeping track of the family calendar, organizing stuff, and managing the finances. As we've added more family members, we’ve added lots of responsibilities and have rearranged along the way but have more or less stuck to the half and half approach since we’ve both worked outside the home. One day I was nattering on about how annoying it is to unload dishes from the dishwasher because you’ve already rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher and…ugh! The next morning, Steve unloaded the dishwasher and has continued to do so nearly every morning since that day. Didn't I marry an amazing guy?
Probably the best thing about our marriage is that we trust God and each other through the joys and travails of everyday life. We have similar values and give each other space so it all works pretty well. He also points out when I’m self centered, which I desperately need now and then and am better for it. And most importantly, when life is tough, we stop and pray because we’re miserable at doing life without God’s guidance. He has given us strength, courage and peace in many situations.
The other important event happened 14 years ago today, which happens to be half of our married life. It's Chloe's Arrival Day, the day we brought her home. A week before that day, Steve, Leah and I flew to Seoul, South Korea. We arrived late at night, and the person who was supposed to drive us to the adoption agency was not at the airport. We fanned out all our Korean money to a rather sketchy-looking cab driver, handed him a piece of paper with the address in Korean, and prayed all the way through the flashing signs of the biggest city we’ve ever experienced. We finally arrived at a place that we recognized from a picture…whew! The next morning we rolled out of bed (literally, mattress on the floor) and waited in a room in next building (pictured below). There was Chloe with her foster mom. We peaked under her tiny baseball cap to see our beautiful baby. I only got to hold her for about 30 seconds before Leah wanted to hold HER baby. In the ensuing days, we spent time exploring Seoul. One of the amazing moments was having the opportunity to meet Leah’s foster mother. We learned through a translator that Leah was the only adopted child that she’d ever had the opportunity to see again. At four, Leah intuitively knew the poignancy of the moment and quietly walked over and sat in her lap.
So today, I am counting my blessings—for a husband who could not be better suited for me, and a winsome daughter who captured our hearts 14 years ago. I’m also thankful for a soulful 18-year-old daughter who is grounded in who she is and never ceases to amaze me with her depth of character, and of course, the sweet dog who rounds out our family.
I am amazed each day at how the Lord answers all of our prayers! How exciting that He lead you to the right cab driver that day - God never ceases to show His presence in our daily lives!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet moment from Leah as she sat in her foster mom's lap. That must have been a fantastic moment. :)
ReplyDeleteThat comment is from Suzanne Wanyonyi. :)
ReplyDeleteBoth the cab ride and the foster mom experiences were heart stoppers - for different reasons!
ReplyDelete