Twelfth Year

Eleven

We married on 9-1-1 just before 9-11.  Right from the start the union has been full of surprises.  Honestly one set of twins was a big surprise, I never thought it would happen again.  Now, I would not have it any other way.  Surprises keep us on our toes, and though I feel in many ways better prepared now than ever.. I know I'm not.  What I know for sure is that I'm right where I should be with exactly the person I should be.  Happy Anniversary sweetie.

Plans

We have been purging, packing, patching, painting, and generally preparing for the sale of our house. Honestly, we have been opening some boxes that have been sealed and stored for the entire fours years we have lived here. Life has been busy with other things!

In the process, we have found a stash of old cassette tapes from our teen years and beyond. Amongst the Michael Jackson, New Kids on the Block, Sinead O'Connor, Stone Tempe Pilots, Whitney Houston, Vanilla Ice, and others we found our lost wedding tape. We didn't film our wedding but instead have an audio recording.

We were so excited to listen to the found treasure that, after the kids were in bed, we snuck into the van (our only cassette player) and listened together under a warm blanket. The music filled the van and we heard a voice that has left us. With eyes about to overflow we heard Joan, Matt's aunt and godmother, read the Old Testament. She lost her battle to cancer.

We heard Aunt Jeanie sing beautiful songs and Aunt Marsha read as well.

We listened some more and heard Uncle Bob's words in the homily. He gracefully laced together words to explain how God gives us individual DNA but creates a plan for each of us. How amazing that God led Matt and I to the same summer camp to cross paths. Our love for children with special needs brought us together back then. Today it still brings us together.

So all my stressing and planning about our future may be slightly useful but time and time again I am reminded that God has a plan.

What is God knitting together for you?

Grease..

Tonight I found myself sitting on the hardwood floor next to Matt thinking this is not how I envisioned marriage. We were both covered in black grease from transferring parts from one gait trainer to another bigger one. Maybe ten years ago, my head was filled with dreams of a husband who is always romantic, who holds my hand as we travel the world, smiling as we hold fancy parties together, and enjoying a big healthy family with kids that never whine, all under forever sunshiny days.

Truth be told I'm lucky to be sitting next to a partner that works with me side by side with grease on our hands for a little girl that WE love so dearly. He is the only one that loves and understands our family the way I do. And that ladies and gentlemen is what marriage is really all about, finding that person who you want to be with through the good and the greasy. Someone who goes through bed rest with you shaving your legs, gets up in the middle of the night to feed twin infants, takes out the trash without complaint, and when something scary happens like you hear your child might have CP he doesn't leave your side. I don't know how I would do this alone and I'm very grateful tonight for Matt.