17 Years

Jas and I have now officially been married for 17 years.  

We looked like this when we were headed out on a date (!!!) to celebrate on Saturday night:

We looked like this 17 years ago when we tied the knot:




I know, I know.  Look at all the hair...on both our heads!


As fabulous as it was to be newlyweds, it is just even so much better/sweeter to have been married for 17 years now.  We are in such a better place...and know each other better than we did back then.  And, ummmm...it certainly helps when Jesus is in the driver's seat, which He is now...but was not when we first got married.




Our sweet Abby came and stayed with the five children on Saturday night for our hot date, which included:

- Eating at a "Fresh Mexican" place  (this was definitely our first stop...we were starving!)

- Stopping at a store to show Jas a kitchen island I'd been considering (so glad we stopped, neither of us like it after taking a closer look at it)

- Lowe's - purchased 6 rolls of insulation for the laundry/mud room.

- Walmart - what hot date is complete without a stop at The Wally?!?!  We needed to do regular grocery shopping and we purchased 90 sq. ft. of shelf liner (and that's just to get us started...Linda, come. help!)



While driving around on our date Jas and I did some calculating:  In a few days it will be the 20th anniversary of us being a couple.  And taking into account that I'm now 40...that means that for half my life, Jas has been my better half!

This is - I believe - the first picture we have of Jas and I together

Who were those babies?



These people look very different...

...but very much in love.  And in like.


And - praise the Lord for this -

...they have so much fun together...which makes all the hard stuff that you face together that much easier to deal with!