10 years!

Last Thursday we hosted Thanksgiving for some of Jeremy's side of the family. I didn't take a single picture. I was busy cooking up a storm! But I was very thankful for 4 solid days with my little family. Jeremy is working hard these days and he will be until the end of the year. It's an unfortunate season for him to be tied up with work for long hours at a time. But I have much to look forward to. In less than 2 weeks he and I will have a weekend away to celebrate 10 years of marriage. Black Friday was our 10th anniversary! Our wedding was almost a week before Thanksgiving, back in 2002. But it seems like more often than not, our anniversary falls right around Thanksgiving day, as it did this year. Back in the spring, I talked Jeremy into this vacay, claiming it would be an anniversary trip. But we've decided to celebrate one more time. After all it's #10!
I do want to make mention of this. Last year was challenging for us. Jeremy is super committed to his committments. So if work gets demanding he puts in the hours and works his tail off. I've always known this about him. Long before we married I knew of his strong work ethic. I've always admired this about him. And let's face it, children change things in a marriage. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it definitely changes the dynamics. I would say that pre-kids our relationship was pretty effortless. But throw kids in the mix, a sometimes demanding job and Jeremy taking on a new little proejct of flipping a house (yeah, he didn't sleep much last fall), and somehow our relationship wasn't where it should have been all along. So last January we enrolled in a class called Dynamic Marriage through another church in our area. I had randomly heard about it in conversation through an acquaintance and I was immediately interested. Things weren't terrible at home, they were just a little...stale. I'm not okay with stale. With a husband that was willing but not really wanting to do this class, I enrolled us. And it was amazing! You can even ask Jeremy. It changed us and made our marriage so much better. Just like everything I had read about Dynamic Marriage. It really was exactly what we needed. So I encourage anyone out there that wants their marriage even a little better than what it is now, go find yourself a class. It's a heavy committment: 8 weeks, daily homework, a little discomfort, but the results can be incredible if the effort is put forth. I've heard amazing stories about how God is using this class to save marriages that are on the verge of divorce. It really can be that beneficial. I don't doubt that we may even retake the class in our future. Good stuff, people. Check it out.
So this year, I feel like our celebration is an extra special one. Not just because it's the big 10. But because 10 really does feel so good. We've always been committed - til death do us part. But it's nice to be lovingly and happily committed. And that I am. I'm a lucky girl!