The 7-year itch.

Celebrating seven years of wedded bliss, er, uh, marriage today.  Cause really, what is wedded bliss?  I mean, by day 3 of our honeymoon, Joel and I woke up next to each other, wondered what the heck we had done and were ready to come home.  He made this even clearer on day 7 when he went through the fast food line and ordered and paid for his own food, leaving me in the dust.  And who can forget this? 

I was so excited to get this done!  Little did I know, Joel let me do it so he could make fun of me later

I used to be terrified of year 7, aka The Seven Year Itch.  Now it's here, and the only thing that's itchy is Ali's skin.  Joel and I attended a Mark Driscoll conference a few years ago, and he said most divorces happen before year 9; the main reason being two selfish people refuse to quit being selfish by then, and selfishness ultimately wins. Well, I can't say Joel or I are finished being selfish, and we will never be, but there is no denying we have worked our butts off learning how to be just a little more selfLESS, better communicators, better forgivers, better friends, better partners, and better parents.  We've spent a lot of money enlisting the help of others, and while outsiders have often disagreed with our "methods," there's no shame in that.

Here's a short picture timeline of memories. 

Joel pulled off an epic engagement at Niagara Falls during my grandma's 80th birthday party/family reunion

It took a few times for this guy to give this other guy the "go ahead"

Classic engagement picture ;) We look so young!  (And fit!)

No caption needed

One of my favorite wedding pictures

One of my favorite honeymoon pictures...before day 3 ;) 

Our "before kids" days

I think this picture captures us "settling in" to our life together

Kid 1

Kid 2

Kid 3.  Do we look more progressively more tired?  I think so. 

Every year on our anniversary, we make a list of Top 10 Things to Remember and Top 10 Things to Forget from that previous year.  I am happy to say, the list of things to forget gets shorter and shorter each year.  And although that may be a sad thought to many of you, it's reality, and 2 sinners joining their lives together in a fallen world is reality.  Some things are just best forgotten. Those things make the worth-remembering-memories so much sweeter and more cherished, and for that, I am grateful. 

We read a ton of dating, engagement and marriage books (to a fault), most of which I can't recommend, but there is one I can and will wholeheartedly recommend: The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller. 

I love this book because it removes the focus off your spouse and even your marriage and places it on the Gospel, the Good News that Jesus Christ saves us from our unworthiness and wipes our slate clean.  There is no way to get through life, married or not, apart from living in this truth.  And it's an alive and active truth that will not end, which is more good news, because I need to be reminded of it every day.  

So, J, happy anniversary!  Here's to getting through year 7 with flying colors and starting year 8 with only hope and joy in my heart.  Thanks for being faithful to me in the best and worst times and for truly being an amazing father to our girls.  

Love,

-L