The Best of 10 Years Well Spent

In a blink of an eye, a whole decade flew by. I guess that’s what they say, time flies when you’re having fun. Or when you’re busy having having six kids. Whichever. Time certainly doesn’t stand still for anyone.

Just last month, my husband and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. I don’t think either of us imagined we would make it to this far without killing each other. Getting married at 18 and 22 isn’t for the faint of heart.

You see, no one really prepares you for how hard marriage is. In a social media world, where everything you see is literally picture perfect, it’s hard to distinguish what a normal relationship looks like. Let alone the amount of work it takes to make a marriage feel good on the inside and not one that just looks good on the outside. Whoever said marriage is 50/50 is a liar. Anything you put half of your effort into never works. Marriage takes 100% of your effort 100% of the time.

But nothing can prepare you for how incredibly awesome it is either. Having someone you can depend on for love, support, and loyalty is irreplaceable. Marriage makes you feel secure. Similar to a weighted blanket except you have to feed it often and listen to it snore.

Last year, I shared what we have learned about marriage so far in my blog post, 5 Tips for a Happy and Successful Marriage. While I’m hoping life grants us another ten years together, I wanted to share the highlights of our first ten years as husband and wife.

Baby #1

Brody, the one that gave me the confidence to believe I could handle five more. Most importantly, he’s the best big brother and I couldn’t have imagined a better leader of the pack.

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Our First Home

A cozy, little place with big backyard that we would add dogs, chickens, and many more kids to. We outgrew it about as soon as we moved into it but it contained all of the things we hold dear in our hearts. For that, I’m so grateful.

Baby #2

Mackenzie, the little girl I was always hoping to have someday. She became Brody’s partner in crime almost instantly and they are still inseparable to this day.

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Baby #3

Lillian is a firecracker that’s going to change the world! But she’s also the most compassionate one, especially when someone is having a rough day. She’s definitely the mother hen of the group.

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Baby #4

Chloe, my little assitant. She insists on being the one that helps with everything and will get offended if someone else beats her to it. She was meant to be a big sister and loves being one.

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Baby #5

Amelia, a total class clown. She would do just about anything, including risking hurting herself, to get a laugh out of her siblings. She definitely brightens our day!

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Our Second Home

A wild, off-in-the-distant-future idea that became a reality years before we thought it would. The amount of time and effort it took to pull off moving across the country with five kids made me realize I am capable of anything I put my mind to. It was a risk. But one that paid off greatly!

Baby #6

Finally, there was Brayden. The icing on the cake, the cherry on top, our grand finale. Whatever you want to call it, he fulfilled our dreams of having a big family. He’s the sweetest little boy and the most perfect addition.

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Ten Years Down, Forever to Go

While the last 10 years have been incredible watching our family grow, I’m looking forward to this new season of life. One where we spend less time running on coffee and cuss words and more time helping and encouraging our kids to be well rounded, young adults.

Here’s to forever and the many more adventures we have awaiting us!