Splash in the Rain Puddles

Happy anniversary my love! 17 years sounds like a long time, and in some ways feels like it too. Ha! But what a journey it has been.  Marriage is a beautiful thing.  To know that you are sharing life with the very person God created to be your partner…to know that no matter what, they will always be in your corner…to know that chances are very good they know exactly what you are thinking before you even need to speak it…it really is a beautiful thing.  But it takes work….it takes work to put their needs before your own…to remember that before kids, it really was just the two of you…to always find a way to stay on the same path, even when you might take separate roads to get there.  We have both learned a lot in 17 years.  We balance each other out, we make each other laugh, and we are very aware of our differences.  But it works.  Because on our wedding day, we knew with certainty that this was God’s plan for our lives. And now 17 years and 3 boys later, I simply could not feel more lo

Last week, this world lost a beautiful soul.  As her earthly body grew weaker, she had a confidence and a peace about where she was going and the heavenly body she was about to receive.  She has always been Grandma to my hubby...and I consider it a great honor to have called her Grandma for the last 17 years.  I think it is probably a rare gift to grow close to a spouse's grandparent.  But Grandma...she played a big role in God's plan for my life....and that goes back about 20 years.  I was loving life as a college student, when my sweet friend Christie took a few of us to Williamsburg, VA to visit her Great Aunt Virginia and Great Uncle Jack.  What a trip that was...to see the farm, that beautiful long lane of magnolia trees, and experience the hospitality of Mrs. Virginia Massie.  Fast forward a few years to our senior year in college...weeks away from graduating...when Christie suggested we take one more trip to see her Aunt Virginia.  I remember feeling the pressure of exam