In the year 2008 I became your best friend.

October 24, 2015- I became your girlfriend.

October 1, 2016- I became your fiancée.

June 4, 2017- I became your wife.

The history, memories, heartache and pure bliss wrapped up in that time frame is astounding. And I want to remember every bit of it.

Today marks 4 years of being married. 4 years of growing up, walking through life, learning how to love and respect each other. 4 years of projects and meals shared together, dreaming and raising babies. 4 years of doing hard things, finding joy in little moments and running hard after Jesus. 4 years with a lifetime to go.

You know how in the Notebook, Noah writes down their whole life story together and reads it all back to Allie? That is perhaps the loftiest and most magical dream I have. And one day we will have a notebook of our very own. Though hopefully, Lord willing, these moments will forever be ingrained in my memory.

There’s a song by Alan Jackson called “Remember When”, (i know you’ve heard it). I’m not sure why I started singing it last night but it inspired me to write my own “Remember When’s” just to keep record of where we’ve been. There’s no way on earth I could ever record them all, and for that many memories, I am grateful.

Remember When….

*We rode the bus together to and from Silver dollar City on a choir trip in 2009? We shared earbuds and playlists and you borrowed my phone to make a friend of mine your girlfriend? I had a boyfriend but it still annoyed me, ha-ha.

*You kissed me in the school parking lot and bailed out the door into your buddy’s truck before I could even react? I will forever bring this up by the way. It’s just too good of a memory.

*I was pregnant senior year and you would walk me to class every single morning. And your girlfriend didn’t like it. But you made going to school a whole lot easier. I’m grateful for that.

*Our first date was in August of 2013. We went bowling and ate Mexican food. Then you drove me out past your dad’s and your grandparent’s. I didn’t know it then, but driving around nowhere with you would become my favorite thing. It still is.

*On that first date we ended up at the lake. The conversation got real deep. We never have kept secrets from each other. Nothing was ever off-limits either. But in the course of that night I fell in love with you. Man I miss that bench seat and sitting right next to you on the drive home.

*Things were a little rocky for a while and we both saw other people. There were times I wanted to hate you, but only because I loved you so much. We were always drawn to each other, no matter how hard we fought it. It’s that drawn-togetherness feeling that still makes me count the hours till your back home every day.

*You asked me to be your girlfriend after leaving me to die in that haunted house. I mean, who runs off and just leaves the girl they love to fend for herself against a clown and a chainsaw? Lucky for you, it all worked out.

*Unlucky for you, I would convince you to stay over until 2am and watch Scrubs with me every time you came over. You always stayed even though you had to wake up for work in just a couple hours. Knowing how much you love your sleep, I appreciated that sacrifice.

*watching you get loaded into the ambulance that night headed for Little Rock was the hardest night of my life. I still don’t understand how you were able to come home just a couple days after major brain surgery. But that’s just one of the miracles I’ve watched God walk you through.

*My favorite part of that whole story is when you woke up in post-op and told your mom you were gonna marry me. Then asked to call my dad right then, ha-ha.

*Remember how you asked me to marry you out by the lake and I asked if you were serious? I still can’t believe this is real life. But I’ve never said a better “yes”.

There’s a million more memories I can’t wait to write down. but I’ll stop there for now. I love you. Even on the days I don’t like you (ha-ha). I’m so grateful for you. Thank you for always loving me and being my best friend.

Love Always,

Your Wife 💕