I know your thick, rough hands, scarred with hard work. They steady me.
I know your raspy voice, it drew me in, it holds me still.
I know your love for me, your desire. It makes me beautiful.
I know the heart within that beats for your family, your God. It is my constant.
Finding you all those years ago, was a gift.
But knowing you has been the greatest discovery of my life.
And now, we celebrate sixteen years.
-1 year of discovery
-1 year of living on love
-3 long years of infertility
-1 year of living on faith
-1 year of transition
-3 years where we grew up, apart, back together
-1 year of rebuilding our marriage
-4 years of loving a free man
-almost 1 year in our new God-journey
-16 years, I’ve loved you through it all.
_________________________
How long have YOU been married??
Happy Anniversary!
9 1/2 years. 6 kids. Too many jobs (for husband) to count. One apartment and one house. Blessings beyond measure.
Happy Anniversary! 18 years and 4 kids. While it has not always been easy, I am so thankful that through the grace of God, we are still together learning to lean on HIM as a family.
In Sept 2011 it will be 7 years! Our daughter was born on our 5th year anniversary 4 weeks early, she’s 15 months now
She helps me remember our anniversary every year now, now I need a child born on my husband’s birthday 
Happy Anniversary! /
15 years and 4 kids and I’m Loving Almost Every Moment of it. Congratulations on your anniversary. Praying for you to continue to grow closer to God and each other. Blessings!
Beautiful post, Kristen. It totally made me cry. Thank you for living out your life so transparently here, for sharing your joys and your struggles. Hope you both had a blessed anniversary celebration and next year you can add on “1 year of great new adventure!”
i LOVE that photo. your words were extremely beautiful too.
we have been married 14 years. crazy, huh.
In 16 days, it will be 6 years.
Happy anniversary! I am so blessed by your story, Kristen. Thank you both so much for sharing & continuing to love each other. You’re great examples.
Oh, and 4 & 1/2 years for me!
Congratulations. We had our 37th last month it really does get better. It is different …
It is just as challenging as the first year. But in a different way.
Age helps with the patience. Age helps in deciding what is REALLY important.
take care, you are doing well.
This is a beautiful post. Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary! We just celebrated 6 months of marriage.
Congratulations Kristen. That is awesome. So blessed.
You aren’t THAT family. THAT typical family – where broken marriages abound. Where “falling out of love” is a reason for divorce. Yay for you. Yay for commitment.
We will celebrate 13 years in May.
Happy Anniversary! We are at 38.5 happy years. Blessings to you both.
Wow, I didn’t realize how similar our journeys were, though I’ve been married 8 years…and we’re in the 1st year of “growing up, apart, and back together”. I’m hoping we have the happy ending yours seems to be.
16 years in September. I feel the same way, loved this post! We have had lots of ups and downs. But we are still here, loving one another, even through surgeries, a child with autism, and financial worries. Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary! We celebrated our 28th anniversary this year. I think our marriage keeps getting better with each passing year. He is my blessing.
20 and a 1/2 years.. and that photo of you and Terrel is Stunning!!!!!! Congrats to you both!
Great post! For us, 31 1/2 years, six children and five grandchildren.
Today is our 5th anniversary! We just recently found out we were pregnant, so it’s the best present God has given us!
Happy Anniversary!! We’ve been married 8 years!!!
Happy Anniversary! What a beautiful love story!
It’s been 12 years for us.
happy anniversary! so beautiful!!
We’ve been married 5 1/2 years!
Almost 10.5!
I love to look at the two of you looking at each other because it looks so true and sincere.
I love that pic! We have been married for 13 1/2 years. Praising God for enduring marriages!
You always sum it up so beautifully! It was 28 years for us on 9/11. Still enjoying the journey…! Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary <3 It was 9 years for us on October 19th!
Happy Anniversary! What a testimony to God’s grace and blessing abounding!
We’ve been married 11 months today!
Happy Anniversary! We just celebrated our 23rd anniversary. We have 3 daughters.
So fun reading of your own love numbered in years! Thank you for all the well wishes. I am blessed!
Precious post! Have a blessed and amazing anniversary! 16 years is amazing! Your marriage posts have remained a great read for reminders and strength to stay committed and work on everything along the way! We have been married for 8 blissful years of growth, adoration, strength, cherishing and nurturing each other along the way. Now I can’t imagine life without him and wouldn’t dare to try! The man my husband is today is so transformed and renewed from the man I married, I love him more, yet how does he still feel comfortable and the same? I suppose that can only be possible through the Holy Spirit’s work! : )
Happy Anniversary!
Only 8 and a half years here, but we were chatting the other night and realizing this is maybe the start of the first time in our marriage that we are finally hitting a stride and not transitioning– In 8 years we’ve moved 5 or 6 times (not even sure how to count em all!) added 3 kids, changed jobs almost as many times as we’ve moved, finished school in there somewhere, etc. etc. What a crazy journey life can be! But it makes you so comfortable with one another that we wouldn’t want to travel this road with anyone else!
20 years, 3 boys, and one big adventure into the world of little girls coming up!
Happy Anniversary! We celebrated our 10th yesterday! 3 boys and too many surprises from God to count in the last 10 years!
What a beautiful post and a great picture of you two! Happy Anniversary!! My husband and I just celebrated our first anniversary in August.
What a beautiful post…. Happy Anniversary! And Congrats on making it 16 years and learning and loving all the way through!!!
We’ve been married for 8.5 yrs and have 3 kiddos and one on the way. Got married TOO young (20 and 21) but have grown and learned a lot of life lessons the hard way, but are stronger for it! God is good!
Like children under the age of 5, the responses showing “10 and a half years” / “13 and a half years” / “5 and a half years” shows just how proud everyone is of every single second they’ve worked, struggled, and enjoyed working on their commitments~!
Not quite 4 months for me!
Matthew 19:6 (NIV)
~So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
Happy Anniversary!
My hubby & I have been married 18 yrs this past Halloween.
18 amazing years this Sunday. Happy Anniversary!
16 years today – just like you! cool
Happy Anniversary!
10 1/2 years. God is good.
It will be 10 years in August!
PS-Happy Anniversary!!!
Sweet post…..14 years for us!
We’ve been married 9 years, 4 months, and 6 days… crazy in the middle of some transition ourselves, but hanging on to God and hanging on to each other. Have a wonderful anniversary!
Oh I love where you said that his desire, his love for you makes you beautiful…so true!
We have been married for eight years and it will be nine come April. We got married at ages 21 and 26. God has been good to us and kept us loving through all the challenges we have faced.
Great post! Happy Anniversary!
Just celebrated 20 years on Dec. 15. Loved you post. Happy Anniversary!!!
14 years last September . . . he’s an amazing man of God, husband, dad, friend, son, brother, nephew, grandson, uncle . . . an all-around fabulous guy! I’m so blessed!
Thanks and Happy Anniversary!
Shana
Congrats ! We have been married for thirty- two years. I was sixteen , he was eighteen…just babies .
We have been married for 32 years . I was sixteen, he was 18…….just babies.
Happy Anniversary!
18 years.
Happy Anniversary! I love reading here.
30 yrs for us last year…..
you inspire me….
This was beautiful.
Happy Anniversary! 1o years for us.
December 27 will be 27 years! Happy Anniversary to all of us celebrating our marriages this month!
Almost 14 years…and loved every minute of it!
We’ve know each other since 1997 and have been married for seven months.
Five months on Christmas Eve.