In-law Love

My cup runneth over with laughter when I'm with my in-laws. We just like to be together and all six siblings, five spouses, Mom and Dad and twenty grandchildren (with boyfriends and a fiancé), make a whole lot of noise at a family gathering. But when we spend a weekend together, it's just a rip-roaring good time!

Ed and Kim's 25th wedding anniversary (their kids)

Dad gets a little carried away :)

Sooo thankful Kim is in remission. Praise God!

Ed and Kim's family  

weekend at a resort and boat tour with Mom and Dad for their 50th anniversary (and Dad's birthday)

although, it was cool and wet, some of us still ventured up to the fly bridge of their boat

Kevin, the linesman

peek-a-boo

the local variety store hats--cheap fun

lovebirds

Terry's crazy jumps are always entertaining

yes, these guys sneaked into the hot tub at the next hotel since we didn't have one

chatting and enjoying the sun on the porch

the whole fam-jam  

laughing hysterically over the birthday gifts

 

There were so many fantastic memories from this weekend, such as, Linda being well-enough to join us, treats and great conversations at night, eating together, the guys using the hot tub in the adjacent hotel, and the wrestling match between siblings to throw each other into the lake. But the best moment was when Rob, Kevin and Mike sat down at the lengthened restaurant breakfast table each wearing the dress-shirts we were giving Dad as gifts for his birthday. He finally noticed there were tags hanging out on the fronts of these guys and pointed it out in bewilderment. We burst out laughing and he finally figured it out. They stood and unbuttoned and handed the shirts over right there. Beats wrapping :)  

 

 

Remaining On The Dance Floor

The Master of Ceremonies for my cousin's wedding called into the microphone that all married couples must come to the dance floor and then the music commenced. We obediently took our places and swayed to the music in our spouse's arms, questioning each other what this was all about. After a minute, the MC announced that if any couple had been married for less than a year, they must exit the dance floor. A little bit later, she called on anyone married three years or less to remove themselves. She slowly whittled us down in increments of about two years until there were only a few couples left. My husband and I looked around and laughed, feeling very conspicuous that we were still dancing, along with my aunt and uncle a few older couples. The MC continued to call out numbers as the guests looked on in amazement. Bewildered, she leaned into the mic and exclaimed, "I'm actually so shocked! Can they [marriages] really last that long?" When she said, "Less than twenty?" we danced on, as we had agreed that being a mere one month from twenty years made us anniversary-worthy :) Then she jumped to twenty-five and we threw our arms down and laughed our way back to our chairs.

If we had been able to sit down with the MC and share how God took two broken people and put them back together, we would have. We don't boast in our own ability to pull off twenty years of marriage, we praise Jesus because we would never have made it this far without Him.

As we celebrate Father's Day, I'm also reminded that this man is an intentional, attentive, loving daddy to our kids.

 

Happy Father's Day, Terry.

I will remain on the dance floor of life with you for as long as we both shall live.

Eighteen Years

The waitress, who said we must have married when we were ten (lol), doesn't know how our secret. She even asked, but other tables called her away to her duties. We chuckled as she flitted here and there, trying to catch bits and pieces of our conversation in this riverside restaurant my husband surprised me with. It's been eighteen years and the secret to our joy is that we've given our lives to Jesus; not just once, but every day.

Terry and I have faced very hard times in our marriage. We've been able to mentor young couples because we understand the angst and confusion that come with life as newlyweds, young parents, entrepreneurs, and humans. We could have thrown in the towel a time or two. But we're not about to because life is not about the next best thing. It's about loving the one God created for you and sticking it out.

Need a second chance because your marriage didn't turn out this way? Your God is a mighty and gracious forgiver. He's a mender of broken hearts and your plan B can be better than you can imagine. For those of you still toughing it out in plan A, be encouraged. It's worth it all when you place Jesus as number one in your marriage. Are you the only one in the relationship putting Jesus there? Continue to persevere, my friend. Your God-honouring lifestyle will draw your partner. May God bless our marriages as we seek Him in all our daily living.

Fifteen Years

You slide your hand across the restaurant table to cup mine, as you have done many times before. We bow our heads and you lead us in grace for our meal and in thanks for our fifteen years of oneness. That number seemed so very far away when we first started out together, in fact, we couldn't even fathom it. We knew we'd be married forever but marking numbers was unattainable in our thinking back then. Four children, two fish and a kitten later, we stand on the brink of the rest of our lives together. Life as parents, life in ministry, life as one. It hasn't been an easy road, but it's been a road full of grace.

When we said, "I will", did you picture this? Things as they are? The blessings? From driving each other to university classes in the morning and taking the afternoon off to "play house" to parenting in the night watches and growing in wisdom. We were so young and idealistic. Did I even know how to be a wife? Would I have listened had anyone shown me? The matchless grace! It covers a multitude of mistakes. Thankfully, we know the One who marks our way, who buffers our straying from the straight road.

You lift your head, our eyes lock and in a moment, fifteen years flash by in my mind. How we got here so quickly, I don't know, but what I do know is that I want to spend the next fifty holding your hand across the table.