Ten

Here’s what we looked like ten years ago. We had no idea what the next decade would hold, the good and the bad. So here’s a rundown, looking back!

3652 days- (two leap years in there!) I can honestly say that not once have I doubted Ben’s love in these many days. I am not saying our marriage is perfect, but I always, always know that our love is secure.

3 beautiful children- We love these little stinkers so much. Seriously, we do value our alone time with one another, but being a family as a whole is such a blast for us. These kids are entertaining! We have also learned that kids are not to be taken for granted. We went through (relatively briefly) a tough time getting pregnant the first and third times, our first was born with a life-altering liver disease, and we have stood by many friends as they struggle through infertility, miscarriage, and the loss of their children. Healthy kids are not a given as I once thought.

3 churches- We have been blessed to serve in three different churches since our marriage: two as youth minister, and now Ben is the church planter/pastor our our current church. Although things were not rosy to say the least in the first church, we learned a lot and we were able to grow so much. Our second church was a huge blessing at a time when we truly needed healing, and we gained many, many lifelong friends there. This brings us to our third church, which deserves a number of its own!

1 church plant- The church we are currently serving is amazing! Ben had a vision in 2006 to plant a church to the medical center area of Houston because of our personal time here with Landon. God blessed his prayer, fasting, research, and hard work, and in October of 2008 our church was “born.” Seriously, I do not think we could have a more faithful, growing, willing-to-serve body of believers. We love you, Church in the Center!

4 houses! I joke with Ben that I had stability in my life until I met him! I only lived in two houses (about four miles apart from one other) growing up, one from birth to age 11, then the house my parents and little bro still occupy. Now, in ten years, we have lived in four! From our first little humble abode that his aunt and uncle let us live in for next-to-nothing, to our major, major remodel job (twice! long story), to our rent house in Houston, to the house we built and now live in- our homes have all been very special to me because they represent our life story at that time. I can’t help but feel a little nostalgic over them! Sniff.

1 trip to Australia- this has been my dream trip for as long as I can remember, and wouldn’t you know that God blessed me with a husband with family in the down under! Ben’s Granny was a war bride from WWII. She met Ben’s papaw when he was there on R&R and they fell in love, married, and had my future-father-in-law. She then loaded up on a ship for six week journey with a six week old baby and made the journey across the world, to a completely new world. I love her! We were able to travel in 2010 (while I was with child with Evaleigh) to Sydney, Gloucester, Towoomba, and the Gold Coast area. I highly, highly recommend, especially if you have some great hosts like we did!

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