It has been nine years of building.<\/p>\n
Building has been so rewarding and so wonderfully challenging.<\/p>\n
It has looked like seven children;\u00a0one little girl that went straight to Jesus’ arms, two little boys for eleven months of investing, and four little girls that we still get to hold.<\/p>\n
It has looked like one dog, six cats, and\u00a0one turtle.<\/p>\n
It has looked like a tiny one-bedroom apartment, a four bedroom mansion,to us, with a fenced in backyard, a hotel, a guest bedroom, the floor of a friend’s basement, and now a temporary apartment for only 4 more weeks before we move overseas.<\/p>\n
It has looked like\u00a0unfair arguments followed by yielding apologies.<\/p>\n
It has looked like dancing through Scripture and worship together.<\/p>\n
It has looked like letting go of our “mine” in exchange for the most beautiful “us”.<\/p>\n
It was looked like this building of “who we really are”, reveling in the family unity stitched by our Father.<\/p>\n
It has looked like endless parenting tears of challenge and utter joy as we hold each other’s hands throughout this lifelong investment in curls and beautiful brown eyes.<\/p>\n
And while the storms sure seemed to\u00a0build wind and rain surges to hit the very house we’re still building, through God’s grace I always find you with a hammer and a ladder. I’ll take the nails, my love. You will always be worth building and rebuilding our “us”, even on the most exhausting of days.<\/p>\n
Love is\u00a0our choice. And the most utterly rewarding choice of all.<\/p>\n
So just like we have sung together over the passing years…<\/p>\n