17 Years

Yesterday marked 17 years since we first said I do. Looking back, I can't help but wonder. What did those two naive 22-year-olds think life would be like? What would we have done if someone would have come up to us and told us all that was in store?

Yes, we were young and naive. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. We were holding on to that classic American 'anything is possible' spirit. And I think that's a pretty good thing in fact! It takes a bit of that and a whole lot more to face trials and challenges. 

(And I'll admit that so far, our challenges have not been near as tough as many couples face!)

I could say that love conquers all. And we do have an incredibly strong love for each other, and for the Lord. But there is also respect, commitment, honesty, lots of laughter, true teamwork, and a promise that we're in this for the long haul.

I am grateful that our good times far outweigh the tough times. We haven't handled everything perfectly and we've both made our share of mistakes. But God has taken difficulties and challenges and made something beautiful. And the beauty of our years together far outweighs any brief not as glamorous moments.

Happy Anniversary to my partner in crime, the peanut butter to my jelly, the one who can finish any movie line I start, who tolerates my nuances and encourages my dreams. The one who laughs uncontrollably at my typos, serves as my food critic, motivates me to get in shape, and then sits down with me for the occasional eat-the-cake-right-out-of-the-box night. Although we didn't meet in a chat room, I'll still love you always and forever. Here's to 17 more. And 17 more after that. 

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Thanks to sweet friends and cousins visiting from the states this week, we got to have a date night last night. What's even better was having a date night in Oslo, our first night out in the capital city without kiddos since moving here.

Our celebration included a long walk, incredible Indian food, coffee at our favorite cafe, and dessert on Karl Johan's Gate with some great people watching.