Happy 10 Year Anniversary, Love!

Before I even opened my eyes this morning, I thought "10 years...thank you Lord!"
It's hard for my brain to take in and inventory. 10 years of marriage.
Can we be that old? Can we be this blessed?
10 years of learning what it means to serve one another, letting God sanctify us, and love each other.
I remember this day. How amazing it was that God had given me this man, that I so clearly didn't deserve.
We'd known each other less than a year, and we were without hesitation as we committed our lives to each other, said our vows with utter joy, and I took a new name.
No trace of hesitation...until we got in his car, decorated with crude sayings thanks to his friends, and started driving into the night of Houston towards our hotel. I was nervous.
And then the best week of our lives. Our honeymoon. I would go back and re-live it a thousand times if I could. Canada...no heat, all new-ness, looking over our shoulders for our parents or chaperones, and realizing they were long gone. We were real grown-ups, and really ONE.
Our early married life...in a tiny apt. that was plenty big (except for all of the wedding gifts we had to store away for a later time.) Learning to sleep together, because Rusty claimed that I wasn't the friendliest sleeper and occasional used my flying arms as weapons in a dead sleep. (What a wimp:)
The thrill of the nightly slumber party...nobody drives away!!! Staying up talking and laughing.
Quickly learning I can't sleep without him. I never want to.
Inviting little people in...discovering pregnancy in all it's excitement, joy, glory, and misery.
Moving.
Giving birth.
And then there were three.
We were overwhelmed with love for Emma.
Who were we before this? We felt our selfishness being ripped away little by little.
Suffering through pregnancy again, and wondering if we had enough love for another one. How silly we were!
And then there were four.
I was smitten with Jax from day 1.
God grew us spiritually, causing us to love His Word more and more.
He moved us to College Station, and firmly planted us.
Countdown! We began teaching from our marriage semester after semester.
Refining, refining, refining.
Sharpening, sharing, baring, pouring our marriage into other couples.
ADOPTION.
Sanctifying. Praise God. Teaching us about who He is and who He wants us to be through the process.
I remember embarking on that drive with two little ones buckled in the back and an empty car seat between them...wondering if we would bring a baby home or not.
And then there were five.
Bonding, loving, protecting, cherishing this little one.
We didn't know there would be six. Thank you God for your perfect plan.
Precious Treston. We scooted over and made more room and all of us poured our love into this little one. We didn't know if he'd stay.
But he had to. There was no other option. He was our baby.
God confirmed in the courts what we already knew, and there were six.
How many date nights passed in ten years?
Countless. I'm not good enough at math to know.
Countless dinners where we sat across from one another and had conversations we were so deeply entrenched in the wait person felt intrusive approaching us, piercing the invisible bubble of intimacy around our table.
And others where we sat, without much to say, but so comfortable, so easy, content.
And some with serious things to hash out. So productive.
Ten years of dancing together. I can follow him blindly. It's so easy.
Ten years of holding hands instinctively. Our hands were made to fit each other's.
Ten years of learning.
We have not been perfected yet. But we keep striving, immersed in gratitude today.
Thank you, Lord, for ten years with this man.
I can't imagine following anyone else.
I can't imagine any man putting my needs above his own like him.
I can't imagine a better ten years, despite the trials.
Without the trials, we wouldn't be as glued together.
Thank you Lord. For ten years of marriage.
And he's not sick of me yet.