Happy 20th Anniversary!!

David and I are celebrating 20 years of marriage today!!!

I honestly can't believe it has been twenty years.

This photo was taken a few months after we got married

and I moved to Hawaii.

This is my absolute favorite photo of us. It was taken

a month maybe (?) after we met. (Whew, have mercy,

those eyes still get me......)

We got married at my little home town church in Alabama.

Our 5th anniversary was spent at Community Bible Church's

 Annual Oyster Roast in Beaufort, SC;

Our 10th anniversary was spent bringing home our 6th baby, 

Tristan, from the hospital in Columbia, SC;

Our 15th anniversary was spent driving across country

on our move to Oklahoma;

Our 20th is being spent working, homeschooling 

and then serving in Awana.

What will we be doing for our 25th?

I can't even imagine.

And, in case you're wondering how it all began......

I often think, "Twenty years just isn't long enough." We are at the point now where we just "get" each other. We each know what the other is thinking. We've figured out all the little habits and nuances of each other and I just enjoy being married to him. I enjoy the comfort of knowing all about him and the fact that he knows all about me. I pray everyday that the Lord would keep us together for many, many more years.

I think love is definitely a choice, and, after you've made that choice, it is work to keep loving.

But, I tell you what, the choice to keep loving is SO WORTH IT.

So many people enter into marriage expecting the other person to make them happy. And, expecting to selfishly get from the relationship instead of give. If that's what you think, I'll tell you right now,

YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY. YOU WILL LOOK FOR A WAY OUT.

People are human. They disappoint. They are frustrating and difficult. You can't control another person, but you CAN CONTROL YOURSELF.

You can choose to love and serve your husband and you can choose to be happy about it.

Now, I'm not saying you have to be stuck in a miserable marriage and just be happy about it and endure it. I'm saying, if you are in a miserable marriage, have you considered why? Have you considered the reason you aren't happy is because of you, not him?

You control how your react when your husband does something to frustrate you. You control how you react in an argument. You control expectations. Especially unrealistic ones.

Get control over yourself and you just may find that your husband makes you happy after all!

Some things that I choose to love about my husband..........

He can be gruff, but has a tender heart.

He is a protector. He is a supporter.

He is generous. Very generous.

He will try and make me laugh when I am stressed.

He has different interests than I have.

He enjoys talking to people. Anytime. Anywhere.

There are many, many more things that I love and appreciate about David. And in spite of all of my failings and disappointments, I know that he loves and appreciates me, too.

Happy Birthday, Thomas and Tristan!

Our Birthday-palooza starts on February 12! Thomas turned 8 this year! 

Bethany and Brooke made him a Slugterra cake.

I wrapped up eight presents and had him open up

one every hour from lunchtime til 8 pm.

Bailey said she wanted to do the exact same thing only 

she wants to open all of her presents at

the same time. Ha!

Next up was Tristan's birthday on February 23rd. He turned TEN this year!

He was excited because this was the first

year it had snowed on his birthday.

Bethany and Brooke made him a Minecraft cake

and we took him to see Big Hero Six at the dollar theater.

The two of them got a little birthday money and I 

think they want to go to the store today and find

a new video game. 

Monday Musings

Just a few Sanchez kidisms...........

Brennan (2):  "I have a butter winich?" (peanut butter sandwich)

Bailey (5): "Brennan got into my san hanitizer." (hand sanitizer)

Trace (8 months) knows how to lean forward and give a smooch. So cute.

Tristan (9) bursting into song "Mom, OOOOOHHHHH, the weather outside is..........really nice so can we go outside and play?"  (Instead of doing math, but hey, who can pass up 75 degrees in January?)

Travis (4) has an imaginary friend named "Brat". (Fitting.) Anyway, our children's pastor knows this and asked him if Brat had come to church this morning. Travis looks at him with a completely straight face and said, "No. He had a dentist appointment."