Celebrating 7,300 Days of Marriage

I’ve been thinking for a while about what I wanted to write about being married to a chef to post today, our 20th wedding anniversary.

I thought of a couple ways I could spin it, add some key words to get more views to the blog, etc. but it just didn’t seem right.  So I decided not to write anything and just take a break from the blog for a week.

(Yet, here I am . . . lol.)

Below is a post I wrote on our family blog.  It’s written a bit differently, as I didn’t write it with you, my fellow chef wife or significant other in mind, like I usually do when I write.  But instead, I wrote it for our family as part of my digital scrapbook/blog of memories.

July 15, 1995 – July 15, 2015. . . 7,300 days . . . tTom and Jennifer Small - Emulsified Familyhat’s 20 years for those of us that can’t do the math in our heads.

20 YEARS!!

Wow!

As I sit here in a quiet home (I’m writing this on the 14th with a husband in another state and 7 little girls chatting away in the tent outside after camping in the backyard last night), I am overwhelmed to think that tomorrow is our 20th anniversary.

999354_10201666314805137_1304632526_nI love looking back at our wedding pictures.

But at the same time, tears come to my eyes as I see family that are no longer with us.  Wouldn’t it be great to get a call from my Mom today wishing us a happy anniversary?

Last week, I was going through the garage with the girls and found these letters from my Mom.  I’ll be honest, I don’t remember getting them 21 years ago, but pulling them out and reading them now (especially since I’m a Mom), they mean so much to me and are a great reminder to me that we need to be praying for the future spouses of our girls.

Letter to Tom from Mom (463x500)

 

Letter to Jennifer from Mom (434x500)

A lot has changed in 20 years.  When we got married, I was still in college, working to become a teacher.  Tom was in school studying piano and Biblical studies.  If you would have told me that in 20 years we would have 3 kids, be living up in Seattle and that Tom would be working as a Chef, I would have laughed at you.

Over the years, there have been many times I have wondered why God took our lives in the direction that He did.  It has been a roller coaster.  There have been some HUGE mountains, some VERY LOW valleys and some middle of the road times.

I have so many wonderful memories from the past 20 years of time we have spent together.  He can make me laugh like no one else.  He listens as I cry and share what I’m struggling with.  He is always there for me, (even if in another state for work).  I cannot imagine life without him.

As I look back on the easy and difficult times we’ve had over the past 20 years, I wouldn’t change a thing.   The trials and joys God has allowed us to go through as a couple have made us who we are today.  If we were to take out those really difficult times, we would have missed out on all he had to teach us through those painful times.

No matter how hard each situation has been, Tom has been by my side and I have been by his, with Christ in the middle.  That right there, is the key to being married for so long.  (And 20 years is a long time!)

I have no idea what the next 7,300+ days will hold, but I look forward to where God will take us.  And no matter where He does, I know Tom will be right next to me.  I love you Tom!  Happy Anniversary!

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