Just look at what we created!!

It's hard to believe that seventeen years ago, Jeremy and I were married. Really, I'm not that old! Certainly not old enough to have been married to him for that long. And it seems like I just met him, that our journey together has just started. I can still remember the first time I saw him. I was working at a top 40 radio station in Lawton Oklahoma and he came in to work the next shift. I looked at him, in his red high top Converse shoes, jeans and scroungy t-shirt and I felt light headed. I heard birds sing. Instantly, I knew he was the one. No, I'm kidding. To be honest, there were no birds and I didn't feel light headed. In fact, he was kind of... well, a nerd. But a cute nerd. And very nice. Honestly, probably one of the nicest guys I ever met. He still is. Isn't that sweet? We were friends for about six months before we started dating and then dated for another year before we got engaged, which wasn't my choice. I would have married him much earlier. I'm not sure what took him so long. I mean, heck, I'm a catch. And when he proposed, it had all the romance of a good chick flick. I was walking from his living room to the kitchen and I said "you know, really, we should get married. When are you going to ask me?'". Yah, subtle, I know. I'm all about subtle. He said "Okay. You wanna?". Nice, huh?

And so with that, we were off and running. The beginning of a story book romance. All kidding aside, he really is the best thing that ever happened to me. I don't know what I did to get him to marry me, but it was the luckiest day of my life. He is the perfect compliment to me. Where I am a worrier, a bit high strung and a perfectionist, he is... not. He's much easier going. I'm a type A, he's type B. He brings down the chaos level in our house. He's level headed, creative, laid back. We've been through more than a few trials. We've had three unemployments, two miscarriages and a myriad of other tribulations. It hasn't always been easy, but all along, I've never doubted that he's the one for me. Never once have I thought that maybe I'd be better off without him. I love him a thousand times more than I did when I married him. He's my best friend. What we have is very rare. I know that.

And I'm not sure how or when it happened, but now we have these six great kids. Well, actually, I do know how it happened, so please don't feel the need to tell me! I just can't believe that we've been together long enough to have a high schooler, someone who will be driving in a year. I look at our kids, our fabulous kids, and wonder where they came from. Really, I know that too. I know exactly where they came from. There's no denying that they are straight from heaven. What a blessing each of them is to our family. About a week ago, Jeremy, me, Adam, Noah, Sarah and Hannah were at an open house at the girls school and Jeremy was out in the hall. Thinking out loud, I said "Where's Adam?'. I figured he was with Jeremy. I mean, really, he's five months old. It's not like he can walk away. I looked out and saw that Jeremy had him. A lady overheard me and said "yeah, you have so many, you could easily lose one and not even notice". Um, yeah. Rude. And I'm not easily offended. I said "I haven't lost one yet". Yes, I know she was kidding, but seriously, what a dumb thing for her to say.

Each of our children is a gift from Heavenly Father, a blessing. Our family is rich and beautiful and fantastic because of each of them. If one were missing, it would be an enormous whole in our family. And I lied to the lady. We have lost Taylor... a few times. When Taylor was little, she had a knack for wandering off and scaring the life out of me. Or hiding. Man, was she good at hiding. When she was little, she hid in a closet downstairs while I was gone. Jeremy scoured the neighborhood looking for her, calling her name. Neighbors were out looking for her. This went on for over an hour. He thought the worst. I came home to find him holding her on the porch swing. I sat with them and we cried because of what might have been. Even now, the memory of that day makes me cry. When she was two, we were at the mall and I lost her when she stumbled into Payless Shoes. I called security and cried long after Jeremy found her and brought her to me. Later, when she was about seven, she got mad at me and threatened to run away. In a moment of stupidity, I told her that I'd help her pack. She took that as a challenge and set off down the road. I let her get a block away before I went after her. I couldn't run fast enough to get her back, and then she and I sat on the curb and cried. Yes, I cry a lot. That's what I get for having six kids. And yes, I would definitely notice if one of my children were missing. They are the most precious things I have.

As I look around my house, filled with toys and trucks and hairbrushes, make-up, diapers and bottles, I know it doesn't get any better than this. I know how blessed I am to have all of this, and that even in our moments of total chaos, I will look back at this moment of time and want it all again. Some parents look forward to the time when their kids will all go off to college. I don't. I want to freeze time right now. Right now. With all the craziness, the soccer, piano, dance, drill team, violin, basketball, church activities. I could live in this moment forever. I could do this day over and over and over again. Because I know that these are the best days of the rest of my life. Except, perhaps, for the grandbabies...