3 Years of love | Personal

Today, my husband and I celebrate 3 years of marriage. We've recently been reading a book recommended to us by one of Daniel's mentors. One of the questions in the first chapter was, "What expectations of your spouse did you have before you got married, and were disappointed to find were unrealistic?"

Neither of us had to think long. Laughter naturally followed:

I said, "I thought you would be more grown up!"

Daniel said, "I thought you'd be waaaay less emotional!"

We both agreed that in these three years together, this past one has been full of the most change, the most conflict, the most challenges; in short, the most growth for each of us as individuals, but most certainly for our marriage.

The last twelve months of marriage, summed up in two words could be: growth and grace.

Our expectations of each other may not have been spot-on the day we got married, but I have had the joy of watching the man I married grow not just to meet them, but to rise far above what I could have asked for or expected.

He blesses me daily.

He reads hundreds of pages a week, into the late hours of the evening. He deals with people, and some very difficult, day in, and day out; and even on his (one) day off still answers phone calls and text messages. Because he loves them. Genuinely. He then comes home to a difficult, hormonal, emotional, pregnant wife. Yet, he plays with our son, and speaks my love languages in ten thousand other ways. 

He dreams, and plans, and prepares. He makes even the unknown seem exciting, the uncertain seem safe.

The beauty of this 3rd year of marriage has been seeing what were once just glimpses, become habits and character qualities that now shape our lives. It has been seeing the fruit of hard work, but mostly grace. 

I am so very thankful to be walking through life with this man. He is my best friend, my better half. I'd gladly spend three hundred years as his wife.

Daniel, thank-you for marrying me. A million times over.

Love,

          Ashlee