The best year of my life

I just celebrated our first anniversary yesterday. After church we went to a family fun center place with go carts (I drove mine so well that a wheel popped off!) and mini golf and such. We did a whole family celebration because our marriage really was the beginning of a healing for us. So we really want to emphasize that this is a family thing, not just a Heather and me thing. The boys seem to get that and expressed appropriate feelings about the event. Heather and I are going to be celebrating ourselves later this month at a marriage retreat in Whistler Canada that our church is doing.

On Saturday we were at my parent's house where my dad's family was gathered to celebrate the recent marriage of one of my cousins who got married in New York. My parents wrote us all nice letters about how far we have come in the last year. I gave Heather a trophy that said "One year of exceptional motherhood" because she deserves a trophy for how hard she has worked with the kids. All my lovey-dovey polish aunts told Heather how amazing she is and what an answer to their prayers she is.

Yesterday we picked up a cake I ordered from Costco. It was the same one we got for our wedding. I made Heather a card that said, "Even after all these year…" on the front.

I've talked about this before, but it bears repeating. Heather is the single greatest miracle in my life and my son's lives. And I don't mean 'miracle' in the sentimental way. I mean in the God-intervening-in-nature sort of way. Sure, I could say that it was just coincidence that I happened to run into this beautiful Christian woman who was willing to marry a guy with two kids and care for them better than they ever had been before. But why would I say that? I believe God exists, that He created everyone exactly the way they are, and has a beautiful purpose in it all. So I always thank Him for the miracle that is Heather.

The year has gone by so fast. I think it's safe to say that we are past the honeymoon stage now… I guess. I'm still overwhelmed with feeling for her every time I look at her. When we snuggle up in bed together I get the biggest smile on my face. We have physical incompatibility issues, and healing issues that are sadly persistent, and some parenting idea differences. But somehow they haven't caused us any serious problems in the way we relate to each other. Probably because we are trying to see them as sovereign acts of God rather than random, meaningless thorns. We have yet to get into a fight. I'm still perplexed by that one, but just attribute it to God's grace. After a marriage spent almost entirely in self-repression and servitude, I'm just grateful for every day of wonderful peace that I get. It's amazing living in the ideal where we are not simply compromising with each other so that we both feel that we are getting the best deal we can. But instead we are both laying ourselves down for the other, anticipating each other's needs and doing our best to meet them. I would die for her and she would follow me anywhere God leads me. It’s a beautiful thing.