08.03.02

By God's design, nine years ago I married my friend.  We made promises to each other that we intended to keep for life.  By God's grace we are committed to being faithful to each other.  No matter what sin may snare us.  No matter what circumstances may overtake us.  No matter what.  We choose to love each other and meet each others needs selflessly.  As God willed I watched my husband suffer and come close to death.  I'm thankful each day for the gift of life.  By faith we will continue on this journey together.

At our wedding we signed this covenant of marriage before God and many witnesses:

As we marry, I commit to pursue this relationship in word, deed, and thought for the rest of my life.  In order to fulfill this promise, I give myself over to knowing God and His Word.  By growing in Christ, I will grow as your mate.  By learning of His love, I will learn to be more loving.


I commit to better myself as your life's partner.  I will not be content to love you as I presently do.  My love will grow as we mature.  I want to align my love with the Biblical definition.  I will especially dwell on replacing selfishness with selflessness and doubt with trust.  I will never stop in my effort to communicate with you.  I will not allow any excuses to block our communication.  I will improve my communication skills so that you might better understand me.  I will spend my life studying you so that I might better understand you.  I will deal with any specific communication flaws as soon as I am made aware of them.  As much as I will labor to communicate with you, I will do so with God so that I might better love you.  


I commit to be patient and longsuffering in my relationship to you.  By love, I will not allow anything to inhibit my relationship with you that God allows.  I will correct faults only as they benefit your Christian walk.  I will forgive immediately and absolutely.  I will always give you the benefit of the doubt concerning anything that might hurt me.  I will trust your judgement and love. 


I will seek to show my love for you in old ways that you desire and new ways that are creative.  I will never put you in a place where you are doubting my love.  I will express it verbally and non-verbally for the rest of our lives.  I will love you alone.  No one else will interfere with our relationship just as we will not interfere our relationships with Christ.  I will commit to Christ, then you.  There is no greater way to love you.


I promise to intertwine you in my life.  We will forever become one.  I will leave everything open in myself so that you may become part of it.  I will share all with you and will always be there for you to share with me.  I will forever participate in your life.  I will always seek to meet your needs.  I will forever love you.  

(written by Jason for us)

S ...

Molly and Patrick

the wedding I referred to here

an elegant reception followed

 with good friends

and good food

meeting of the minds :)

I had the FUN job of writing on these table place cards!

Nicki is a once-in-a-life-time friend!

the kissing jar

my stud of a husband mc-ing the night

lovely sisters

our beautiful table

a perfect night!

...in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, in joy as well as in sorrow...

This month we are celebrating 8 years of marriage.  

Jason officiated a wedding last night.  The bride was beautiful.  The groom was beaming.  Jason read the vows and they were repeated by the pair.  There were several times during the ceremony that Jason looked out across the crowd and caught my eye.  We shared a knowing gaze and my heart swelled. I'm sure that the significance of the vows they shared before God and we who witnessed was a reaffirmation for the many married couples there of their love for each other.  The congregation was not small and Jason usually doesn't catch my eye when he's preaching, but there is certainly something special about attending a wedding after you've experienced years of life together.  Here we are at 8 short years and so much has happened.  Our love is stronger now than it has ever been.  I enjoy each day.  I look forward to tomorrow and each day after that God allows us.  

Trip to Tennessee

Congratulations

 Mark and Amy

awwwwwe....

my little sister was the most beautiful bride and Mark was grinning from ear to ear

I can't wait to see the pictures.  They had amazing photographers!  Abram and Sarah came from Greenville.   They were so great.  I miss you, Sarah.

the handsome little man

the cutest flower girl

The days following the wedding were very relaxing.  It was so good to see Mark and Anne and their boys.  Both sets of my grandparents were able to travel down for the wedding also.  One day we had a little backyard picnic/ bday celebration for my grandma, my grandpa, and Jonas whose birthdays are all in July.

These pictures a a little out of order, but the next one has a story behind it!  There were HUGE plumbing issues at my parents house on the day of the wedding!  It was awful.  Some tree roots grew into the sewer line and just happened to cause problems on the morning of the wedding.  There were 20 + people at my parents house and not one working toilet!  Thankfully they live only a few blocks away from the church and much of the day was spent hauling potty training children and grandmas back and forth to the church.  It's one of those things we just have to laugh about now!

 sweet Kate hanging out with grandpa B

grandpa B with Ella and grandpa Stamper with Jonas walking to the park

best buds- such a smiley pair- Ezra and Kate

grandma Stamper with Kate and grandma B with Ezra

Aunt Elizabeth came all the way from Guam!  It was so good to see her.

the cousins playing with letters at grandma and grandpa's house

Kate is reading the Sunday funnies with great grandpa Brumbaugh

Happy 5th Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary to the man of my dreams! It's been a 5-year rush! I never knew what "I do" would mean completely, and I never will till the end. It's good to not know the future. It's amazing to stand hand in hand with your best friend and dream about it together though. I love you Jason.