The spring that we started talking changed everything. You were happy being single. I was happy where I was. You were looking at buying land, starting a house. You didn't want to get married till you were at least 28. Then, you met me.
Suddenly, your entire world changed. Instead of buying land, you bought a ring. You started envisioning a future with me; kids, a house of our own, hound dogs. I became your new dream, and you became mine.
We met in December 2015. It was a brief encounter that left an impact on both of us. We couldn't get up the nerve to approach one another, but we never stopped thinking about each other. Unbeknownst to the other, we each began praying for one another. Then, in May 2016, God worked to bring us together. One Sunday changed it all. We spent the summer getting to know one another and officially began dating that August. We fell in love quickly. By October, you had a ring. We intended to wait another year before marriage, but you couldn't wait any longer. A surprise proposal in February, led to a beautiful September wedding. Two years later, we started our family.
Even though neither of us would change a thing about our timeline, I know how much you sacrificed to make things happen when they did. Over the years, I've watched how you've given up your dream time and time again, in favor of our family. Every time you've found land you liked, something more important has come up, that required you to pass yet again. Then just last year, i watched as you once again changed your plans for the better of our family; settling on a lot in town rather than acreage in the country. I watched in awe, as you pushed yourself to the breaking point for an entire year, to build us a house. When it was finished, you were so proud of your accomplishment: that you'd finally gotten a roof of your own, over your family's head. You didn't care that it wasn't the one you originally wanted. You were just thankful to have taken a step in that direction. You are the epitome of what a Godly husband and father should be. Throughout our 7 years of marriage, we've learned a lot; about each other and about marriage. We've grown as individuals and as a couple. We've reached new levels trust and understanding of one another. We learned to rely on and support each other in new ways - in harder ways. But most of all, we've learned to love deeper, love better, and love through anything. I can honestly say marriage has changed us for the better. I don't know where we'd be without the other. I thank God for the gift of marriage and the life that we get to live together.
