Today marks our 7 year anniversary!

It feels like it’s beeeeen  fooorrreeevvvveeer Just kidding!  In all honesty, it feels like we have hardly been married for much time at all.  It feels more like 3 years.  I am not sure why 3 years but maybe because I feel like we have so much still to learn about each other.  I feel like I am still getting to know her.

I have this funny, imaginary conversation in my head.  We are sitting down with my grandparents.  My grandpa smoking a pipe as we talk about our seven years.  To them, it’s like a speck of time.  They have been married for much much longer.  They might say, “You young whipper-snapper.  You have so much to learn about marriage.”  I would nod my head and say, “You’re right… you are so wise.” Then joking respond,  “So after your many, many, many years of marriage, do you understand your wife by now? :-D”  I see my grandpa letting out a hardy laugh.  I remember seeing them fuss over silly stuff at times but other times still act like they were just married.

Anyone can attest to the accomplishment of being married for that long.  I certainly hold them in very high regard.  I cannot tell you the number of times I have been thankful that my parents are still together.  When other families have broken apart, they have kept the promise, the covenant “to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, ’til death do us part…” I have grown up learning that as living examples from both grandparents and my parents.  Learning that Jesus is the glue that binds our marriage together.  There are not many covenants we actually make as humans.  Marriage is the one covenant we as humans really make with each other.

Anniversary Day

On our anniversary day, we make it a tradition to go away for a couple days.  This year it is especially important given this past week.  Our anniversary is a time we look back at the good times and a time to look ahead.  There are certain things we save to discuss only on our anniversary.  Today like the previous 7 years we will talk through those things!

An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow.
– Author Unknown

Engagement

The night we got engaged I had made a treasure hunt which started off by giving her a “mission impossible” themed tape that started off the journey.  That tape ended with her first clue (and that the tape would self-destruct… of course 😀 ).  The other clues had to be found at different locations. It eventually ended at our church with some rose petals scattered on the floor and I sat at the piano up towards the front.  Below is the song that I played.

Link: http://ryanalberts.bandcamp.com/

Today in Haiti

Now we are 7 years into marriage and living in Haiti.  We moved here not knowing what to expect or how to really do life together in a foreign country.  We began to figure out how to have “dates” together in Haiti.  How to have alone time together to make sure we are strong and unified as a couple.  We found this especially important since our connection as a couple can really set the tone for the guest house (mentioned by others before).  Really the best part about today, is that I get to be with my best friend.

There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage. – Martin Luther

For the 7th anniversary, apparently, the traditional gift for a seventh anniversary is wool or copper.  Sooo since this isn’t the dark ages… we are instead going to drive up the mountains to Furcy, Haiti.