Happy 1/2 of my Life Together, Derrick!

This blog is a little late in coming. I meant to write it last month, but then we got busy. And kids needed things. And we traveled. And we lived life. (And now I am finally finishing it up 6 months after the fact. Again...Life.)

Honestly, that's kind of what this blog is about. Life. 16 years ago in May, I started dating Derrick. I was 16 years old. (You can do the math to figure out my age.) I am sure there are pictures from this time, but I can't find any on my computer.

I have been anticipating this milestone for a few years now. Derrick & I have been together for half of my life. That's crazy.

November 2016

I am thankful for so many things that went right in to make these last 16 years happen.

Andrew's baby dedication

I am thankful to Derrick's sweet family who have always accepted me as one of them, even before we were dating. I have babysat his sibling's children. I have fed baby deer with his dad. I have spent hours hanging out with his mom & sisters. His grandparents, aunts & uncles, & cousins are so dear to me. I have always felt like a part of the family. What a blessing that is!

I am thankful to my awesome mom who allowed me to start dating Derrick when I was so young. She loved him, welcomed him into our home, & fed him meals. She allowed us to be serious about our relationship when we got engaged when I was 17. She saw that we truly loved each other & were willing to work hard to make things work. She has always been such a huge support of our marriage & ministries. I appreciate her so much!

Most of all, I am thankful for Derrick. We were best friends when we started dating. He knew I was interested in dating him, but he didn't rush the relationship. (I tend to be a bit impulsive when I get excited about something). He allowed things to develop naturally. Because of that, we didn't end up just dating "some person." We dated a friend. Our relationship evolved from acquaintances, to friends, to best friends, to dating, to engaged, to married for 13 years. I am thankful he took a chance on me - even though I was young.


I am thankful that we were both committed to pursuing a future together, not just dating to date. I have never regretted getting engaged & married so young. Some years have been hard. Some days have been awful. Sometimes I wondered if we would make it. But then we always do. It hasn't been easy, but God has blessed us & carried us through.

As we celebrated our 13th anniversary this year, I feel honored to be Derrick's wife. He is still my very best friend. I love that he lets me be me, encourages me to pursue my passions, & allows me to walk along side him in ministry & in life.

As I thought about our relationship, this scene from The Office popped into my head. I know this will be true for my kids, too.

Here's to many, many more years of living this life together!