C+K=11 years

On November 22 Cody and I celebrated eleven years of our marriage. To celebrate we took the babes to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens {and a few nights later got a date night—just the two of us}. This was Ian and Jovie's very first glimpse of CHRISTMAS!! It was a magical night for them and equally fascinating to us to watch them.

In eleven years Cody and I have been on quite a few adventures together. Our passions and dreams have changed drastically through the years, but even to our own surprise we have remained in sync together. It amazes me where we are today... in eleven years we've seen the rich blessings of our Father and magnificent fortune of being parents.  We share the crazy gushy kind of love for each other.

Our marriage is not without challenges, quarrels, or grumpy moods.  We've gone through times we really struggled. To be honest, it got a little ugly there about a year and half into our marriage... we sought out a counselor and learned better ways of handling our disagreements. No marriage is perfect... I think it's scary to go into marriage with that expectation.

If I could humbly pass on some advice:
It takes purposeful practice to make a marriage work. 
Marriage is about companionship, communication, two people sharing each day, and openness. It means your spouse is your first one you call.   

You have to establish marriage as a priority. 
You are each one half of a whole. They are first. The best thing you can do for you kids is to say, "I love your dad so much and we are going on a date" It is important for your kids to know they are not the most important thing in life. It actually gives children security to know this. 

Recognize God's purpose and authority in your lives.
Place your life before God. Romans 12:1-2 "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embrace what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."