Over half of my life

On Wednesday, February 4, 2015, a major thing happened.  Something I've been talking about for months, something I've anticipated for years, something that happens to most people much later in life.  I hit the point that I've spent 1/2 of my life with my spouse that day.  And you know what?  I didn't even notice it.

Not because it wasn't important, and not because I wasn't looking forward to it.  Simply because life happens and often the urgent (diapers, snow days, dinner, work and the like) get in the way of focusing on the important (in this case, celebrating a major landmark in our relationship).

On February 4, 2000, Chase asked me if I would "go out with him."  So began the adventure that is us, and here we are 15 years later, still together.  Half of my time on this earth has been spent with this man.  I mean, we haven't been married for 15 years.  We'll celebrate 10 years of marriage this summer.  But 15 Valentines with him as my beau, 15 New Years with him to kiss (Ok, not really.  It took a while to work up to the kissing since we were so young!), 15 Christmases where I've searched for the perfect gift for him.  Fifteen years.

When I imagine Lily and Connor being 15 years old, it seems like 15 years is such a long, long time, but when I think back...  Ok, it does seem like a long time ago that he asked me out.  But not THAT long.

How old am I?  How did I get here?  Nearly 10 years of marriage, 2 kids, a dog, a cat, a minivan.

We've often joked that I'm an "old soul."  Part of me has always functioned like a 50 year old.  And we've joked that Chase is "a kid."  Most Part of him has always functioned like a 5 year old.  We're getting to the point where between the two of us we're averaging out to about 30 years old, and we're hitting our stride.

Valentine's Day is coming and we won't make a big deal about it.  We never do - it's just not our style.  But today, as I think back to the last 15 years and all that they've held, I just wanted to put out there, publicly, a few of the character traits about my man that have made the time so special:

Loyalty
Honesty
Servant's Heart
PATIENCE (especially with my particular brand of "crazy")
Love
Grace
Humor
Ornery-ness
Majoring on majors, not on minors
PATIENCE
Provider
Leader
Wisdom
Fun-loving
PATIENCE
Consistency
Support

You can see a theme - I don't think I'm very easy to live with, so much patience is required.  I'm opinionated.  I believe there are right ways and wrong ways to do things, and things in my house will be done the right way.  I expect a lot of others, but more of myself, and I regularly fall abysmally short of meeting my own expectations.  This only makes me mad and makes me work harder to meet the constantly-growing expectations.

My blessed husband has loved me in spite of and arguably because of the above for 15 years.  This man knew as a high schooler that he wanted to marry me (when I was worried about what I'd wear to Homecoming, he was wrestling with how to tell me he was really, truly in love with me).  How did he know, and why would he think such a thing?!?  I have no idea other than that his ear and heart have always had a bent to following the Lord's leading, which is what makes it a joy for this strong-willed-wife to walk in submission to my servant-leader husband.

Chase, we've been blessed with 15 years.  I yearn for so many more, because you have made these so full and fun.  YOU are who I want to face the coming days - the good, the bad, the joy, the heartache, the celebration, the pain that they will hold. Here's to the future, where for as long as we both live, I will be able to say that I have spent most of my life with you, and it was the best decision I ever made.