It’s my 20th anniversary. It doesn’t feel like we’re old enough for 20 years of marriage, but the calendar says it’s true, so we’ll go with it. Living with Corey for the last 2 decades has been a wild and crazy adventure. I love him lots. To paraphrase Jerry Maguire “he completes me.” (Just Kidding. He’s awesome, but he’s not Jesus.) Because I’m a word person and things like anniversaries get me in the mood for reminiscing, I’m gonna share a few things I would’ve missed out on in the last 20 years if I hadn’t become Mrs. Harms.
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Carter – He’s our first-born. So very happy and laid back, Baby Carter made me think this parenting thing wasn’t as hard as everyone says.
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Owen – Our second-born. The opposite of laid back, God gave us Baby Owen to show us that this parenting is as hard as everyone says. :)
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A Baby in Heaven – God gave us a baby that he took back before we had the chance to meet so that we would long for Heaven.
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Lewis – Our last-born. After the pain of miscarriage, God blessed us with this amazing little guy who always smiled and started singing himself to sleep before he could even say words.
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Moving – I probably would’ve moved a couple times, but 11 times in 17 years? I don’t think so.
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Moving. Did I mention we moved 11 times in 17 years?
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Moving. Ummm…yeah this deserves three separate mentions. Building houses, selling houses, packing up houses, unpacking houses. I’ve been told building a house together can make or break a relationship. I’d say we’ve got a good thing going.
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Haiti – This one would’ve happened anyway, since the first time I went to Haiti was before we were married, but serving Jesus with your spouse in a foreign country is like no other experience.
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Backpacking – This one absolutely would not have happened if I wasn’t married to Corey Harms. He had to drag me along kicking and screaming the first time, but I keep going back for some crazy reason.
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Showering in a Waterfall – This is not as romantic as it sounds. Standing on rocks under a flow of cold water is slightly unpleasant. But hey, how many people can say they’ve showered in a Hawaiian waterfall?
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Remodeling projects – Buying and gutting a duplex complete with overflowing poopy toilets, a mouse playing on the stovetop and grease dripping down the walls was not something I ever would have done on my own, but it was a good decision. My man is smart. When he gets a crazy idea, it’s usually wise to hop on board.
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The Best Breast Cancer Support in the World – Corey did things for me a 40-year-old husband doesn’t anticipate needing to do for his wife. He lives self-sacrificial life, my man, and I can’t imagine what breast cancer would’ve been like without him.
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Parks and Rec – I’m sure the show still would’ve happened, but I seriously doubt I’d have watched the whole series 5 times without Corey. I feel like Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson are our friends. Well, Leslie is a friend. Ron is probably more like a “workplace proximity associate.”
“It’s about the cones.” Ben Wyatt, Parks and Rec -
Switching Sides of the Bed. The day we got married, Corey said, “We’re switching sides of the bed every 10 years. We don’t want to get stuck in a rut.” I totally thought he was just being a dork, but on our 10th anniversary, he got into bed on the other side. I fully expect the same switcheroo tonight.
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Cliff Jumping – Never would’ve done this without a little push from my family.
Not every day of our marriage has been a party, but I wouldn’t trade the past 7305 days for anything.
