Dear Joseph,
I bet what you don't want for your anniversary is a mushy,
public letter, so I'll try to keep the mushiness to a minimum. Hey, you know by
now you can't win 'em all.
My initial idea was to make this letter something about the
"lessons" I've learned in the last three years with you but not much
came to mind. It's not that I haven't learned much about marriage and myself and
us, but let's be real, it has only been three years--what I hope just scratches the surface of our journey through life together.
What does come to me in reflecting on the last three years
is overwhelming gratitude. It was a good
precursor to this day that we got to attend a wedding a couple weeks ago--at
the church where we said "I do" ourselves, nonetheless. It was good
to hear those vows and think about their significance.
So here goes my feeble attempt to express those thoughts to
you:
I Holli, take you,
Joseph, to be my husband.
I'm thankful you said the same thing back to me in 2013 (except
you know, wife). You are the perfect match for me in ways I could have never
known I'd need in my life.
I promise to be true
to you, in good times and in bad,
I am thankful that three years have brought way more good
times than bad. I'm thankful for those big moments like the birth of our sweet
Gabriel and waiting for the arrival of our little girl, our first house and a
couple amazing career choices. I'm thankful for the little moments we've
shared, too--almost all our meals together, watching mindless TV shows and lots
of laughter. I may not always show it, but I'm even thankful for the
not-so-pleasant moments.
In sickness and in
health.
Again, I'm thankful
three years has brought us way more of the latter than the former. Thank you
for taking care of me every time I've been sick, though. I hope we will
continue to enjoy good health, but regardless, I will always cherish caring for
you in whatever state we are in.
I will love you and
honor you all the days of my life.
In you--and from you--I have the family I have always hoped
and prayed for since I was a little girl. I have, truly, more than I ever could
possibly deserve.
You're my favorite.
Holli
P.S. At least we have something on our blog now. Maybe we
should start using it?
