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Happy Monday, friends! Today is a big day in the Baker household. Jerard and I are celebrating our 7 year anniversary! Seven years ago today was the most beautiful day – the weather was perfect and we were surrounded by all of our closest friends and family at a beautiful venue – and we promised to love each other for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer. To this day, it was still the best day of my life.
Every year on our anniversary I really love to reflect on our marriage and what I’ve learned over the year. What I’ve learned the most this year is that the absolute best plans might not work out. That our plan is not always His plan. That is a hard pill to swallow for someone who is a planner! When J and I got married, we dreamed about what our life would be like together. We had career goals, dreams of traveling together, and most importantly family dreams. Being the planner that I am, I of course wanted to plan out when we wanted to start a family. We wanted to spend several years together as a couple before starting a family. Year 5 was the year of family. Year 5 was when we would have a baby.
Year 5 came and went, and no baby. Year 6 came and a baby came. Two babies actually. One in March and one in July. We were OVER. THE. MOON. We were finally going to be parents! But the Lord had other plans for us and for our little ones. And it turns out that year 6 has come and gone and we still have no baby. To say it’s been a difficult year would be an understatement. To lose something that you want so, so badly is incredibly difficult. To not understand why, to feel awkward talking about it, to be sad a lot, to be asked over and over again when we are having kids – it’s hard. But this year changed me. In the best of ways. In a way I didn’t even know was possible. This year I have truly learned that the most important thing in life is our relationships. I love pretty things, I love setting goals, and I love having a good time. But none of that REALLY matters at the end of the day. What matters is the people you care about. The people you have relationships with. This year I’ve learned how strong my husband is when I’m weak. I’ve learned the true meaning of for better or worse, in sickness and in health. I have truly learned what I believe God created marriage to be. And for those lessons I’m incredibly thankful for.
I wish I could tell you I knew what was next for our little family, but I don’t. I know that we will have sweet little babies when He decides the time is right – even if it’s not in the timeframe or the way we planned it. What I can tell you is that this year more than ever I am focused on the relationships in my life. My relationship with our heavenly Father, my relationship with my husband, my relationship with my family, my relationship with my friends, and my relationship with my brides. I want to focus on cultivating what truly matters this year.
Ecclesiastes 4:9 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” Jerard, it is my greatest joy in this life to be your wife. You are the most patient and kind man I’ve ever known. You love me even though so often I don’t deserve it. Thank you for making me your wife 7 years ago, and thank you for continuing to choose me every single day. I love you so much, and I’m so excited to see where the next 7 years takes us!