10 years ago today I said yes. The sun was setting over the Denver skyline and it was beautiful. There was some snow on the ground but it had been a fairly warm day for February in Colorado. I had spent the few hours before driving all over town in a crazy scavenger hunt, and then I was finally sitting on the side of a mountain with my best friend down on one knee asking if I would spend the rest of my life as his wife. And I said yes.
Little did we know what the next 10 years would bring or look like.
We were both young, I had just turned 23 and was part way through my first year of medical school, he was 21 and still finishing up his junior year of college 2 states away.
But there was no denying that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. I think we had both known that for a long time, but with life circumstances it was finally the best and right time to ask and accept.
It would take another 16 months before we would say “I do” to each other before our friends and families due to being two states away and schooling issues.
But I wouldn’t change where the last 10 years have taken us.
There has been great times; our wedding, the births of both of our boys, getting our referral for our adoption, running crazy mud races in the freezing cold, spending a week in Florida just playing, a month in Costa Rica learning and exploring, buying our first house.
There has been hard times; Leighton’s time in the NICU, the scare we had when pregnant with Caedmon, residency and medical school, grad school, trying to make ends meet.
There has been a ton of laughter; watching our little ones develop into little people, chasing each other through the house, backpacking in the pouring rain, epic games of hide and go seek.
There has been tears; struggles with classes and tests, rejection and hurt from those that we thought were friends, the exhaustion that only comes with newborns, the trials of residency.
We’ve probably argued more then we should, but we’ve also grown more then we thought possible. We’ve been stretched, both by each other and with each other. We’ve prayed for each other and with each other.
We have a lot more to learn, a lot more to grow, a lot more places to serve, more gardens to grow, more evenings watching Lord of the Rings, more memories to make, more mountains to climb, more rooms to paint, more books to read, more 1/2 marathons to run, more lego villages to build, more trips to take, more messes to make, more meals to share, more hugs and kisses to give.
It has been an adventure, and it will continue to be, but I am so glad for a question followed by 10 years of yes. I love you, sweetheart!
Hiking Mommy 