Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Fourteen

Whenever May 17th rolls around, I have to do my anniversary math:

John-Paul's age  +  9 months  =  # Years Married

or

# of Kids  x  2 years  =  # Years Married

I know some of you can relate to those stats!

Fourteen years ago today, Phil and I vowed to be faithful and fruitful, and God has blessed us abundantly.

We were soooo ready to be married at the ripe old ages of 23 and 21.  Just babies in the world's eyes, but we were mature and determined and as knowledgeable about what a Catholic marriage entailed as any two people could be.

Mostly we were just crazy in love.  Jay Z and Beyonce got nuthin' on us :)

May 17, 2002 on Cape Cod

The Catholic high school where we work just performed The Sound of Music recently, and there was a song in the play that didn't make it into the movie, so I had never heard it before.  It's titled "How Can Love Survive", and it begins:

In all the famous love affairs
The lovers have to struggle
In garret rooms away upstairs
The lovers starve and snuggle.


They're famous for misfortune which
They seem to have no fear of
While lovers who are very rich
You very seldom hear of.



Upon hearing that song for the very first time, I couldn't help but think of how true that was for Phil and I.  We started out our marriage with nothing but love and debt, no real jobs, no house, not much in worldly possessions or a bank account.  Were we foolish?  Perhaps, but somehow, God provided and we worked hard, struggled together,  lived simply, and here we are 14 years and 7 kids later.  Would we have been such a great team now if there was nothing to work for back then?  I don't think so.  We've grown up together.  


May  15, 2016 in Boston

My parents celebrated 50 years of wedded bliss this past weekend, and it was so sweet watching them dance to their wedding song:



I truly hope Phil and I can make it to 50 years as happy and healthy and loving as they are...we're off to a good start!  On the way home from the anniversary party, Brad Paisley's song "Then" came on and I cried like a baby (pregnancy hormones y'all) because marrying Phil fourteen years ago was the easiest and best decision of my life.  On our wedding day, I just couldn't even comprehend how I could ever love Phil any more than in that moment, but, as Brad Paisley sings:


Now you're my whole life
Now you're my whole world
I just can't believe
The way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than its ever been
We've come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then


I can just see you
With a baby on the way
I can just see you
When your hair is turning grey
What I can't see
Is how I'm ever gonna love you more
But I've said that before

Happy Anniversary Phil!  Thanks for always keeping it together even when I fall apart.  I pray we have many more anniversaries to celebrate together.  Kiss kiss!

16 comments:

  1. Happy Anniversary to my amazing, beautiful, loving, faithful, dedicated, hard-working, and fun wife!! I love you more and more each day. Thanks for 14 incredible years of marriage.

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  2. Happy Anniversary you two!!

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  3. AnonymousMay 17, 2016

    Happy Anniversary!

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  4. This is the sweetest post! My husband and I started out with nothing, too--we were both 22, just out of college. Our first apartment was filled with rented furniture. (We did buy a bed with our wedding money, though!)

    This post resonates so much with me!! We grew up together like you guys, and I lthink it was a wonderful way to build a life. We were crazy in love then, and 35 years later we're still going strong.

    Happy Anniversary! God bless you both!

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  5. Happy anniversary! Ha ha, I also remember what year we are on by age of oldest + 9 months. :)

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  6. Happy anniversary you love birds. I do the same 9+ count to figure out our anniversary date. And "Then" is our actual wedding song, so I think I'll go weep into the crook of my arm now, haha.

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  7. Happy Anniversary!!!

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  8. Aw, happy anniversary!!! This is so sweet!

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  9. so sweet! you two are a beautiful team!

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  10. Happy anniversary to you two love birds!!

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  11. Your wedding dress was beautiful.
    Have you heard the song, 'We weren't crazy' by Josh Gracin? If not, look it up. It always reminds me of college love :)

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  12. Happy anniversary... oh your stats actually crossed my mind. I am gonna tell my husband that we are headed to 7 (whoa!) kids in 14 years. I will let you know about his reaction!

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  13. Woo hoo! Happy annivers!
    You guys are my heroes! Love the numbers you go through on your anniversary!
    "Then" is what we danced to at our wedding (Bill had to do country) (and so glad you guys were there by the way), but I love it now as much as I did "then."

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