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!