Thankful Thursday- Anniversary Edition

Today marks Dave and my 4th Anniversary. In many ways, the years seem to have flown by and in some ways I feel like we have been a part of each other's lives forever.

I am thankful that God brought us together. We had a rather tumultuos dating relationship as I sorted through my past and mixed up theologies. However, I can't imagine a more perfect man to complete me than Dave. He's not perfect, but together we make a stronger team. He compliments my weaknesses very well and challenges me to be a better person.

I am thankful for our good times. Dave is great for making silly songs and making me laugh. He is a dork, but in a really cute and attractive way. I am including dates in this category as well. Perhaps our most memorable date was when we were in college. Dave took me to our local state park where he spread out a picnic lunch of all my favorite foods. Not sure why this one sticks out in my memory, but it was one of my favorite dates.

I am thankful for our harder times. I would never have grown and matured if iron hadn't sharpened iron. Even in our fights I am still determined to be married to him. At one point, (during a fight), I thought about what I would tell Noah to explain to him what was happening. My thought was to say, "There are some relationships that are just worth fighting for. We don't agree now, but we'll get through it because we are committed to fighting for one another." We have come a long way from the way we used to "fight" in college and I am so thankful for that.

I am thankful for his support. Dave has stood by through some pretty stuff tough. I call it his Yenerich stubborn streak...but truthfully, I am very thankful for it. He has stood firm by my side and supported me in many tough decisions. He cracks me up, because he is really a good listener (much better than I am)....and doesn't necessarily try to fix it. He just lets me vocally process and will lend support if I ask. This is funny because this seems to be more of the "girl" way of handling things. I tend to fall into the "guy" mentality of, "OK, how can we fix this?" See, we're good for each other.

I am thankful for our family. Having Noah in our lives has brought incredible joy and challenges to our marriage. He has enriched it most definitely and has taught us a lot about who we are as parents and how to be a team in that arena. Adding this new one will bring even more fun and challenges to our lives. With Dave by my side, I am looking forward to the adventure.

I am thankful for who he is. Dave has always made me have the more reliable car. Most guys want to drive the "cooler" car, but Dave has ALWAYS insisted that I drive the newer, more reliable car. I always thought this was the way it was, but I now realize that is not the same in every relationship. It seems perhaps silly that I would point this out, but for some reason it makes me feel very cherished and taken care of. Having a child sort of nixes hand holding or opening car doors as we try to juggle kids and diaper bags...but this is one way that Dave really shows me that he loves me and takes care of me. He works so hard to provide for Noah and my needs and is so selfless in denying himself so that we can "have". He also makes it a point to spend quality time with us every week. Family time is important to him...meaning that WE are important to him. He finds many different ways to show his love and I am so thankful for that.

He is truly a man of integrity and I am honored to be married to him for this many years. I look forward to our 50th anniversary and how my list might look then. I'm sure I will be just as thankful!

Happy Anniversary honey.