Fifteen.

Fifteen years ago today I said "I do" to my Jack Man. 

What an incredible day that was.

My Jack man took me out for dinner tonight and we sat and reminisced 
about adventure after adventure over the past 15 years.
 

The day-to-day adventure stuff that while it may not be flashy,
it's steady and solid and beautiful and hope-filled.
It's together as a team.

And then there's the  more glamorous adventure stuff like our
world travel stories.
And our ALWAYS GO LOCAL stories.
And roosters and motorcycle rides.
And scuba diving and para-sailing.
Kenya. France. Mexico. Honduras. Madagascar.
Indonesia. 

Canada. 
America.
Chicago.
Our home.
Our life. 
A grand mix of adventure near and far.

My guy you ask?
He's funny.  
VERY funny.
And oh SO gooooood lookin'.

He's a maverick. And I was born to marry a maverick. 
One of my most favorite qualities about him.

He promised me a beat-up old jeep when Jackson graduates high school.

Yes I'm counting down the days.

He's a visionary leader and a home-fixer-upper.

He's a great friend to many. 
He loves Jesus. Really loves Jesus.

He's wise and capable.
He drives a motorcycle; did I mention that already?

You ask how I know he loves me?
Well. 
Here's one for ya.
He unclogs the toilet for me.

THAT, my people, is TRUE LOVE.

I mean. TRUE LOVE.
Toilets are gross. Just absolutely disGUSTING.
I couldn't do that for him.

Well, unless, I suppose, I just had to;
like if he were dying or something.

And then I'd dry-heave through the whole process

and if we're being completely honest, I'd be cussing inbetween 
dry heaves.
Clogged toilets are of the devil. 

I digress.

So when I look back over 2014, which magically 
bumped up into fifteen years of marriage today,
 I realize it was probably my hardest year physically.

I was in the hospital for a weekend back in May. That hurt.

And yes he smuggled Coco into the hospital because she needed to see me.
She just did.

And then, as many know, I was down-for-the-count for months on end
beginning late September because of significant sciatica issues.

Like 'crawl-to-the-bathroom-for-weeks' sciatica issues.

Like WAY more painful than childbirth sciatica issues.
[ I think I feel a whole series of posts on that whole piece of my story. 
Whew. Hard stuff. Good stuff. Life-changing stuff. ]

Which left my Jack Man to do it all.

And by all, I mean ALL.

Kid duty. House duty. Meal duty. Chauffeur duty.

Discipline duty. Cleaning duty.

Doggie duty.
Alysa duty. 
On call 24/7 because, well, I couldn't do anything for myself.

Oh, and then he did his work work on top of all that to pay off the thousands of dollars in medical bills.

He did it all. 
Selflessly.
Because that's what love does.

That's covenant love.

Not convenient love.

Covenant love.

In sickness and in health.

He was there laying on the floor beside me as I wept in pain.

He was there praying over me as I couldn't sleep at night.
He kept my meds straight so I didn't overdose; 
he knows math and science aren't my strong suits.

He was there bringing me crackers and Ginger Ale when that's all I my appetite longed for.
{Oh and yes it was Canada Dry,
 for my Canadian friends who need to know this important info. 
No other brand will do.}

 And all this went on for a long, LONG time.

Not a couple days.

Not even a couple weeks.

But several months.

If I were to sum up this past year of marriage,
leading into Number Fifteen,

I'd have to say it was a year where the phrase from our vows

"in sickness and in health" 

was tested and proved faithful.

So today as I reflected on our marriage,
the words extra grateful kept bubbling up.
I am SO grateful that back in the early 90s 
we ended up at the same church on the north side of Chicago
working with the teens in our 'hood.
God knew what He was doing when He crossed our paths.

Boy howdy did He ever know.

My Jack Man, 
I love you more than you could possibly imagine.
 I love you.
I love our life.
I love our family.
I love our marriage.
I love our adventure after adventure after adventure.
I love our God who was with us this entire year.
I love you.

We belong together.
Forever.
In sickness and in health.
'Til death do us part.

Happy 15th babe.