20 Years & Counting...

Matthew and I celebrated our 20th anniversary a few months ago.
I can't even begin to tell you what a special time it was.

He took me on a surprise trip to Fredricksburg to a B&B.
One night we spent the evening playing games and listening to a CD he made of all the top songs from the year we were married.
He found a bunch of fun facts about the year we were married and we laughed through those the next night.
I did, however, find it interesting that on the CD of songs he made, he didn't add the one we considered to be "our song". I found out why, the next day... he put it on a DVD which has to be one of the best gifts I've ever received in my entire life. A DVD of our twenty years together (linked on youtube below).

There are a few pictures that just mark the ministry and transitions we've gone through. One that we are both in (but you would never know it) is the one where the kids are in a Chapel/Clubhouse/Church/whatever-you-wanna-call-it/show sort of picture.
He and one of the other ladies in the ministry are leading the class and I was doing the puppet (so I'm behind the stage).

Anywho, you must also look past the never changing hairdos.

ADDED NOTE:
The "wedding pictures" you see of us (with our children in them) are actually pictures from our tenth anniversary, we were able to do a vow renewal.
It was a really awesome time and came together in weeks.

We were originally married by a Justice of the Peace. I always used to say that for our ten year anniversary we could renew our vows, but honestly, I never believed it would really happen.
Weeks before our tenth anniversary Matthew said he wanted to just check and see if the church was available and it came together practically overnight. Once people heard what we were looking to do, they wanted to help and that's really how we were able to have a "real" wedding. Another gift from God.

Back to the video:
I cry every time I watch this. I realize how blessed I am to have such a wonderful family and that God has enabled me to be here with them every step of the way.
The journey has truly been a gift...