12 Years!

This was on our first assignment at Frontier Ranch. 

Circa 2003. Two years married. 

We didn't have a blog back then, so I have no digital memories until we have two kids :)

Fast forward to 2007. 

Crooked Creek Ranch.

2008 at Windy Gap.

2009 at Crooked Creek.

Last time we were here at Frontier Ranch, 2010.

Another one, cause I love this picture on my anniversary. 

2011 when we went to France for our sabbatical instead of YL camp. 

Thank you very much. 

2012 at Crooked Creek Ranch. 

I am so blessed. We love our family and how Young Life helps us to reflect and celebrate our marriage, its growth, transformation and the depth of love that has occurred since we went from a me, to an us, to a Sloan family. 

I can't wait to see what pictures happen with our kids this month! 

Seven Years Ago

I agreed to accept Matt Sloan as my husband for the rest of my life. Little did I know what I was agreeing to.

Some of those things might be:
-peeing outside at any opportunity. Even though we have three bathrooms INSIDE of our house.
-hunting, killing and skinning animals that he expects me to be delighted at eating.
-playing random instruments like the clarinet, the trumpet and the melodica in our garage without knowing how to play any of the instruments.
-wearing women's XL Liz Lange maternity gauchos for an entire month to make high school kids laugh so Jesus can invade their hearts.

Over the years, the things that made me crazy when we were dating, making me crazy now. I knew EXACTLY who I was marrying, I just chose to believe that those things might change. Nope. They are still around. But I think that I have changed because now, those are some of the things that I love the best despite how they might drive me up a wall.

I am grateful that this man is my husband. He prays for me. He prays for our kids. He loves me. He loves our kids. I can not wait to grow old all the days of my life with him, as long as the Lord lets me.


Seven years. Over a quarter of my life has been spent with Matt Sloan. Since I have dated him since I was 21, nearly a THIRD of my life really.

This is how you know that we are becoming one. Matt LOVES to make fractions at any opportunity. Just last night, our friends Jed and Becca celebrated their one month anniversary and Matt told them they would have to do that 84 more time to catch up with us.


Seriously.

Happy Birthday Big Man

Today is my Big Man's birthday! Count 'em, 31 big ones! We have been talking about how in the last two years, both of us became grown ups. We have two kids, own a house, jobs that are professional (not starter jobs) and we are married.

On one hand, you can see that as a sad thing (to be a grown up) because you miss out on all of the sponteneity and freedom that you had as an adolescent. But more and more, I think that we are enjoying being grown ups. Because there is freedom in not having to fall for every trend, or to keep up with who knows what. We can just learn to grow closer together, to our kids and form our own lives that are not determined by outside forces, but just with each other.

I love that I am married to Matt Sloan and that six years ago, we were just two months away from getting married. I love that so much has changed between us in six years. I love that I have known him for ten years. I love that he has known me for ten years. I hope that I get to spend every birthday with him for the rest of our lives.

I am so grateful for him and his love for me. I am so glad that he has turned another year older because it means that we have made it one more year with each other. The Lord has shined his face upon me because Matt is in my life, has been in my life and will be (Lord willing) for many more birthdays.

There is nothing quite as strong for love as seeing your husband reach out and love your children well. Matt is an amazing father (with his faults and I have mine) and I love that we are learning to be parents together. I love that he puts me before our kids and that I put him before the kids. We are together in this thing and I love that. He is the man that I always dreamed of as my husband.

I love you!

Happy Birthday Old Man.