What Makes My Kids Cry Today

Seventeen years.

That’s over 6,200 days of shared space, shared dreams, shared bank accounts, and—let’s be real—shared stress over what’s for dinner.

When we said “I do,” we didn’t know what we were getting into.

We were young, optimistic, and blissfully unaware of the ways life would stretch us, grow us, humble us… and sanctify us one toddler tantrum at a time.

But here we are—seventeen years in.

Still learning, still laughing, still loving (even on days we don’t feel very lovable).

🛏️ Seventeen Years of Marriage Looks Like:

Knowing each other’s coffee order and each other’s sighs. Arguing over thermostat settings like seasoned pros. Saying “I love you” in the form of “I did the dishes for you.” Finding ways to connect in between school drop-offs and grocery trips. Holding hands during the hard days, even when it feels like everything else is falling apart.

It’s not glamorous.

It’s not Instagram-perfect.

But it’s real, and it’s ours.

🤍 Seventeen Years of Grace

They don’t tell you this when you’re picking out your wedding flowers—but marriage is less about the ceremony and more about the daily surrender.

Seventeen years means…

We’ve forgiven each other more times than we can count. We’ve grown into different versions of ourselves, over and over again. We’ve chosen to stay when it would’ve been easier to walk away. And we’ve learned that God’s grace really is sufficient—even when we are not.

🕊️ What’s the Secret? (Spoiler: It’s Not a Secret)

People ask how we’ve made it this far.

And honestly? It’s not because we’re extraordinary.

It’s because God is.

He’s been faithful on the mountaintops and in the valleys.

In the joy of baby announcements and the heartbreak of loss.

In the midnight feedings and the 2 a.m. “are-we-doing-this-right” conversations.

In the quiet moments when all we had to offer was a tired smile and a prayer that God would carry us through one more day.

We haven’t always gotten it right.

But God has never stopped holding us together.

🥂 To Year Seventeen (and Beyond)

So today, we celebrate.

Not just the years behind us, but the God who walked us through them.

We celebrate:

The man I married 17 years ago and the partner he’s become. The chaos we’ve survived and the calm we’ve fought for. The love that keeps growing—even when it’s covered in spit-up or surrounded by school papers. The truth that our marriage is not perfect, but it’s deeply, beautifully rooted.

Here’s to the next 17.

To holding hands in the storm, laughing in the kitchen, and trusting the One who brought us this far.

Happy 17th anniversary to my best friend, my partner, and the one who still reaches for me—even when I’m the one who forgot to defrost the chicken (again).

You’re my favorite kind of chaos.

With love, laundry, and lots of grace,

Lizzie 💛