I began sobbing the moment he asked me to marry him.
And I don’t mean sweet tears cascading down my cheeks either.
I mean the big ugly cry. Choking, hiccuping, fluid-running-out-my-nose-and-eyes kind of cry.
Not that I should have been shocked. We knew six days after we met that we were going to get married.
But when he actually proposed to me…to say that he wanted to spend the rest of our days together? Complete with a sparkly ring in a black, velvety box?
I sobbed.
We didn’t even know back then what “the rest of our days” would look like.
Didn’t know there would be 7 moves or that we’d have 8 children.
We had no idea that there would be so many unexpected tears .. . or how much helpless laughter.
All I knew was that I loved him and believed he was the man God had for me.
And me for him.
So here we are 23 years later . . . .
Captured! The night we got engaged.
The sweeping kiss. Always the romantic…..
In Austria during our first year of marriage. Terribly in love.
And when our first baby is born, we fall in love all over again.
The ol’ traditional “family portrait” with three children under the age of 3. Busy times.
And suddenly 2 of the above children are away at college – one senior and one freshman – this year.
On our regular Sunday night milk-date. My favorite guy and my favorite night of the week!
Looking out at our garden and dreaming of what we can plant together.
Date night.
Out on the town last Friday night with my boyfriend. 😉
So that about sums it up. Twenty-three years of marriage.
And looking forward to many more loving years to come….
Thank you for helping us celebrate our anniversary!
*Just for fun if you’re married, when is your anniversary and how long have you been married?Â
Still in love,
P.S. Most of these photos are from Instagram. You can follow me over there for more, if you’d like!
Lisa
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Happy annivesary may our dear Lord add you many many more.
been married for 4years this coming Oct 10 and blessed with one kid.
And a happy anniversary to you! Blessings on you all for many years to come!
Happy Anniversary! 25 years this past August 25, six kids (2 graduated), six moves…
Sounds like we’ve got a few things in common, Deb! Happy (recent) anniversary!
Voted best post ever! What a terrific looking couple too 🙂
Ah, Tony! Thank you. I always knew we’d be good friends. 🙂
Lovely post! Happy anniversary and in God’s grace and will may you enjoy many more! Am coming up on 8 years married to my dear husband this October and expecting our 5th child at the end of the year. Busy times, but so good.
Happy anniversary coming up! And blessings on your fifth (and I know what you mean by busy too! 😉
A very happy anniversary to you and Matt, Lisa! What a joy and encouragement it is to see couples continue to grow in love and thanksgiving for each other. I enjoyed your choice of photos; it is not easy to pick and choose! 🙂 We celebrated our 49th year of marriage in April 2015. What a blessing and privilege to still have each other after all these years. We are blessed with eight delightful children, eight loving children-in-law, and 44 grandchildren with one more on the way! We consider ourselves rich, indeed!
Thank you, Paula! You and Burnell are such an example and inspiration to us both! Oh, and to have all those children AND grandchildren – rich, to be sure! The Lord bless you and all your amazing and encouraging family!
My husband and I will celebrate our two year wedding anniversary on Sept. 14! Congratulations on your anniversary!
Happy anniversary, Kersee! Two years and many more to enjoy!
Wow many blessings to both! May God continue to bless your marriage! I enjoyed reading your blog and looking at your beautiful photos. My husband and I have been married for 19 years going on the big 20 in January of 2016! We got engaged six months into the relationship and engaged for 2 years. We have been together for a total of 22 years. I to honestly believe that God has created us for each other. We are truly each other’s soul mate! I still love him and look at him the same way I did and still do since day one!
So love hearing this kind of testimony of God’s faithfulness and goodness! Happy Big 20th to come!
Love you guy’s story. My husband and I will celebrate 5 years on the 25th. We have two sweet babies. Our son turns 2 in Nov and a 5 month old baby girl. We also got married fast, not quite as fast as you, excactly 1 year from when we started dating. Life has been great together, though not easy. I love him more today than ever.
Five years and two children – a blessing for you both! Happy anniversary (isn’t September a lovely month though? )!!
It sure is. Its my birthday and anniversary month. 🙂
I LOVE how in love you are!! Congratulations – and praying for many more blessed and joyful years for the two of you.
We’ll be married 20 years this December 16th.
And a happy 20 years (and lots more!) to you both!!
Love the photos of your beautiful memories and family, Lisa! Have a happy and blessed 23rd anniversary! We will celebrate 27 years next Wednesday, September 10th–to God be the glory!!
You’re such a sweet encouragement to me Judy!! Thank you for your God-glorifying testimony of love and marriage!!
Happy Anniversary! On September 10th we will be celebrating 21 years =-O.
I hope you enjoy a very special celebration tomorrow, Kristi!!
Happy anniversary!
Thirteen years (and 5 babies) for Jeremy and I… March 2 will make fourteen years!
Thank you and blessings on the coming years and your dear family!!
Happy Anniversary!
My husband and I were married 15 years last month (8/12/00)
Happy 15 years and many, many more to come Suzanne!
Love it!! Happy anniversary! 😀 😀
Does your son’s shirt say something about ‘gentlemen and SCHOOL’!?
“A Gentleman and a Scholar” is what it says (and his grandmother gave it to him. 🙂 And I’d say he is both! 🙂
24 years for us the end of this month.
It’s nice to see someone happy after 23 years. Congrats.
Happy anniversary Kris and blessings on your marriage.
Happy Anniversary! We celebrated 8 years on September 1st. We have two beautiful boys, 5 1/2 and 3 1/2. I am more in love with my sweet husband now than the day I married him. Thank you for all you do and your encouragement.
Oh, how I love hearing this, Francis! Made me smile just to think of your dear family! Blessings on you all!!
Beautiful couple, story, and example! Thanks for all you share. I hope you have a wonderful anniversary and many more joyful years together! God bless you and your family!
Thank you, Amanda, for such kind words of encouragement and blessing!
15 years, 8 children (three we lost in pregnancy or at birth), many, many ups and downs, but still committed to loving each other and staying together. God’s grace is sufficient!
Yes, His grace is sufficient and we too, have experiences both loss and blessing over the years. So encouraged to hear of your commitment to God and to each other!
And I remember that sweeeeeping kiss! 🙂
Do you really, Nancy? So thankful you got to be there! (I’ve got you in a few pictures, did you know that?) 🙂
Not everyone gets “dipped” like that. 😉 It was a beautiful day. So thankful he is still sweeping you off your feet & you are still getting lost in his eyes. <3
March 25th, 15 years! Already! 🙂
Oops! Didn’t see this for some reason,Nancy! I cannot believe it’s already been 15 years!! Congratulations!!
Love this walk through your marriage! Congrats to both of you. May God bless the next 23 years!
Thank you, Rachael, and I appreciate your words of blessing for us both!
I love your pictures! We will celebrate our third year of marriage in March! We married young, well at least my husband haha, we wouldn’t trade it for the world!
And much happiness to you both! We were “older” when we got married and our only “regret’ is that we didn’t know each other when younger. 🙂
3 years … second marriage for both…six kids…1 mine, 5 his…grand son on the way…blended families are so so difficult and challenging!! Lisa I wish you were one of my ‘besties’ -I don’t think I am too old to use that word😉 lol You are such an inspiration to me and I am grateful that you are in my life…be it very far!!
Never too old for “besties” my friend! And blended families can be challenging, but nothing is too hard for our Lord! Keep being faithful and you will see good fruit over the years!
My husband, Brian, and I will celebrate 22 years of marriage this coming December. We have four children and are so blessed! Thank you for your posts and pics!
My husband, Brian, and I will celebrate 22 years of marriage this coming December. We have four children and are so blessed! Thank you for your posts and pics!
Love to hear it! Your marriage and family are a testimony to what God is doing in the world!
Happy anniversary!! Your pictures are precious! My husband and I will be celebrating 15 years this coming January 13th!
Thank you, Jennifer! And blessings on your 15 years coming right up! (And many more besides…..)
Happy anniversary! My husband and I will celebrate 15 years this coming January 13th!
Awe! I LOVE the “Sweeping Kiss” pic! The best! Happy Anniversary!!!!!!
The picture doesn’t show how hard I was laughing when he did this! I could hardly kiss him I was laughing so much!! 🙂
Happy Anniversary! My husband and I will be celebrating our 19th anniversary on November 28. We were married on Thanksgiving Day. We have a lot to be thankful for including our 6 children.
How wonderful to be married on Thanksgiving Day! Matt’s parents were also married on Thanksgiving and occasionally, their anniversary still falls on the day and that is always such a big celebration! Happy anniversary to come!
Happy Anniversary Lisa and Matthew! God is using both of you to bless so many, thank you!
We celebrated 14 years on March 8 this year 😉
And a happy 14 years to you, Angie!
Happy Anniversary! We just celebrated 23 years on May 16th this year. Our first date was his senior prom (we’d known each other since 8th/9th grade–took long enough, huh?) We now have 4 beautiful children and 1 extra beautiful grandson that totally stole my heart.
Happy Anniversary! We celebrated our 23rd anniversary in May of this year. My parents just celebrated 54 years yesterday, and my grandparents celebrated 73 years before my grandfather passed away. Lots of happy years of marriage.
Our first date was a bike ride around Purcellville, VA – back when it was still a small little town 😉
Wasn’t 1992 a good year to be married, Pam? 🙂 And how awesome that you’ve had parents and GRANDPARENTS to have been married for so long!! (Did you know that 2 of our kids are in Purcellville going to school right now?)
Just celebrated the best two years of our lives on July 13! Can’t wait to see what God has in store for us in the decades to come. His grandparents celebrated 65 years and a day before grandad passed away. I hope we have just as long to love and cherish one another.
What a fabulous heritage to have, Kaitlin! Two years behind you…and only 63 more to go! 🙂
Congrats to you two! Happy Anniversary! We celebrated 38 years on June 18th. We have been blessed beyond measure with 2 children & their spouses & 9 grandchildren!!
Happy 38 years to you! And what joy to see your children and grandchildren too!
Now that was a good book.
That it is. (And you would know it, dear friend!)
Our anniversary is October 13th. We are about to celebrate 14 years of marriage. My parents just celebrated 44 years, and my grandparents were married 56 years before my grandfather passed away. My in-laws just celebrated 42 years of marriage and their parents before them, 70 years of marriage!!! I am so grateful for examples of couples who have chosen marriage for life. thabk you for being one of those examples.
What an unusual – but very blessed – heritage you enjoy!! My husband’s parents have been married for over 60 years and my parents have been married for over 50, so we’re blessed too!
Our 1 month anniversary was yesterday! Hehe, I couldn’t resist adding this! Congratulations…hearing these kinds of real stories is very inspiring. Marriage is hard and wonderful and beautiful. 🙂
No way!! Happy one-month anniversary! (I’m always game to celebrate any chance we get! 🙂 Before you know it will be one year, ten years, and then 23 years!!
We were married a month after you. October 2, 1992. Many smiles and tears in 23 years.
We were married a month after you. October 2, 1992. Many smiles and tears in 23 years.
Amen, sister, amen! Congratulations to you both!
Happy Anniversary! We made 17 years on May 23!! <3
Yay!! Happy 17 years and more to come!
Happy Anniversary. You are an inspiration. Thank you for all that both of you have given to the marriage community. God bless!
Thank you! And God bless you too, my friend!
Happy Anniversary! We will be married 20 years on September 24th. This is a special anniversary to me because we’ve been through enough to almost break up our marriage and by God’s grace and some rough lessons we are still together.
So glad to know that you’re still together – in spite of what you’ve gone through – and that is an encouragement to so many others who have been (and are going through) rough times!
Congratulations and happy anniversary to the two of you!
My love and I will celebrate 17 years October 24 this year (we married in 1998). We have been blessed with four sons and have recently been approached by a friend who is in some dark times to foster her two year old daughter. After much prayer, tears and conversation with the man and boys, we’ve agreed and are now in the process of hurry up and wait. Please pray for us to be patient and content with God’s timing and will regarding this situation. Also, please pray for our hearts to remain open and willing but prayerfully not to get broken in this process.
Well, that is a huge undertaking, as you well know, Amanda, and I’m praying for you and your family as you minister in this very special way.
Lisa, Happy anniversary. Thank you for sharing your news with us. I celebrated my 4th year anniversary in April. I thank God for you because you give me hope and I know God has destined my Husband and I to celebrate many more. May God bless you and your Family.
Thank you, Diana, and the Lord bless you both with much love and faith in the years to come!
Happy Anniversary! We will celebrate 26 years on November 12. My parents celebrated their 48th anniversary yesterday!!
Oh wow! What a great testimony of #marriageisforlife for both your parents and yourselves!
we are babies in comparison- 6.5 years. January of 2009 was when we got married
But just think of all that you have to look forward to, Anastasia!! 🙂
Congratulations on your 23rd anniversary! Our anniversary is June 22, 1973 ~ 42 Years.
42 years? How wonderful!! I can hardly wait until we’ve been married that long!
Almost a year–10/18/14. I’m looking forward to looking back on many years of marriage to my man someday!
What a blessing to be a newlywed! With God’s help, it will only just get better and deeper over the years!
You two are incredibly adorable!!
Thank you Christin! (I think that might be the first time I’ve heard us described that way – but I’ll take it! 😉
26 years – 3/25/89
Congratulations on your 26 years, Nylse!