{"id":245373,"date":"2010-01-29T06:07:18","date_gmt":"2010-01-29T11:07:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jungleoflife.com\/?p=3823"},"modified":"2010-01-29T06:07:18","modified_gmt":"2010-01-29T11:07:18","slug":"sweet-sixteen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/245373","title":{"rendered":"Sweet Sixteen"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

“For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.” ~ Judy Garland
\n\t\t<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

To Lora, with love…<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Sixteen years ago today, our lives were joined together.<\/p>\n

"And the two shall become one."<\/p>\n

Do you remember those early days?  Honeymooning in the mountains.  The deserted movie theatre.  The deer at our front door.<\/p>\n

Giddy, happy, goofy love.<\/em><\/p>\n

And all those moves.  A different address every year.  Were we vagabonds? <\/p>\n

Love was in our hearts.<\/em><\/p>\n

Road trips. Vacations.  Adventures.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Camping in the rain in Tennessee.  That flat tire in the middle of the night on the way to Kentucky.  Bathing in the creek at Yellowstone.  Freezing near Lake Superior.  Lost in Boston.  Midnight trips through Chicago.  Zip lining in Honduras.  Hanging out on that quiet beach we found near Mount Rushmore.  Rafting in Idaho (remember how it went from really bad to really great).  Seattle at night.  That last run down the mountain at Winter Park.  Beach volleyball in Jamaica. <\/p>\n

The love for life's adventures.<\/em><\/p>\n

Family and friends.<\/p>\n

Our own growing family.  Three little munchkins (well, not so little anymore).   Extended family.  Friends.  Life.  Death.  Moments together. <\/p>\n

Love for all those we care about.
\n\t<\/em><\/p>\n

Challenges.<\/p>\n

Remember the day Bekah was born, and then she stopped breathing.  Those moments of not knowing, as she was rushed away.  So scary.  Or the day she was lost at that state park, and we had anyone we could find looking for her.  So scary.  The day she broke her leg.  The day that Jakob fell off the playground equipment.  The day Cameron broke his thumb.  The day you ended up in the hospital, pregnant, and while we were moving into our house.  Moments in our marriage.  Life.<\/p>\n

Love never fails.
\n\t<\/em><\/p>\n

Moments together.<\/p>\n

Walks in the neighborhood.  Early morning tennis (someday I'll beat you!).  Sitting around the campfire.  Cross-country skiing at Lapham Peak (wait…that was just painful for me!).  Constructing the basement together (I wasn't meant to be an electrician!).  That wood stove.  Packing and unpacking boxes.  Working together with the middle school youth.  That trip to the homeless shelter.  Finishing our first triathlon experience together.  Dancing at the Christmas party.  Many, many moments that are etched in our memories…moments that all hold special meaning.<\/p>\n

Love is a verb.
\n\t<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." ~ Author Unknown
\n\t\t<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Lora,<\/p>\n

You are the stars in my sky and the sunshine in my day!   You make everything brighter, and fill the world with your touch of love.<\/p>\n

You support me, always.  You put laughter in my heart, and joy in my soul.  You have this amazing way of just knowing your "true north".<\/p>\n

We have traveled on this life journey, together for the last sixteen years. <\/p>\n

A life journey that has been an adventure.  An amazing, beautiful, love-filled, treasure of time together.  It is only just the beginning.  The adventure continues, and together we will continue to live life from our hearts.  Together we will let that thing called 'mutual weirdness<\/em>' shine as love.   Continue to always be that amazing, loving, caring, beautiful YOU…<\/p>\n

You inspire me to LIVE!  You inspire me to BE!  You inspire me to LOVE! <\/p>\n

Love always,
\n\tLance<\/p>\n

\n

Note:<\/strong><\/em>  A very special thank you to Audra Krell<\/a> for the encouragement to write this.  You are a dear friend.
\n\t<\/span><\/p>\n

Please, also check out my latest guest post at Life's Little Inspirations: The Ever Flowing Spring Water of Life<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Comments are closed.
\n\t<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n