Jen's Odds and Ends

Our wedding day 23 years ago. Not long ago, 23 years of marriage would not have seemed like a major accomplishment, but in today's society, it seems unattainable to most!  We reached that this year.  People seem surprised when we tell them how long we have been married.  The millennials and generation Zs always want to know the secret to the longevity of our marriage (it doesn't feel like a long time to either one of us).  This blog post is about what has kept us together for 23 years!  It is in know way a judgement of other marriages.  I am only referring to what has worked for us. Put Christ at the center of your relationship. First, God has ALWAYS come first!  We are christians first and husband and wife second.  All faith journeys have their ups and downs, but with a partner to navigate it with, it makes the whole thing a whole lot easier.  I see my husband grow in his faith in much different ways than I grow in mine.  We compliment ...

In September 2018, we were getting ready for dinner when Jake emerged from the basement to say he was going to Wal-Mart for batteries.  Jared was taking care of dinner so I would ride along with him.  It was a short trip to town and back.  We returned to Jared sniffling in the kitchen and Macy bawling at the kitchen counter.  What could have possibly happened in the last 30 minutes???  Apparently, a lot!  We had a friend who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.  It had been in remission but had come back.  Jared asked her husband if they had gotten to do the things they had wanted to do in life (bucket list items).  He said no that they had planned to travel and do those things when they retired.  When Jared was done with the phone call, he got online and ordered tickets to the Royal Ballet's Nutcracker performance at the Royal Opera House in London on New Year's Day and made hotel reservations.  So why all of the tear...