I love you

Chris and I have been married 14 years.  FOURTEEN.  On one hand it feels like forever and on the other like yesterday.

A couple of years ago we decided to make our anniversary a family celebration.  We have both sets of grandparents in town and all of our kids aunts and uncles so we have plenty of willing sitters but we decided that we want to take this one day and remind the boys how much their mom and dad love each other.

The first year we started this tradition we packed a picnic lunch, headed to freedom park and let the boys all drink a can of Dr Pepper to celebrate as they munched on their sunbutter and jelly sandwiches.

Last year we made chicken parmesan, got out the china and lit some candles as we coursed our way through a romantic dinner around our dining room table.

This year Chris took Mason to the store and they picked up some flowers for me, we wore nice clothes, went to lunch at Momma Ricatta's, one of our favorite restaurants, followed by dessert and coffee at Amile's a french bakery.

We get out the wedding scrapbook, pop in the VHS recording of our wedding and giggle at how young everyone looks and laugh as the wedding singer hits the high note and we take the opportunity to make our boys feel uncomfortable as they watch us kiss and get teary eyed.

We also remind them of how much we STILL love each other and even though they have friends, good friends, who's parents have separated or are divorced that we will NEVER stop loving each other and being committed to making our marriage work. We want them to know that we got married because we were best friends and we loved the Lord and our marriage is a gift from HIM.

One year I asked my dad - an amazing artist- to write Romans 12: 9-21 in calligraphy so we could have it framed to hang in our house as a reminder of how we want to live in marriage and as a family.

"Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.  Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "it is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.  On the contrary:  "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this you will heap burning coals his head."  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

No doubt we have messed up as parents, played our parent card all wrong. As I read the scripture above I smile with a full heart because God is allowing us to learn to live out His word.

We fail, BUT-we have always loved each other whole heartedly, sincerely with a deep genuine love. The older our boys get I know they can see it.

My heavenly father wants me to know how much he loves me.  In the NIV Bible, the word love is mentioned 551 times.  Thats a lot of ways God says he loves me.

Even when you think someone knows it you should keep saying it anyway -- "I love you"

Ethan is so good at this.  He will randomly come up and grab my cheeks with both hands to give me a kiss on the lips and wrap his little arms around my neck to whisper in my ear "I love you mommy"

Mason blushes at this and Micah laughs.  When I tell the older two I love them they say, "I know" or "you too"

Love covers a multitude of sins and keeps no records of wrongs and we need to never tire of saying "I love you" in the good times when you're all happy and in a good mood and in the bad times when you need to apologize or forgive.

I'm now requesting that when I say, "I love you Mason or Micah" That they respond with "I love you too mom"

Love Must Be Sincere.