Happy Anniversary...

August 30th was the 7th Anniversary of our second wedding.

I was secretly hoping to not have to cook.

My Strong Silent Mysterious Man is always so nice to take me out for our anniversaries. We missed getting to celebrate that way together this year, so I will have to take advantage of a rain check later, when I really need a dinner break.

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I have so many good memories from that day 7 years ago and what it meant to have our family back together. It was a very big leap of faith for all of us. Would we be able to forgive? Had we changed our course direction enough to be able to build our lives on a different foundation? Was the love we shared enough to survive any trials we would inevitably face in the future?

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Yes! And just some of the things I have learned from that part of our journey -

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1. To err is human, forgiveness is divine.

2. It takes two baby ♫

3. Life is short; if you think you might regret not doing or saying something... do it today, you don't know what tomorrow will be.

4. Be charitable towards the one you love; they will be charitable in return.

5. Children are happy with every kind of expression of love they receive; show them everyday that they are loved. We all need to feel loved.

6. Happiness is a choice.

7. It is okay to let the phone ring during family night and not answer it... nothing bad happens :)

8. There is great peace in music and nature.

9. Be kind with others shortcomings... I have my own that they are kind enough not to mention.

10. If it is important to me and I want him to notice; Don't expect him to get it by dropping hints, or willing it to him mentally, just TELL HIM.

11. Focus on what I have in life, instead of what I might be missing.

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I don't necessarily regret having gone through the adversity we have faced, God has strengthened us through our trials, and refins us. He is like the silversmith putting us through the refiners fire as silver... The heat purifies the silver and cleanses it of toxins, but the silver must be held in the center where the heat is the very hottest. And if He holds it in the heat too long, it would be destroyed, so He must keep His eyes on it the entire time it is in the heat. And He only knows when the silver is completely refined when He can see His image in it.

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I know we will face more trials and adversity in our lives, I know that He never ever left us alone during any of our previous trials.

And I know with God ALL things are possible.