Happy Tenth Anniversary, My Love

 

Dear Ryan - 

Ten years ago this morning, we met in the courtyard of the resort in Siesta Key and walked to the water's edge to talk, eat cookies for breakfast, drink coffee, pray, and prepare for our wedding day.

That morning will always be one of my dearest memories, and I'm so glad we chose to begin the day with that time! I'm also glad I found a professional to tame that hair prior to the ceremony!

We shared our first look, which was another favorite memory from that day:

And then we said our vows!

That day, I told you that with deepest joy, I came into my new life with you. And indeed it has been my deepest joy. These last ten years have been a blessing beyond anything I ever could have imagined. The days have been sweeter because they've been spent by your side. I'm so grateful for the life we have crafted together, as we have followed the Lord's leading. 

Standing before you on our wedding day, I promised to strengthen, help, comfort, and encourage you, and I hope you can say that I have done each of those well. I know I haven't done any of them perfectly, but I hope when you scan over the decade, you can remember more times when I did well than when I failed. 

You also made promises to me during our ceremony - to love me as Christ loves the church - and you have done that so well. You have taken care of my heart with such tenderness, and you've made our life together a grand adventure. I have no regrets in saying yes to you, and you should have no regrets in the husband you've been in these last ten years. It has been easy to be your wife, largely because of the husband you choose to be.

So much has changed in our world in the last decade. Four of the people who sat with us that day have passed away since this picture was taken. Two of those were your parents. We never imagined it that day, but I am thankful God allowed me to be part of your grief journey, and I'm glad you made room for me in your heart and life during those two hard seasons. 

The people we were that day in 2012 had no idea the joy, challenges, adventures, grief, and dreams that would come in the decade ahead. We were two starry-eyed lovebirds who only knew we wanted to take on the days ahead together. 

And we have done exactly what we set out to do. We've fixed up houses until they became homes. We've followed the Lord into work that took us away from careers we loved and were good at, but obedience mattered more. We've gone on grand adventures in 18 states and counting. We've learned how we grieve, and we've carried each other through deep, dark valleys. We've learned things about ourselves that we didn't even know we were strong enough to do. We've laughed...so much. We've prayed and studied the Word together. We've served side by side. 

May this only be the beginning of a lifetime of decades filled with stories and memories!

Thank you, my love, for a beautiful first decade. Thank you for loving me so well. I love our little family with Braeya and Lexi. I love the dreams we have for the decade to come and the dreams we don't yet know will be ours. 

Let's keep living first unto our God and see what He has for us!

With all my love, heart, and being,

Your Bekah