5th Wedding Anniversary

Happy 5th Anniversary!!

Trent and I before his work Christmas party
*photo credit: Terri Parmarter*

I promised I would write about the love of my life when the time got closer, and now, here we are, just 2 days away from the 5-year mark.

I'm not sure where to start. As I'm thinking back through the past 5 years I am surprised at how quickly the time has gone, especially since having children. I can honestly say that I love Trent more with each passing day. I am so thankful that God is molding me in to the woman that He wants me to be. I'm excited to see the spiritual growth that has happened in my life, as well as Trent's. We are stronger as a couple than we are as individuals. I try my best to be submissive to my husband. With my personality, one might think it is a difficult thing for me to do. For sure, sometimes it is. If there is something that I feel strongly about I will "argue my case" (Trent loves to debate). Sometimes I win Trent over, and other times I submit to him. I will admit, that I once used the shameful tactic of crying to win him over. This is the reason we have a dog. Which I sometimes regret even though the children love him dearly.

I was reminded of the slogan that Engaged Encounter (a weekend for engaged couples) used. "A wedding is a day, a marriage is a lifetime". Our wedding was pretty simple, but there was still a lot of time and energy put in to that one day. And now, just 5 years after that day, I am wondering what I really remember most about it. I think that the funniest thing that happened was as I was walking down the aisle, my Uncle Ken held up a cardboard sign that he made that said, "It's not too late." Every Sunday at church he would tell Trent that it's not too late to join the family. After we said, "I do" and kissed and were walking out, Uncle Ken held up the other side which said, "It is now". Oh, and my dress. I loved my dress.

There are so many reasons why Trent is such a great husband. First of all, he loves God. Then he loves me, and the children. He tells me that he loves me. He shows me with his unselfish actions that he loves me. He is the leader of our household. Trent makes me feel safe. Trent is a wonderful provider. He is strong. He is confident. He is good-looking. Okay, I know that last one isn't a personality/character thing, but I do like to look at him!!

When we got married I still had 3 semesters of college left. We figured that I would teach for 2 years, then be pregnant while teaching my third year and stay at home with our children. However, God has such better plans than our own! Much to my surprise we found out we were pregnant while I was student teaching in my last semester of college. So, after I graduated I was a substitute teacher until Anne was born. I am so thankful that it happened that way. I can't imagine how much more difficult it would have been for me to quit teaching and go from two incomes to just one. The way God had it planned was that we would never get used to having two incomes, and we would have more faith in God. And God is so good! He has never let us down. When things were very tight in the beginning of our marriage, we just pulled the purse strings a little tighter, and we made it through. God had some wonderful ways of providing for us at those times.

To celebrate our 5th anniversary we have decided to go to Trent's parents cabin. I'm excited for the seclusion we will feel after our regular lives of noise in the city. I'm ready to lay on the couch with a Louis L'Amour book (tradition), and the wood stove heating the cabin to a balmy 80 degrees. I'm excited to go out for dinner with (almost) no kids (Magdalena will be along). I am ready to do a puzzle with Trent, drink lots of coffee, and whoop his butt in Scrabble. I'm ready to love on my husband, talk about life with him, and enjoy every simple moment of being together.

I keep thinking that these are the best days of my life. The "big" girls were under the Christmas tree hiding and giggling the other night. Trent and I were sitting on the couch together talking about how sweet they are, and how much fun this Christmas will be. Then we were talking about how next Christmas will be even better because Maggie will be giggling with the other girls under the Christmas tree. Having sweet children is addicting. Will there be a point in which it will not be fun anymore? I hope not.

Enjoy your life, people. It's the only one we get.

Just for fun: These are my kitchen helpers. The girls are loving helping bake tons of Christmas cookies. It's definitely more difficult and takes longer, but how can I not let these little ones help out? p.s. I'm thankful for my lovely kitchen. Dec. 3rd marked 1-year since it was finished. Praise the Lord!!

Random Ramblings

At the suggestion of a dear friend, another dear friend and myself are working through a study on Esther by Beth Moore. It is a 10 week study and tomorrow is that last day of week 7. It has been an incredible journey. It has helped me focus my devotion time to delve deeper into God's word instead of just reading a few chapters in the Bible. I find that my thoughts keep going back to a verse that struck me anew, or a quote from B.Moore. I am learning something new everyday and being challenged.

Throughout my pregnancy with Magdalena, God was teaching me to have more faith in Him. I felt that I did have a strong faith, why the need to grow me more in this aspect of my relationship with Him?

Romans 5:3-5 (NIV) "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

And so, through those difficult days, God was building me up to be a stronger, more complete individual. There is something that God has laid on my heart many years ago, and I feel strongly that it may soon come to fruition. However, it will be a journey, and one that will require much faith. I'm certain God is using baby steps to walk me through it. What I felt was a difficult time with Magdalena's pregnancy was really the building blocks of faith that I will need to get through the next journey that God has in store for us. God is good!

This is a random Anne quote from yesterday: "Daddy, I didn't care when you spanked me because I was looking at this baby shoe." This is what she said to Trent when he had to spank her for getting out of bed. She was literally looking at one of baby Maggie's shoes.

Magdalena is consistently sleeping through the night, but it seems to be about 11 p.m. until she wants to settle in.

Abbey is starting to get into that age where children can be a real "pill". She was such a sweet baby I didn't think she would ever go through (dare I say it?) the terrible twos!!

Trent and I will soon celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. I am so blessed by this amazing man. Who would have thought I would ever marry Trent Hess!! Me? Emily Parmarter?? Marry Trent?? No way, that's too weird! I mean, we went to church together all our lives! I must admit, I haven't had any of those "get real" moments for awhile, but it sure is fun to think back on them. Closer to our anniversary I'll write more about us. But let me just say that I am so thankful for a godly husband. Not only is he good to me but he is a terrific daddy. Sure, he's a little too nice at times and finds it hard to keep a straight face when Anne says or does something a bit naughty but is funny at the same time. But I wouldn't have it any other way. He is so precious when he reads books to the girls. I think one thing that is so dear to me that Trent does is brush their hair after a bath. Sure, he usually has to wrap his legs around them to keep them from wriggling away, but there is just something about it that tugs at my heartstrings. Perhaps it is because that is one thing that I remember my dad doing just a very few times. Daddy hands are much bigger than Mommy hands. I think girls like to feel little. I even like to feel little. There is something humbling and awe-inspiring to be smaller than someone else. Perhaps that is why we look up to heaven, to God, our creator.

Another random Anne funny: Last night we were at Trent's parents for dinner. Afterward we were enjoying some home videos of the Hess boys. When the video panned the backyard Anne saw the clothes line in a + shape. She said, "Look, there's the cross that Jesus died on to save us from our sins!"

Precious.