14 Years and 1 Month

Today, and this whole week, brings on countless emotions for the boys and me.

Both my boys will celebrate birthdays. When my sweet boys turned 10 and 8 their Dad was killed about 15 days later. This will be their second set of birthdays with out him. He would be so proud of them. He is so proud of them. I am so proud of them!

This week also brings Mike’s and my 14th wedding anniversary. We started dating at only 18. Both of us graduated college in 3 ½ years so we could get married. We married at 21. Two years ago, we celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary and we went on a date. That was my last date with him. My groom was killed about 15 days later.

This week, last year, was beyond difficult. We had just returned from Washington, D.C. where we attended Police Week and I was just a mess. We were back home for more firsts without Mike. First birthdays and first anniversary with just the 3 of us.

This week, this year, is different. There are still the same feelings of sadness and disappointment that Mike isn’t here celebrating with us. We will keep many of our same family traditions in celebrations this week and continue with the new ones we have begun.

This week, this year, we have something new we get to celebrate.

Something that has brought us joy, something that has brought us healing, and someone who has contributed immensely to helping my boys mend their broken hearts. Someone who has restored my broken heart and shown me more love than I ever imagined I could have again.

This week we will celebrate 1 month of being married to my best friend. This week we celebrate the beginning of my last chapter.

This week I am so grateful to have had more love in my short 35 years than, unfortunately, some will ever have in their whole lifetime.

During my first chapter I was adored and loved unconditionally by my first love.

Now I get to experience that love and then some, again. My final chapter has begun. Heaven has sent me the most God-fearing, patient, and loving man to spend the rest of my life with. A man that understands all that comes with this week and all that comes with me. The sadness and the celebrations. A man that I am so madly in love with. A man who I can’t stop thanking the Lord for bringing him to the boys and I at the most perfect time in our lives.

14 years…. and 1 month of pure, Christ-centered, head over heels love.