Five Years of Marriage: A Review

I started this blog four months into our marriage to document our lives as newlyweds. It has been an incredible journey and I'm so thankful I have used this little blog as a journal to remember the last five years. Marriage is not always easy. In fact, sometimes it is down right hard. We fight. We have had people we love most in life not support our marriage. We have had our hardships. Our trials. But I chose to keep my blog mainly focused on the positive. Garth and I are positive people and our hope and trust is rooted in Christ. When we are weak He is strong. God never promised life would be easy, but He promised to always be there. And I can say without a shadow of a doubt that these last five years have been the best years of my life. I love marriage. I love Garth. I love being a wife. The trials and tribulations just make me cling to Jesus more. The hard times make me appreciate the good times 100 times more. God is good.

With that said, lets take a look back at some of the highlights of our first five years:

Honeymooning in the most beautiful place in the whole world, Kauai Hawaii.

I turned 25 during our first year of marriage and Garth planned a surprise trip to Traverse City that was above and beyond anything I had expected.

Watching Garth get baptized at church was a beautiful moment in our marriage. I was so proud of him for proclaiming his faith unapologetic.

Our first year was filled with lots of weekend trips away and lots of weddings of our friends. We first fell in love with the Amway Grand Hotel in Grand Rapids on this trip for my good friend's wedding. We went back again for my 26th birthday.

Maybe not a highlight, but definitely a crazy moment in our marriage when the neighbors across the hall got their door beat in by a couple of FBI agents. That is when you know it's time to move to a new apartment. But I did love our first place.

Spending our first Thanksgiving in Florida to visit my grandparents. It was the best time and one we will never forget. It was the first and last time Garth  met my grandpa. But the memories of my grandpa from that trip are cherished. Lot of card games. A trip to Daytona Beach. Dinners around the table with my grandpa's famous salads.

By sheer generosity of the staff of The Inn at St. John's, we were given the exact same suite we had on our wedding night for our first anniversary. Hands down the prettiest hotel room we ever had!


The misadventures of cooking. Not that I have come that far, but it was hilarious to see how it all started.

I changed my name so I started to change my look. I was a blonde. I was a red head. I went dark.

Garth became a citizen of the United States! The newest American and proud of him.

We started our house hunt. We made an offer. It got a little crazy. And crazier. But we got the dream house!

I got a new job.

We saw my brother and SIL get married.

I had eye surgery. But I had the best care!

We went to Myrtle Beach with my whole family.

We hosted Friendsgiving twice.

We went to the Smokey Mountains.

Garth conquered his biggest fear and performed music he wrote.

We went to our first Tigers game together.

Garth ran the Chicago marathon!

I hosted my first Thanksgiving.

Not to mention leading two small groups. The house projects we have tackled. The housewarming party we threw. The little weekend getaways. House decorating. What a great five years it has been! I can't wait to see what else God has in store for us. The adventure has only just begun!