Twenty years and three kids ago, I got married for the first time. So did my husband. I think it was probably for the last time, too, but then again I thought the second time I had a kid would be the last time I had a kid, so there’s that.
Xay is still as handsome and ornery as the day I fell in love with him. And, just when I think I may want to throw a brick at his face, he smiles at me, winks, and all of my defenses come undone. That’s love, right? When, no matter how hard you try, you can’t help but laugh, even if you want to be angry?
I had to go to Houston for a conference this past weekend. Xay drove me. Also, he didn’t complain when I woke him up at 2:30 in the morning so we could start our drive home in time to watch Ava play some pee-wee basketball. It’s a good thing we got there, too. Little lady saved the game with a couple of well placed free-throws in the final seconds, which led us to a win by one point. I could care less about sports as a general rule, but, boy, did I love watching her shine. And I love that Xay does, too. Our favorite seasons are whatever sports season our kiddos are in.
When I held my breath and got up the courage to tell Xay that I was pregnant with Andrew and that we’d be starting over at 40, he said, “I kind of figured that. I’m actually pretty excited.” My heart melted. It was then that I began to feel peace that this unplanned pregnancy was actually a beautiful blessing.
And when Tyler went into respiratory arrest on a Friday night this past November, I was a puddle on the hospital floor. I thought I was watching my baby die; we thought it. I just kept saying, “I can’t do this.” It was Xay who held me, tried to comfort me, when he was in just as much pain as I was. Those were the longest minutes of our lives.
Xay’s been there for the glorious highlights — and he’s been there for the times that all we’ve had to hang onto were prayer and each other. He shows up. I couldn’t have picked a more perfect partner.
I’ve not seen my husband a lot this year. We’re building a home, and he devotes his evenings to working on it. It’s slow-going, but we’re saving a lot of money. I love this about him. He’s hands-down the hardest worker I’ve ever met in my life. People say if you can survive building a home together, you’ll survive anything marriage throws your way. If that’s the case, he’s got me for life. Y’all, it’s been a breeze. He makes life a breeze.
Happy twentieth anniversary, husband. Thank you for sharing your life, your humor, your encouragement, and your good-looking kids with me. Love you.
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