At the start of 2025, Jack and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. Yep, our marriage has officially entered into adulthood. WILD. Wild that time is whisking by like crazy.
I don’t think about our wedding DAY daily, but I do frequently ponder about the effects our relationship have had on us and our family. For one, we were good friends long before we dated, and I think that’s been a key to our success so far. There’s a lot a person can enjoy, endure, and be grateful for when they’re partnered with their best friend.
On top of maintaining our friendship, especially in our marriage, we’ve tried to always prioritize our children and family, no matter what else we have going on. I wouldn’t pretend that it’s rainbows and unicorns all the time, but overall, most our time has been filled with contentedness, if not outright bliss. How could I not admire and adore the beautiful children Jack and I helped create? They are amazing, and I have zero doubts that they’ll make the world a better place as they expand their spheres, explore their talents and interests, help others, and we hope, wander some of the same paths Jack and I have taken.
When our anniversary rolls around, we try to make sure the kids feel involved in the celebration since our wedding date was the official start of our family. This year, the kids surprised us by doing a little special decoration for Jack and I while we were in the midst of getting kids ready for school. I mean, how cute is that?!
Over the years, we’ve had some bigger celebrations for our anniversary. One year, Jack took me on a cruise. Another year, he managed to take me and the kids on a cruise. There have been picnics, at-home dates, fancy dinners, and thoughtful gifts. This year was quieter. Simpler. But not less.
While the kids were at school, we did our normal, at-home routine. Feeding animals, doing dishes, tidying up. I assumed Jack had something up his sleeve when he asked me out for lunch.
While I had looked up the traditional gifts for the 18th wedding anniversary, which is ceramic, I had the darnedest time figuring out what a unique gift would be, especially for a man. Thankfully, Jack is aware I’m not as adept at him at thinking outside the box with my presents. However, he’s a master of the gift giving twist. Instead of buying me a generic coffee mug, he TOOK me to paint our own ceramics. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done any small-scale crafting, and forgot how readily I will get sucked into a project.
Adam and Jack were done in about an hour, while *I* was scrambling to finish before picking up the older kids from school. Spoiler: I didn’t, and we were late. Thankfully, they were forgiving. Next time, I’ll pace myself. Or, not do it when I have a hard deadline for finishing.
The window art and table signs weren’t the end of the kids’ participation, either. When they came home, they helped me make homemade pasta for dinner. It’s one meal that’s guaranteed to please everyone (i.e. no one complains at the table. Win!). I appreciated the eagerness to help, plus the prompt clean up. That’s basically as good as a cruise in my opinion.
The whole day was a blur–it was on a Monday shortly after getting back to real life post-holidays. I’m not sure what I envisioned eighteen years of marriage to look like. It felt pretty appropriate. Busy. Unexpected. Chaotic. Ordinary, yet special.
Jack and I have had so many special memories together, and when I think about it, that’s the greatest gift I truly could ask for. I know I’m a person on all my own, except my being it inseparably intertwined with Jack. We’ve been there for each other through a chunk of our teenage years, spent literally years apart writing each other while living in different countries, have endured poverty, enjoyed abundance, seen Jack with and without a beard, grown our family to epic proportions, and have so much hope and excitement for the future. What a blessing these eighteen years have been. But, call me greedy… I want an eternity of adventures more. 💕
