one lucky girl.

i am pretty smart.

and i make really good choices.

case in point....

have you met my husband?

okay.... i'm not all that smart, and sometimes i do really silly things.

and marrying jeff may not have been all my doing.

(i mean, god might have had something to do with it, right?)

i met jeff bachman in october of 1995.

i still remember being at the carwash at centenary, wearing a mickey mouse tshirt & black shorts.

funny how i forget how old i am, but i vividly remember that day.

i thought he was cute, but really silly.

(us, circa 1997)

lucky me, i had the opportunity to become friends with that cute, silly guy.

and many years after that, to call him my husband.

i still think he is pretty darn adorable.

and he can be so silly.

but what i know now, 16 years later,

is that he is so much more than that.

i am married to a man who loves jesus.

so much.

and he wants to spend his entire life serving him and showing student's how important a relationship with Him is.

he desires to lead our family well, helping each of us grow in our own faith.

he is a servant.

he comes home from a long day at work and willingly washes dishes and changes diapers.

he gets up early with kids so i can get a little extra sleep.

and he does all of it with a smile.

he is thoughtful.

some men forget birthdays and anniversaries.

jeff not only remembers, but puts me to SHAME with his creative dates & gifts.

he calls friends when they are having a hard time,

and brings treats to people to put a smile on their face.

he loves to bless others.

he is hilarious.

if you have spent 2 seconds with him you know this!

he can put a smile on anyone's face

and is one of those people that can automatically make a friend when he walks in a room.

he takes everyday situations and makes them extra fun.

he is an amazing father.

 i remember standing in line at disneyland before we had kids, and he would always be making friends with the kids in line around us. 

he has a gift with kids & students,

and my children get the biggest portion of that.

he loves to snuggle and play, but he also knows how to discipline with grace & love.

he is always up for a family adventure, and wants to laugh & have fun with our kids.

they are so lucky to call him daddy.

he is wise.

people just like him.  its awesome.

but he is also not afraid to have a hard conversation.

he will let me know when i may be wrong, but always does it gently and with kindness. 

he is hard-working.

he will get up early and stay up late in order to finish what needs to be done.

he gives 110% to whatever he is doing in order to complete it with excellence.

there isn't a lazy bone in his body.

he is my husband.

ten years later, i still can't imagine wanting to be married to anyone else.

the best part of my day is when he comes home to our family.

life is always so much better when he is a part of it.

he is still my best friend and favorite person to be with.

he balances out my crazy and loves me in spite of it.

i trust him implicitly.

today my jeffrey owen turns 37 years old.

it is amazing to think i have known him since he was 20 years old, just a baby.

we have experienced a lot of life in that time...

friendship, dating, marriage, ministry, children, moving,

hurt, joy, laughter, tears, frustration, excitement...

we may be a little grayer

a little more wrinkled

and a little 'softer' than we were 16 years ago-

but i wouldn't change a minute of it.

i don't know why god decided i got to marry someone as amazing as jeff.

i for sure know i don't deserve it.

but i am so grateful that my gracious god knew exactly who i needed.

happy birthday, jeffrey owen.

i love you, i like you, 

and i sure am glad we get to do this crazy thing called 'life' together.

there is no one else on earth i would rather spend every day of my forever with.

i can't wait to celebrate your birthdays until we are really old and much, much grayer.

(like the kind i can't cover with hair-dye ;)

i look forward to so much more life calling you my husband,

and myself the luckiest girl alive.

thank you, derksen photography, for our amazing 10-year anniversary photos! :)