Have you ever been going on with your daily routine and something happens that trigger a flood of memories to rush your heart and mind?
That happened to me and it felt so good. It put a huge smile on my face.
It is usually a small gesture that my husband does or something he says that trigger this for me.
A few of my favorite memories rushed my heart recently and so I thought I would write them down. Maybe when I am old and forgetful I will stumble back upon this and experience that rush once again.
My husband and I have spent a ton of time together. We have worked together, served together, and, well, just living together has all provided ample opportunity to create some memorable times with each other. Here are a few of my favorites…
Before we started dating, we were hanging out one night and got into a water fight. It was my way of playing with him and desiring to have fun with him. As he tried to get the water bottle from me, his arms wrapped around me. We paused for a moment and I thought he was going to kiss me. But he didn’t, such a gentleman. He quickly let go, but kept the mood light with some laughter. He asked me to be his girlfriend shortly after that night.
Standing on the alter of our church, holding his hands, saying, “I do.”
Walking into a random thrift store in Scranton, Pa. We were fans of the office and thought it would be a cool place to find a neat piece of memorabilia. The adventure is in the search! We have been to 100’s of thrift stores and antique stores around the country. We get excited over the little things.
Crying in his arms.
Having our children. By far some of the most vivid memories I have with him. Thanks adrenaline, for that! My husband was present and helpful, in fact, he caught our last baby, Wyatt!
Buying our first home. I have always desired a home, but I was patient, not always, but I was patient. My husband is a hard worker and seeing him provide for our family, making wise choices, and doing it all without going into debt, makes this wife so happy!
When we made it to Africa our first year of marriage to serve as missionaries, my husband took me to a lookout spot, a cliffside really. We stood together overlooking the gorge, gazing down at the Zambezi River. It was magnificent and evidence of God’s mighty hand.
When he does impersonations, but starts out saying, “I’m (name of the person he is impersonating).” He always does this. Like no one would know if he didn’t preface with a name. Glad he doesn’t make a living doing impersonations.
Another memory from when we traveled to Malawi was a moment we spent under a gazebo at the end of a dock on the lake. I mention it in my book, The Unveiled Wife. It was a turning point in my ability to lean on my husband and trust him. Right after that calm, intimate moment, he was driving a truck with 7 of us and rolled it. Our life flashed before our eyes!
The night he gave me one of my favorite birthday gifts ever! A journal that he wrote in! And it was before “we” ever began, before I ever got the chance to publish anything. What a beautiful gift that was! Check out a video about it HERE!
Every time we have ever done a photo shoot, he gets squirrely. He doesn’t behave. He jokes, he makes weird faces, and he makes me laugh every time. The worst is when the photos are suppose to look serious. You know when the photographer says, “ok, straight face.” We die! We fail every time. Its his fault. I think I love our photos so much because of what he usually does while trying to snap them. I can always guarantee either a genuine smile being caught or frustration.
Our first kiss. No explanation necessary. But it did involve him quoting Ecclesiastes and the moonlight reflected off our eyes like in the movies.
Sharing a sleeping bag with him.
Any and every time my husband beatboxes. Now he does it with the kids and it is so sweet.
Watching him teach at Fuse, our old marriage ministry. He is a good teacher.
We were road tripping through Idaho somewhere. It was freezing out. I was driving. He opened the sunroof of our little car and used his hands as a funnel to make me squirm. It was his way of letting me know he was near. There was nothing I could do, but scream at him. High tension, memorable.
That time our son caught his first fish and he threw the sucker back in the pond without getting a photo. It made me so mad, but its so him. He is all about the experience and nothing more.
To contrast what I just said about my husband, we went for a bike ride and he tried to video at the same time and crashed hard. It was hilarious.
We stumbled upon Clear Lake one summer and he got us a metal rowboat and took us out for an adventure. He had to do all the rowing because I held our daughter and our son was little too. It revealed how strong he is. I love seeing his arms plump up!
In church, when he told me his revelation about how he is suppose to love me like Christ. He recommitted his heart to me and promised to fulfill what God called him to as a husband. Unforgettable (also detailed in The Unveiled Wife).
Every single time I realize he is brutally honest, but that I like that about him.
Dancing on the cruise ship. Hands down, the most embarrassing thing we have ever done together. I think.
On our 10 year anniversary date, he got a babysitter for us and took me to the fanciest restaurant in town. We weren’t suppose to be doing gifts. He reached for his pocket and said he wrote me a letter. I felt terrible because I came empty handed, when usually I don’t! As I unfolded a small white piece of paper, a shiny vintage ring fell into my fingers. It was exactly what I had been wanting to replace my wedding ring. I cried, and I never cry about things like this. It was a sweet sweet moment. And I love him for it.
I love my husband. He is so good to me. He is so good to me.
Are we intentionally creating these moments, waiting for them to happen, or both?
The important thing is that we recognize them and remember them often. Remember the love your love is built on!