our seventh.

I'll be honest, year seven was our most difficult year of marriage yet. Everyone always talks about the "seven year itch," but that's not what I'd call it. For us, it has been a year of growing pains, having our faith stretched further than ever before, and continuing to learn how to struggle well.

I can still remember when we were teenagers, both dreaming of the day we'd be married. It sounds crazy to most, but we both knew we would marry each other back then. Even when I was unsure about us in the moment, I was certain that I would spend the rest of my life loving him. Again, it sounds crazy, but it's true. From the first few months of calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend, we had a strong connection, a pull even, towards one another -- and that's that. He has always respected me, honored me wholeheartedly, given me the very best of himself, and humored my sometimes insane ideas. It didn't matter how many times I didn't want to love him after a silly fight or when my feelings were hurt, I did.

And I still do today. So much that it hurts sometimes.

The hardest thing about this past year, our seventh year as husband and wife, has been having such an increasingly full life. For nearly twelve years, it was just me and him. Then came our boy, and most recently, our girl. And on top of careers and extracurriculars and about a dozen other things that take a lot out of both of us, our time together has changed. We've gone from date nights whenever we wanted to date nights that sometimes get cancelled last-minute when our sitter can't make it, talking about everything to often times being too tired to talk but trying our hardest to muster up the energy to do it anyways, and more. Don't misunderstand me -- we are so grateful to be in this season of our lives, raising babies together and following our God-given callings. But that doesn't mean it hasn't been hard to adjust, tough to pursue each other when it would be easier to not.

Nothing has changed in regards to this, though: we are still, and always will be, better together. Even if we're arguing and fighting with each other while we're together, I'd rather be arguing and fighting with him than not without him.

We're still those two young love birds who kissed each other and proudly walked back up the aisle hand-in-hand, ready to take on whatever life threw at them. We knew it would be hard, because we had seen first-hand how easy things could go from good to bad if we let it. We, also, knew it would be thrilling, because we were stepping into a new chapter that we'd never opened before: us, officially. What we didn't know was just how hard and thrilling it would be.

Still, seven years old, our adventure is just beginning.

And no difficult year or tough season will ever be strong enough to steal our joy, take our zeal, or water down our commitment to each other. I think that the best way to be crazy about one another is just that: be crazy about one another. No matter what. Always.

So, today, as we steal away to celebrate our marriage, that's what we're going to do: remember how crazy we are about each other.

Like we've always been.

Like we always will be.

Happy seventh anniversary to us, Teesh!

Come hell or high water, I'd choose you every time. You and me. Forever.