roof + front porch | home sweet bargeron.

This share has been a long time in the making, and I am SO excited to reveal it to you now.

Before I do, however, I am convicted to speak about this first: this is what a journey eight years in the making looks like. TJ and I had big hopes and dreams when we first got married in the mid-summer of 2011, and we are just now beginning to see the fruit of many of those seeds we first sowed. One thing that I believe has helped get us to this chapter of our story is simple: contentment. And what's the opposite of contentment? Comparison.

The last thing that I want this to do is compare your story to ours. Mainly because our stories are different because they are meant to be different. Posts like this don't show all the hard work that got us here, the saying "no" to things that would have held us back, the saying "yes" to other things that were uncomfortable and scary, or the patience that was certainly required. So, while I genuinely hope you're excited for us as you look at the pictures below, I also hope that it inspires you to keep chasing whatever dream God has placed in your heart. Even if it takes you eight years to get there!

********

Now, on to our big reveal!

I wrote this nearly two years ago when I shared about our first work days in our new house:

"My first thought when we pulled into the driveway of this particular house after our realtor said we should was, "It's got potential." The yard didn't take my breath away like the inside did, but it did make my eyes light up and channel my creative juices. Potential is exciting, but it is also quite exhausting, to be honest."

That has been our life for the past two and a half years, and we still have work to do. The progress we've made, however, definitely deserves to be celebrated! A big part of getting us to this particular milestone was the major changes we made last year in our family in terms of our finances. I've shared our journey with y'all a lot over the last six months, never so you'll pat us on the back but rather to be a tangible source of encouragement for you as you chase your own dreams. Sure, we had hoped we would be able to make these improvements to our home, but it wasn't until we saw the fruit of being better stewards that it became something we were confident we would accomplish sooner rather than later. True story: we've never been more excited to write one of the biggest checks we've ever written!

It, also, helps having a handy husband who loves to put feet to your dreams. We left the majority of this process to the professionals, but we looked to Home Depot and YouTube to save us about $1,500 by doing the minor things ourselves. Wahoo!

Shall we begin? Here is our house in February 2017, two months after we moved in (note: the bushes were muuuuuch larger once they bloomed later that spring):

This is what our house looked like in February 2019, right before we started our latest project. This is how it looked for about a year and a half, after around two dozen outdoor work days to dig up all the overgrown bushes/brush around the house:

This is after the first phase of our renovation happened in late February 2019. We hired a contractor to 1) remove the small covering over our front door, 2) extend a covering over our porch base (front porch and side porch), and 3) install a new roof. This was Phase One:

This was early March 2019, after Phase Two: the roof was replaced. It changed the entire dynamic of our house, and I am STILL giddy about how amazing the darker shingles made our house look!

And (...drum roll please...) here is Phase Three, aka the finished product as of mid-April 2019. White railings, oh my! Finishing the porch was our (aka TJ's, LOL) big project over spring break, and he did SUCH a great job with everything. We tweaked our plans a few times before we made our final decision, and we are both ECSTATIC with how perfect it turned out!

For all of you who love "Before and After" shots (like me), here is a side-by-side view of what it looked like pre-project and post-project:

I mean, how good did my man do? Yay Teesh!

When we made a list in December of all the things we wanted to accomplish this year, we both agreed that improving our yard and adding more curb appeal to our home was what we most hoped to check off. True story: not once but TWICE last year, people pulled into our driveway because they thought our house was a "rental" and looked "empty." After a gave them both a confused look and rolled my eyes (sorry, not sorry), I confidently told TJ that people need to know that HAPPY PEOPLE LIVE HERE! LOL! Basically, give me alllllllll the curb appeal.

We still have three big things to mark off our list to complete all of our pending outdoor projects, and we've got a tentative plan for all of them. The three major things we have left to accomplish are: 1) fence in the back yard this fall, 2) save for landscaping this year and plant next spring, and 3) begin the process of restoring the old barn/building in our backyard. Our hope is that by the end of next year, we'll have them all done and can kick our feet up for a while to enjoy all of the fruits of our labor! Just in time for our 10th wedding anniversary, Lord willing.

2019 has been a big year for us already, and we are so motivated to replace all of the grey check marks with green ones in our shared note via our iPhones. A couple who dreams together, right? TJ and I are a great team because I am usually the one who believes that we can do amazing things, and he is the one who puts together the best plan for us to attack it. We both love to finish projects, and we're pretty aware of whether or not it's a good time to start something. Our family's motto is simple: team work makes the dream work! And we're definitely living by it.

Stay tuned for what comes next at Home Sweet Bargeron! We are loving every minute of livin' that budget life, y'all. It really is amazing what happens with intentionality and hard work collide!

reflection | the last year.

This place started out a place that no one knew about where I would journal things I was thinking about.

About a year later, it evolved into a place where I could share words and pictures at the time time with still only a handful of faithful followers.

By year two, it had completely turned into a place where most of my world was watching everything we did, from the little things to the big things.

Then, last year happened. I realized that I had started this blog for myself, but over time I had gotten caught up in sharing for the sake of the world, my world, instead. Somehow along the way, I started to share mostly for the world and a little for myself, rather than the other way around. But it wasn't until I was in a season of darkness and struggle that I realized what had happened. Instead of wanting to sit and think and write about the day's fun, I found myself feeling like I had to. Why did I feel like I had to? Because then the world would know something was wrong.

When I wrote my first blog post after Braxton was born, a lot of people said these words to me: "I'm so glad to see you writing again. It shows that you're healing."

I can remember how good I felt when they said this to me, especially after only being less than a month following the worst trauma I've ever known. If I could get through that in no time with a smile on my face and genuine joy in my heart, I thought to myself, I could get through anything. Sharing our adventures and lessons learned in marriage, parenthood, and all-things-us was something I enjoyed, and still do enjoy, so much.

It's just that all last year, for one whole year of my life, I shared because felt like I had to. Because if I didn't, people would notice. And they would know, y'all would know, that I wasn't as strong as you thought I was.

It might sound ridiculous to you, but that's the truth.

It's easier to share these things on the other side of the fire. My closest, most trusted friends knew I was struggling to put one foot in front of the other, but even they didn't know how deeply my soul was aching. I didn't want my world to know that things had taken a turn for the worse since welcoming Bethany into the world and into my arms. Mainly because no one expected it to.

But it had. And I was being affected spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally I was under attack, and it was the most brutal, gut-wrenching thing I've ever been through.

Adoption can't be that tough, because of how "beautiful" it is. That's what I'd always believed, and I knew that most others were of the same conviction. But I was caught off guard by the size and weight of the emotions that came with another woman choosing me to be the woman her daughter would call Mommy. I knew it would be intense, but I didn't know it would knock the breath out of my lungs. Add to it the lack of sleep and endless cries for months and months and months on top of the other daily responsibilities I had, I was a mess. An absolute mess who was hoping that everyone would stay in the dark concerning my own dark season.

I honestly don't think people were blind to it, but no one ever said anything.

I posted every month on the seventeenth for Bethany because I had done it for Braxton, and I tried my best to do all the same things for her that I had done for him. I had seen plenty of other mamas do it, and this was a real thought I had more times than I can count: if they can keep up, then so can I. Even if I could've be (and probably should've be) sleeping and resting instead, I could do it.

I'll spare you further details that lead to my breaking point that happened just several months ago (unless you want to grab an ice cream one day and swap stories, of course), but I heard this quote while listening to a podcast that left me weeping for days:

"You would never have believed your own weakness had you not needed to pass through trials. And you would never have known God's strength had His strength not been needed to carry you through."

That quote mixed with Psalm 28:7 was all I needed to break. Honestly, I was already broken. But it took me a long time to confess it. To share it. To not be ashamed of it.

Part of my healing included taking a sabbath from this space here, a place that has been so fun for me for a decade. I resolved to begin to say yes to things that gave me life instead of heavier chains, and I also resolved to viewing life in terms of seasons. Meaning that just because something is present for a season, doesn't necessarily mean that it will follow me into the next. These things started happening in January, and it has taken me three months to get a place where I feel like I'm breathing deep again.

Not for the sake of anyone or anything else, but for myself. A healthy version of myself who isn't faking smiles and hiding behind posts.

I've been on a journey of self-discovery for the past couple of years, and I've just started to get to the core of who I am. I've always believed that as long as I know Whose I am, knowing who I am didn't matter that much. Now I know that was a lie, because the more I press in to Who made me the more He shows me who He made me to do. The two can't be separated.

I suppose the darkness showed me what real light was.

A deeper, more intimate knowing of and confidence in Who the Light is.

And the light that shines in me, too. A blazing fire, not just a picture of one.

I'm grateful that the heavy season I've just shared about is behind me, but what kept me there isn't lost on me. The enemy stole from me, destroyed parts of my memory, and sought to kill me -- my spirit, anyway. But praise be to God that He is a RESTORER, a COMFORTER, a HEALER, and a REDEEMER. I am living in abundance with eyes wide open for the first time in a long time. And I believe that all that has been stolen and destroyed will be returned and put back together again.

This space, my beloved blog, is one of those things. The different between now and before is that I'm more aware of who I am. I'm not the picture of strength, perseverance, or all-things-good.

I'm me.

And this space is a place for me that I also invite others into, not a mandatory picture of perfection and fun, constant transparency and life lessons. See how powerful expectations are? My own expectations have kept me in shackles for more times than I can count. When I think on idols I have in my mind, my expectations are always on that list. Less than before, but still crippling nonetheless.

I want to be a picture of progress, not perfection. Believing all the while that I am beautiful because I was made to be beautiful. That I am enough. That I am strong. That I have hope. That I can know healing.

That we all are. That we all can.

So, let's start over, shall we?

Hi, my name is Anna. It's nice to know you. And it's absolutely wonderful to be known.

"...Here I am, pry me open.

What do you want to know?

I'm just a kid who grew up

Scared enough to hold the door shut

And bury my innocence.

But here's a map

Here's a shovel

Here's my Achilles Heel

I'm all in, palms out

I'm at your mercy now

And I'm ready to begin.

I am strong

I am strong

I am strong enough

To let you in..."

- Sleeping at Last, Eight -

hike it baby 30 | april 2019.

Before I type anything else, I want this to be known: I am so proud of my kiddos AND of myself!

We participated in our fifth Hike It Baby 30 Challenge this month, an initiative to get families to spend more time outside. These challenges are always so fun for us, because we keep a detailed record of all the memories we're making. I don't always keep track of how long we're outside on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis -- but I always do during challenge months. This particular challenge was our most successful one yet, and I'm still AMAZED at our incredible results!

We opted for mostly walks around our neighborhood to log our miles, but we did adventure to a few trails -- even one that we had never explored before! And when we weren't racking up mileage, we were posted up in the back yard or at the park, playing our hearts out. The weather this month has been so great, which definitely helped us surpass our goal in such a huge way.

The challenge, itself, is this: hike/walk/bike 30 miles with your kids and/or spend 30 minutes outside 3 days a week with your kids. For us, we logged a total of 51 MILES between the trails and the pavement AND spent a whopping total of 136 HOURS outside during the month of April! WOWZA!! That time outside breaks down to an average of 4.5 hours of outside time each day. I'll say it again -- I am just so proud of us!

Our days are not perfect by any stretch of the word, and sometimes I am literally pulling my hair out between the whining and fighting over things and general chaos that comes with being with your kiddos all day every day. But even on the days where the LAST thing I want to do is pack up and go somewhere, even if it's just to walk to our local library, I try my best to remember this: they are worth it, and so am I. These challenges are more about fun and adventure than anything else, but through them I hope that I'm helping cultivate a culture in our family where we are comfortable with challenges, being mindful of all the beauty around us, learning from our mistakes, and celebrating any and all progress we make. I, also, hope that they look back one day and have no doubt that everything was motivated by love.

I've been called crazy for taking two little ones hiking regularly more times than I can count, but that doesn't bother me a bit. I love it, Braxton loves it, Bethany loves it -- and that's enough for me to keep on keepin' on!

Basically, in "Mommy terms," the trails are my Target.

*Gasp!*

To me, hiking is so much more than just hiking. It always has been, and I suppose it always will be. I grew up playing outside for hours and hours with friends, and I'm grateful that my kids will, too. As long as there is a great big world to see, you'll know where to find us most days. We've got the "near" part pretty well figured out, and my hope is that we are able to expand our horizons and get to the "far" part as they continue to grow. Whether it's to the back yard or to the other side of the world, this truth doesn't change: there is beauty all around us.

Trail Hikes: 4

Trail Miles: 8

Total Miles: 51

Total Minutes Outside:  8,170

April 2016 // September 2016

April 2018 // September 2018

braxton michael | four years old.

Boy, oh, boy! I can barely believe it. You are officially FOUR years old, precious one! These years have seemed to go by in a flash, and every new year somehow goes by more quickly then the last. I've never known having torn emotions quite like I do with you getting older; part of me is so proud and excited to watch you learn new tricks and become a man, but another part of me aches to watch you grow. Motherhood is crazy, kid. I'll just leave it at that.

- - - - -

You amaze me every single day. You're like a little sponge, taking in the world all around you and watching carefully every little thing. I've never met an observer quite as thorough as you are, and it often makes me wonder what you'll grow up to do one day. We have gotten a whole lot better at thriving as a family of four since your last birthday (praise Jesus!), and you have been such a help to get us to think point. You love helping me around the house, and you and Bethany play together so sweetly (most of the time) that it makes me giggle with joy. Not many people do well with change, but you have proved to us that you do -- and we are trying our best to shepherd you in that as you continue to grow.

- - - - -

The highlights of this year for you were lots of hiking at both old and new places, playing in the snow, birthday parties for friends (which you have a lot of, thankfully), trips to the library several times a week, running through the sprinkler in the back yard, visiting the Riverbanks Zoo for the first time, giving your "sissy" endless smooches, our annual beach week with the Haltis (and Auntie Mel this time!), going to the apple orchard, picking pumpkins, dressed up like Gaston for Halloween, had another wonderful Christmas, attempted your first Ring Bearer gig (Lord, help us), and went to Ohio for the first time! That last one was pretty epic (like the MOST epic), and I'm soooo grateful that Daddy and I both agree that traveling with you and Bethany is so important. I sincerely want to show you the world, and this trip was a big one!

- - - - -

You still love two main things: 1) eating and 2) playing. As long as you have a full tummy and have room to play, you're as happy as can be. You've started showing your temper off in recent months, which isn't my favorite thing. BUT it has given me opportunities to love you through your angry and frustration, and to show you what forgiveness looks like. I won't lie, kiddo -- that is hard to do! But my job as a mama is to do hard things to show you that you can do hard things, too. We're all being sanctified together, all four of us, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Nope, not even for more personal space. LOL!

- - - - -

We are having your birthday party in just a little bit, and we've got lots of fun planned. You've got an incredible group of friends around you, little one, which makes me so, so happy. By you having such great buddies, I've also made a lot of great buddies, myself, along the way, too. It's pretty amazing to tell ya the truth. To be surrounded by other mamas who are like-minded on many things is such a gift, especially since we all reap benefits from it. You, also, have an out-of-this-world family who always shows up and shows out, and it's a beautiful thing. If you don't learn anything else from me your whole life, I hope you at least learn this: wholesome relationships are life-giving. Something tells me you might've already figured that out for yourself.

- - - - -

You've got another big year ahead of you, sweet boy. We're going to go on trips both near and far, make lots of memories, spend lots of time walking through the woods, read lots of books, and try live life as fully and God-honoring as possible. We'll, also, spend a good amount of time in our pajamas to balance things out. ;) When I asked you what your goals for this year were (yes, we encourage you to set goals even as a little dude), you said: "I've got two goals, Mommy. I'm going to school, and I want to play two sports...baseball and basketball." Sounds good to me, too, big boy! I'm just so darn proud of you. You, cute thing, you!

- - - - -

Braxton Michael, I love you with my whole heart. Your birthday will always bring out fierce emotions in me for lots of reasons, and I will never not feel like the luckiest mama in the whole wide world every time I look at you and your sister. God has blessed us beyond what we can even comprehend, and it is a privilege to walk with you every day. There's not sweeter boy on the planet, and I am so grateful you're mine!

new // 2019.

 2015: trust.

2016: healing.

2017: growth.

2018: discipline.

we are embarking on five years of intentionally praying through the words we believe God has specifically directed our family to act on. this year?

2019: new.

not new in the sense that you might initially think, but rather: an awareness to the newness all around us. the opportunity here, now. the new potential that is ours every single day.

do you have a word for the new year? wouldn’t it be cool to keep each other accountable and encouraged throughout 2019? I want to hear yours! I’d love to know your WHY, too!

here is our why:

“For it is Christ’s love that fuels our passion and motivates us, because we are absolutely convinced that he has given his life for all of us. This means all died with him, so that those who live should no longer live self-absorbed lives but lives that are poured out for him—the one who died for us and now lives again. So then, from now on, we have a *new* perspective that refuses to evaluate people merely by their outward appearances. For that’s how we once viewed the Anointed One, but no longer do we see him with limited human insight. Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely *new* person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and *new*. And God has made all things *new*, and reconciled us to himself, and given us the ministry of reconciling others to God.” -2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:14-18‬

happy NEW year to you, friends! let’s resolve to make this year our best one yet. a new perspective can work wonders!

this is us | a year of change.

I've shared a little about how tough this year has been. Emotionally, physically, spiritually, mentally -- just all around tough. Has it been a good year? Absolutely! But the older I get with more experience under my belt, the more I realize this truth: it doesn't have to be perfect to be good.

As a result of the trials we've walked through as a family, we've become stronger, more resilient, more understanding, more compassionate, less quick to pass judgment, less fearful. Simply put, as we have endured tough things, a tough spirit has developed. And learning what tough actually means has been enlightening on so many levels.

The biggest change we've gotten used to has been welcoming our daughter into our family. We've walked through an open adoption for a whole year, and it has been equal parts beautiful and heart-wrenching. It's one of those things that you can't fully comprehend until you're in it, but it's something we've given our lives to now. I used to think that adoption was one thing, and it wasn't until this year that I learned it's something else entirely.

A fresh perspective on life in general has opened our eyes and hearts to many things, and open adoption has been a huge part of that.

The second biggest change we've walked in this year is more recent: our view of our finances. TJ and I have been frugal since the beginning of our marriage, and we are not strangers to living on a tight budget. Honestly, we never had a written budget until earlier this year because we believed we didn't make enough money for it to even matter. Boy, were we wrong. And boy, have we been blessed to learn this! While neither of us are big spenders and have always saved money, our eyes have been opened to several mindsets we were living in as a result of being students of our culture. Now that we've been taught a better way, we are now walking down a new path that will lead (and has already led) to so much fruit.

It seems to me that one of the biggest lies we tend to believe as a people is that prosperity is a result of a certain salary or income. I've read multiple sources recently that say our nation's average household income is around $55,000. While I won't share what our annual household income is, I'll just say that it's less than that. Why does that matter? Why would I share that? Simply to say this: if we can do it, you can, too. Dave Ramsey says this, and I wholeheartedly agree -- especially now that I've started paying more attention: "It's not a math problem, it's a behavior problem."

I started this journey on my own in January by listening to certain podcasts and reading a handful of books I rented from the library, and I waited for about six months before sharing it with Teesh. I took that time to pray over the conversation we would have once I did share, and I also prayed a receptive spirit over him. I had multiple reasons behind this decision, and one was that although we both ere on the saving side of life, I'm more willing to lose my grip on our money (and most other things, in general) than Teesh is. That's why we make such a great team -- we keep each other in check! Once we finally had the conversation (and the prayers were effective, by the way; hallelujah!), we made four goals that we both agreed would require lots of faith and diligence:

1) Pay off our 2013 Honda Odyssey (our only debt, other than our home)

2) Pay for TJ's first semester of online graduate school with cash

3) Start saving for his next semester of school

4) Finish our Christmas fund (we do this every year, so this was easiest)

This little list was made during the first week of August, and now we're nearing the end of December. We had no idea just how conservative our goals really were when we penned them, but we knew within just three weeks that we would be adding to that list. This is what we have accomplished over the past four months:

1) Paid off our van

*3 years early, saving us a chunk in interest

2) Paid for TJ's first semester of online graduate school with cash

*Which, thanks to his INCREDIBLE hard work and DAILY early mornings and late nights, will be his ONLY semester! The original goal was for him to finish school in one year, but he is going to do it in less than SIX MONTHS! If you're reading this, be sure to tell him how awesome he is when you see him.

3) Fully funded our Christmas budget and purchased all gifts by the end of November

*I typically start shopping for Christmas in August/September every year because I've found that prices are better in the off-season. I try to be done by December 1st so I can soak in all the things that are most important to me during the Christmas season!

4) A weekend vacation to visit friends in Ohio for fall break
*Which included our van (yep, the one we just paid off) breaking down in WV and having to spend a few extra hundred dollars to get it fixed and rent a car to get home. Nope, that was not a fun way to end a great weekend. BUT we had the cash to pay for it right then!

5) Pay for looooots of unexpected medical bills

*Bethany and I have been frequent visitors to multiple healthcare professionals over the last few months, and we've been able to pay for all bills as soon as we received them. Instead of being stressed out because we couldn't pay the bills that were coming in, we were just annoyed over the inconvenience of having to redirect where some of the money was temporarily going. Having a safety net is what turns a crisis into an inconvenience!

6) Saving for new tires for our van

*The price for the tires wasn't a huge amount, but it's more about the practice of being aware of upcoming needs and saving for them. We do this for our annual car taxes and a few other things, too. A little organization can be a lifesaver for fighting stress! We had originally planned to start saving for these in January, but circumstances (including a bum tire that constantly needs to be pumped up) enabled and inspired us to move our timeline up.

7) HAVING A FULLY-FUNDED EMERGENCY FUND!

*Y'all, this one is the most amazing of all! A fully-funded emergency fund is defined as 3-6 months (your choice) of monthly expenses, and we didn't think we would be at this point until the middle or end of next year. TJ being a graduate school ROCKSTAR definitely helped us get here so ahead of the original plan, as well as us selling things we'd been holding onto unnecessarily and living on less than we make (that last part is HUGE). Nearly $1,000 of our total EF amount came from us simply saving the money that used to be our car payment!

To clarify, we do NOT have this figured out, and we are definitely NOT professionals in the finance world. We don't think we are better than anyone else either; that's a fact. I don't share this for those reading to think that I'm "showing off" or looking for attention. We have just learned that there is a better way, and I want others to learn it, too. It's a way that not only heightens our accountability and like-mindedness within our marriage and family dynamic, but it also gives us a clear path towards short-term and long-term goals. We've shifted many perspectives within the large picture, and it has given us such a beautiful picture of freedom -- a picture that has always been the same, but now we just actually see it without scales on our eyes.

We've sat down together and talked through numbers and goals for next year, and I am SO excited to see how it all plays out. Our goals are not nearly as conservative as they were in August (lesson learned, LOL) and we will have to work hard and trust God a whole lot to check off all the items on our list, but we wrote them all down anyway. We ordered them from most to least important to us, and what we don't accomplish in 2019 will simply be moved to 2020. Sounds easy enough, right? We have our goals, a plan to make those goals come to life, and we are committed to walking this out hand-in-hand.

That last part -- the hand-in-hand part -- is what will either make us dreamers or goal-getters. I used to think there wasn't a difference between those two things, but now I know for certain there is. I heard this quote in a podcast about a month ago, and the truth in it applies to ALL of life, even finances: "There's not point in professing a power but then not demonstrating it in your life." Now instead of hoping for and dreaming of the best, we are being intentional about making plans that actually lead to the best. It's exhilarating, honestly, and there is no way we can go back to the path we used to walk.

Imagine how our lives if we changed our mindset from "one day" to Day One.

It could change everything! It has for us.

Our Day One was August 10th, the day we put our money where our mouth was and paid for TJ's school from our savings. If King David is right and God has numbered our days, then it would be a shame for us to waste our days -- our lives -- on things that don't last. On things that don't create a fruitful legacy for generations to come. For us, this has been so much less about our finances and so much more about holistically improving the quality of our lives. Hand-in-hand.

Always hand-in-hand. Always.

When will your Day One be? Today seems like a good one. Let's spur each other on in wisdom and cheer for each other, rebuking a spirit of jealousy or envy along the way. We can do so much collective good when we lock arms and refuse to settle for lesser things. The longer we do it, the more it becomes second nature.

Here's to getting rid of habits that hurt us so we can be free to help others do the same!

"Great blessing and wealth fills the house of the wise, for their integrity endures forever."

Psalm 112:3 (TPT)

dirty thirty | happy birthday, Teesh!

My man is thirty years old today!

This past year has been full of fun, freedom, our fair share of trials, and just plain ol' fullness. And this man has gracefully walked through all of it strong and humble, like he always does. I shared over the summer how this has been our toughest year in terms of being married with trying to adjust to our family dynamic changing, our schedules ever increasing, and more. He and I view the world differently, too, which is honestly our strongest quality as a unit: he sees the tiny details, and I see the big picture. You can see how this could also be a stumbling block in our lives, namely when we're not individually in healthy states. When we are working together, though, we're unstoppable.

I don't say that to boast or brag by any means, but I say it with a whole lot of gratitude. The phrase we use most often in our house (and have successfully brain-washed Braxton to say, too) is "team work makes the dream work." When we work as a team, we made strides towards our God-given dreams. He and I ring different strengths and weaknesses to the table, but they always compliment each other so well that it often blows my mind.

He is driven and determined. He insists on doing things the right way, no matter how much longer it takes. He is the master of organization and hates to be the center of attention. He is dependable and compassionate. He goes above and beyond his duties, sometimes to a fault. He is the best daddy (I know everyone says that, but this guy here is the real deal) and he sacrifices daily for the good of his family. He is an excellent teacher and patient with everyone he meets. His integrity is unmatched, and he is constantly trying to improve at everything he does.

Basically, he may not be a perfect man in the world's eyes, but he is certainly the perfect man for me.

I've known it since I was a young teenager, and I've learned it better as I've grown in age and wisdom. It sounds silly, but our life is pretty much summed up in a Brad Paisley song, because I definitely thought I loved him then. Roll your eyes or gag (I know some of you will), but it's true -- and I ain't ashamed a bit!

Thirty years ago, my world changed before I was even born. That's because thirty years ago, the man that would become my greatest love on earth took his first breath. And today I celebrate him with all my heart, my soul, and my strength. Yes, even though he has a nervous tendency to be awkward when we take photos together.

That just makes him...him, right?

All photos taken by our precious and ohs-so-talented EmilieCarol Photography!

Happy birthday to my man, the one who deserves celebrating every single day!

To know him is to love him, and I'm so grateful to be the leading lady in his life. There's no one better in the whole, wide world than my Teesh!