10 Years and Counting.....

I promised a blog entry on the subject of my 10 year wedding anniversary (which was July 13th), but it is not without great apprehension that I begin. Apprehensive because I am afraid of sounding very "pollyanna" and just downright cheesy! For those of you who may sicken easily at such sap and sweetness, close this window immediately......because I just can't help myself!

My first 10 years of marriage to Richy Roberts have surpassed all of my expectations - and they were high. I found it somewhat disturbing how many people spoke negatively regarding marriage as I was preparing to take that step. Friends, co-workers, and random people had no problem venting their issues with wedded bliss (or miss), as if they were trying to talk me out of it. Even so, I never had any doubts that I was marrying the right man. I knew God's hand had led me to Richy. Afterall, it was a long and winding road that I followed to get to him - there were many forks along the way, but God definitely kept me on the one road that utimately brought me to him.

A short recap:
After graduating from Carson-Newman, I moved to Nashville to make it big! No, I am not a country music singer, but I did have a Business Management degree with zero experience and even less maturity - so well-equipped. Needless to say, I didn't make it big......I worked for the IRS and then the Small Business Administration. Wow, now that's exciting work for a 22 year old! I had a friend who was attending Vanderbilt that was planning to pursue his Masters Degree at the University of Georgia in Sports Management. I had never even heard of such a degree but was intrigued. After thinking about it for, oh........at least a day, I decided this is exactly what I needed to do. One problem.......no money! So, I said goodbye to the Government and moved home with my Mom and Dad to save some money. I had an idea to make as much money as I could between January and September, so I set out to find a job waiting tables. I had my sights set on Grady's in Knoxville, but I was having a hard time getting hired. Is that totally scary? A college degree and work experience evidently was not enough to join the elite at Grady's restaurant, so I had to make a phone call to an old college friend. Yes, I had to know somebody to get hired! It was there that I met Richy. I remember how friendly he was when I met him - he had a big smile and warm eyes. Oh yeah, and he was handsome.......very handsome. He also had a girlfriend. Oh well, bummer. But we became friends, and I always enjoyed hanging out with him. In the meantime, I was sending in my applications for schools all over the south. My sights were set on UGA - the ultimate Sports Management program. At the time, they only accepted 12 students a year into their program. But with my Dad's sports world connections and a decent undergraduate GPA, I strongly believed that I would get in. I wouldn't find out until August, so I applied to UT as a backup - a just in case they are crazy and don't accept me kind of thing. Meanwhile, Richy is on the rocks with the girlfriend and about to be a free man. Not something that I was focused on at the time, but as fate would have it.......we spent some time chatting at a friend's birthday party - a chat that led to a "Hey, let's do something tomorrow night. I'll call you." And so..........we didn't.......because he stood me up. That's right, no call. I was living at home with my parents at the time, so my mom and I waited, and waited, and waited. Finally about 8pm, I punted and went out to dinner with my sister. He did, however, call the next day and was apologetic. Seems a day out on the lake had gotten the best of him. We went to dinner that night, the start of something wonderful. But wait, I would be leaving in a couple of weeks for school - in Georgia. What to do? Well, not to worry because I was denied. Can you believe it?? And so, off to UT I went - my tour guide and orientation director - none other than Mr. Richy Roberts. And the rest is history...........

So I am grateful that I had a friend that was pursuing his Masters in Sports Admin at UGA - which lead me back to Knoxville. I am grateful that I knew someone who worked at Grady's who helped me secure a highly coveted position there. I am grateful that Richy broke up with his girlfriend. I am grateful that I didn't get accepted at UGA. I am grateful that I did get accepted at UT. Yes, it was meant to be!

Glad I made that recap short :)

Of course, the most important anchor in marriage is keeping Christ at the center - this is what keeps people grounded and focused on their commitment. But beyond this, I am thankful for the friendship that Richy and I developed before we ever dated. We were friends first, and we're friends now. Best friends. I think this is such a catalyst for our happiness. On those days when we don't feel like playing any of the other roles that marriage requires, we're still friends. The first years of our marriage were spent living in Columbus, GA. Those of you who know me, know how much I aspired to get the heck out of there. I referred to it as "doing time". But hindsight is 20/20, and I now realize what a blessing those 3 years were. There we were, just the two of us - we didn't have anyone else, so most all of our needs were met in one another. What a bond we formed there - solidifying the foundation of our marriage - one hot, humid day at a time!! As time has passed and I am able to reflect on what those years meant to our relationship, I have such a warm and fuzzy feeling for Columbus and that time in our lives. Praise the Lord, that He knows what is best for us!!

For the last 4 years of our marriage, I have had the priviledge of getting to know Richy in a new light - Richy the Dad. I really, really love Richy the Dad. I'm so proud of him, of how he has taken the responsibility of fatherhood on and truly owns it. There is something about a man who is a great father.....and that something has opened my heart to more love for my husband than I thought possible. He inspires me to be a better Mom! I look forward to seeing how he continues to grow in this role. I look forward to the day that our boys are old enough to realize how completely blessed they are to have such a Dad. I look forward to the day they tell him so.......

Have there been bad days? Sure, there have been a few character-building moments, but they have been just that, character builders - not character destroyers. They have been few and far between, and for that I am grateful. Neither one of us enjoys confrontation - it's definitely not our comfort zone - we enjoy peace and harmony! I don't know if that's good or bad? I once heard someone say that arguing is healthy for a marriage - that it is a strong sign of good communication. I'll admit that my mind asked the question, "Should we be arguing more?" To which my mind then responded, "Yes, Ms. Gullible, stir up as many arguments as possible in the name of communication!" (My mind tends to lean towards the sarcastic side) I guess for today, we'll stick with the non-confrontational method. It seems to work for us!

Has our 10 years been pefection? No, of course not. But in my eyes, it has been pretty darn close - and Richy is as close to perfect as it gets. I have had so much fun living the last 10 years along side of him. I'm full of anticipation for what our future holds, and I look forward to growing with him - in our faith in God, our love for each other, and as parents of our two beautiful boys!

Lord, bind us closer to you and to each other with each passing year..........