#2,897 13 Years.

Today was meaningful for a couple of reasons. It’s the 13th anniversary of the day Ben and I really met, which makes this the beginning of ‘love week.’ If you’ve been coming here for any amount of time, you know the story. I had a crush on him, the most popular guy at our little college, and as the yearbook design editor I was heading up the story on him, voted unanimously one of the most interesting people on campus. You can read the whole story here, by clicking through the archives (starting at the earliest entry).

What’s extra special about today is that our college yearbook advisor grew up in a house in Laurel. Her family bought it in 1969 and lived there ever after until just a couple months ago when they sold it to family friends who entrusted Ben and I with restoring it to its former beauty at 111 years old. Tonight, Mrs. Patrick got to come back to her parents’ home to see it on reveal day. My heart was full to bursting with love for everyone, the new family, the former family.

And most of all, I’m grateful for this woman, who is a big part of Ben and I finding each other. God aligned all the right stars to bring us together, and I think of this often.