The unexpected

Life is awesome because of the unexpected. You could say life is terrible because of the unexpected. You could live in fear because of the unexpected. You can plan and plan and plan, but the unexpected always finds it's way home....into your home. Perhaps some people don't find that to be true. They may live easy, normal, well-planned and thought out lives, with little interruption or deviance from their set course...and I suppose some people may call that lucky, but I'd say...sorry bout that. :)

Unexpected events can be hard. They can break you down, frighten you, upset your way of life and uproot all that you have believed to be true. And while those things do not sound awesome in the least, the result of these unexpected events=awesome. In my experience.

Our lives, Steve and mine, have always been riddled with the unexpected. Things have NEVER been easy, since day one. And I blame this mainly on the way we chose to start our lives together, but for much of it, I cannot account for. I can get sick enough to be hospitalized, or surprise! Another baby! Or surprise! A stack of bills you may never pay off. There are people we never thought we'd meet, or a group we thought we'd never join (I plan on joining the minivan moms group next year when our Impala lease is up. What to DO with all that SPACE? Ha! But most of all....no matter how strange this may seem to say....the most unexpected part of my life to date has been my love for Steve, the changes, rather, in my love for Steve. Clarification needed!: Steve is totally lovable. He is more lovable than anyone...I think. But I never expected to love him and love our life together as much as I do now.

I realize our circumstances have slowly gotten better. But I don't give that the credit for the revolution of heart that I've had with my husband. I give the credit to God, for answering one tiny prayer a long long time ago, when circumstances were so hard for so long that I just didn't know what to do anymore....but someone told me, "Think of all the things that God can do. Don't you think he could change your heart too?" (Thanks Mom.)

Huh. I suppose he could.

And he did.

I wanted to love Steve the way I did when we met. Even through hard times. Even through constant hard times. Even when circumstances bogged us down, jobs were horrible, money was nonexistent at all times, uncertainty ruled the day. Was it possible? To keep the love you once had? To get back what you had the day you met? To not let those things in life tear you apart?

Turns out, it's possible. And not only did we get back what we had on day one....we've improved 100-fold.

Because, as of this date, we've weathered all those storms together. We've laughed our way through the worst of times. We've found a way no matter what. And I've realized lately....I cannot imagine my life without Steve. He makes me laugh when I'm crying. He calms my spirit when I'm panicked. He reminds me how little money actually means. He rubs my head when it's pounding. He brings water to me at night. He plays mario with me on our big comfy chair and cooks for us when I feel too sick. He is a fantastic father to my babies, the perfect fix-it man, and the primo outdoors event planner. I feel safe when I'm with him. I'm not afraid of the what-ifs, unknowns, or the unexpected; because I KNOW, as Steve says often,

"We're going to be just fine."

My thankfulness towards my husband runs deep, but my thankfulness to God runs deeper. I'm thankful for the answer to prayer, for a small change of heart that brought us to the place we are today.

I couldn't have planned it better myself. Literally. :)

So, here's to the unexpected.