5 years ago today…
It was, no question, one of the best days of my life. The day I’d planned since I was a little girl was becoming a reality. Thank heavens, Pintrest wasn’t too involved yet… We’d been dating for 5 years then, and had this date in the works for at least two of those years. He was EASY to love…We knew God intended us to be together and we were happy about that! We knew at the rehearsal the night before, those standing up with us were our family (besides our ACTUAL families). We were coated in prayer and ready for our adventure.
4 years ago today…
We’d made it through the first year. I had set it up in my mind to be WAY worse, so I was pretty confident in our relationship. We had traveled the world together, I started my blog, he was building his family business…we expected to be semi broke, so it felt like we were making it…Our biggest thing was not being Nathan & Lindsay, but being the Wineingers. We lived on top of each other (not in the newly wed type of way) in an awesome teeny tiny little house with our pups and cat, anxiously looking for a country home.
3 years ago today…
We were sitting at a Cardinals game with our awesome friends the (now) Driskells. I was taking ice breaks, because a Cardinals game in 105 degree temps while you’re 5 months pregnant is pretty intense. We were ready for what was next…we’d just put an offer in on our first house. We had big/strategic plans that would lead us right up to our Ruthie’s arrival in October. Little did we know what was about to unfold in the next 7 weeks… Oh, Sweet Rue, you know how to make an entrance.
2 years ago today…
This Nathan I was with now was Nathan 2.0. He was a dad. I gained a new kind of love for this wonderful man as he added this new title of “Daddy.” And, because of Ruthie’s extravagant arrival (2 months early), Nathan and I had also experienced something else…There’s a strength that builds in a marriage during a medical crisis that is hard to explain. That helpless, sheer dependence we had for each other was so incredible. It’s funny how this is still describes in the simple word of, “LOVE,” but it is soooo much different than the love we had before. Not to mention the love a mother grows for her husband once she realizes he still thinks she’s sexy after having a baby. Now, THAT is love!
1 year ago today…
We had hit survival mode. With his frantic spring cleaning & mowing schedule and me, using my 34 wk pregger brain to try and train my maternity leave secretary, all while corralling our 18 month old. Ruthie made our life sooo entertaining and so complete. Nathan and I discovered what it meant to work as a team to raise this little person, and how important it was to love God first, love each other, and THEN love our children. Again…that same word, LOVE, but still different then before.
Today…
This handsome man beside me is my life partner. He is the man I have worked HARD to love…through babies, sweat, tears, circumstances…and it was HARD work because of what we’ve been up against. But, that is what God demanded of us 5 years ago, and all be damned if we stop now! We made a promise to surrender to God’s demands together. Through our daily surrenders, I’m confident in Christ that’s the only way we will prevail together. With two little wonder girls now, and a crazy schedules, I won’t get to see him today until this afternoon, but such is life. We are headed to St. Louis for a getaway weekend. 
Happy Anniversary, husband. I’m still fighting for you. I know life’s set up to only get harder, so I’m so thankful He made you my partner. Year #5 is the Wooden Anniversary…I find that very fitting. It’s a renewable and natural resource mainly used in building things. *Corny Alert* That’s where I feel our love is…daily renewed, totally natural, and used for building.
And…you’re still a FINE specimen of MAN!
P.S. I am posting this for my Oh, Hey Friday & 5 on Friday! Check out the link ups and HAVE A STELLAR WEEKEND!
