Sixteen years ago today Patrick and I were married in Washington state, amid a storm front called the Arctic Express. Since then, we’ve lived in these places:

• Federal Way, WA
• Silverdale, WA
• Bremerton, WA
• Edmonds, WA
• another home in Edmonds, WA
• Palestine, TX
• Rowlett, TX
• Le Rouret, France
• Royce City, TX
• soon to be Rockwall, TX

We’ve had these children:

• Sophie, 1992
• Aidan, 1996
• Julia, 1998

We’ve owned these cats:

• Mackenzie, the demon kitty who we sent to a farm
• Chutney, our fluffy white kitty we gave to some hellish boys (why oh why?)
• Oscar (aka Oat Bar) who had a terrible bout of epilepsy. We had to put him to sleep.
• The Blue One and its sister (two kittens, one Aidan called The Blue One, who were sick and we had to take them back to the pound.)
• Pepito (who ran away) and his sister Madeline (who has been to France and back with us)

We’ve held these jobs:

• Junior high school English teacher (eek!), Mary
• Secondary substitute, Mary
• Giving Home Journal author, Mary
• Vascular Ultrasound Technologist, Patrick
• Director of Vascular Lab, Patrick
• Newspaper columnist, Mary
• Stay at home mom, Mary
• Owner of vascular company, Patrick
• Nonfiction book writer, Mary
• Novelist, Mary
• Church planters, Mary and Patrick
• Director of Vascular Lab (now), Patrick
• Full time writer, Mary (now)

We’ve owned these cars:

• Chevy Nova (the old kind…very brown)
• Chevy Nova (the new kind, like a corolla)
• Honda station wagon
• White Toyota pickup
• Blue money-van
• Another white Toyota pickup
• a beat up old brown Mercedes wagon (which we still own in France. Please pray it sells!)
• ??? (We have to buy cars now)

We’ve been to these countries:

• USA
• Canada
• Mexico
• France
• Austria
• England
• The Netherlands
• Germany
• Switzerland
• Italy
• Portugal
• Monaco
• Belgium
• Egypt

What an enjoyable and exhilarating ride it’s been. I am more in love with Patrick than I was the day I met him, the day we were engaged, the day we were married. God has been faithful to us through the ups and downs of life. Today is definitely a day to celebrate!