This is for Elizabeth and Heather, who have been sitting on the edge of their seats in anticipation to how it all ends.

We rode off into the night in that white convertible, not a care in the world. We were young and wild and free. At least for a couple of weeks.

After honeymooning in Mexico we began the process of settling down to married life in out one bedroom apartment in Fort Worth. I taught piano lessons every afternoon and night and Paul finished school and worked. Since we could not afford cable, after all, we were living on love…and not too much money, we watched scrambled television at night or played Super Nintendo. If you haven’t played on a Super Nintendo in a while and by a while I mean 15+ years, then you should do so just so you can better appreciate the graphics of modern technology.

Before we knew it we were celebrating our one year anniversary. We decided to take a quick trip to San Antonio. We’d heard great things about it and it was the one thing we wanted to do before leaving Texas. We were so excited about the trip…until we learned it would be raining the one weekend out of the summer that we were going to San Antonio.

We arrive in San Antonio…it’s raining. We begin walking downtown….it’s raining. We visit the Alamo, which is right smack in the middle everything, and it’s raining. We go into every store that only sells Mexican art and knick knacks and it’s raining. We walk to the other side of the stinkin’ town and it’s raining. We get chased by a crazy man and it’s raining. We get splashed by a huge truck while walking down the sidewalk to the other side of the stinkin’ town and it’s raining…..You get that’s it was raining, right?

The next day we started out to Sea World, and what do you know? It’s RAINING!! We immediately buy ponchos and what do you know? It STOPS RAINING AND DOES NOT RAIN AGAIN THE ENTIRE DAY! But, we got really close parking and our bottoms did not get wet due to the over priced ponchos we had purchased.

I was never so happy to Fort Worth.

It was during the last months of that first year that we started our journey with the International Mission Board. We went through a lengthy application process, spending hours at Panera Bread taking turns filling out the applications on our one laptop because, since we were living mostly on love, we did not have money for internet. We went through a three day conference in which we finally chose Naples as the place we wanted to serve. That decision was hard to say the least for me. Actually choosing a place to go had many implications. It meant saying goodbye. It meant moving far away. It meant never seeing some loved ones again. This weekend was the first big challenge in our marriage. After some long talks and lots of crying we were on the same page and I was able to feel some excitement.

Three months later we went through training and two months after that we were living in Naples, Italy, which is when this blog started.

When I started this saga Paul and I were anticipating our five year anniversary. We’re now fight at six. It’s taken a while to notate everything.

The last six years have been a whirlwind to say the least. Here are just a few things that have contributed to that whirlwind.
Eight moves, four different cities, and two countries.
Two children, each born in a different country.
We have learned a new language.
We have traveled Europe.
We bought our first house.
We have gained family.
We have lost family.
We have learned that home is where the other one is.
We have captured a glimpse of how much our heavenly Father loves us when we look into the faces of our children.
We have said goodbye to family and friends more times than we have cared to.
We have started over twice.
We have learned love is an action, not a feeling.
We have learned forgiveness is something you choose to do, and like love, is an action.
We have had a lifetime of adventures, all them together.
We have loved, laughed, cried, fought and come through it together.