Willis Whereabouts: Married 4 years and counting...

On August 13th Patrick and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary. Wow, I can't believe it has already been four years. Even though I feel like I have been married forever, I still can't believe how fast time flies.

Our Wedding Day 08-13-2005

Patrick and I met our freshman year of college. We dated throughout college and got married the summer after our junior year. Since we have been married, we finished our senior year of undergrad, Patrick graduated with his Masters, I am halfway done with my Masters, and we have a 16 month little girl. Married life has never been calm and blissful for us. In fact, there has never been a time yet, where both of us are out of school. We have always had to juggle work schedules, school work, internships, and now parenting. It is not easy. We have oftentimes felt like we were being wrung out to dry.

There have been times where Patrick and I want to kill each other. There have been times where we have questioned whether or not God even cares what is going on with us. There have been times where we have felt like we were not cut out for parenting. There have been times where I have just wanted to give up on everything. For those of you who are married, you know it is not always easy. For those of you who are parents, you know it is not always easy.

Bottom line, Patrick and I love each other so much. Our love has sustained us these past 4 years of craziness. We have embraced lifes challenges and done our best to keep our heads above water. We have been a strong team in spite of all our imperfections. God has designed marriage and parenthood as tools to sharpen us into the men and women of him that he desires us to be. The process of learning and growing never ends. God will provide us with the strength to keep on pressing forward, he will provide us with joy and hope during those desperate times, and he will never leave our side along this oftentimes rocky journey.

I love my husband Patrick. I am thankful that God has brought us together. I am thankful for how God has used our marriage to challenge me to grow. I am thankful for the beautiful and amazing daugther that God brought in our lives. I am so excited to see what God has in store for my marriage and for my family in the coming year.