Husband Tim writing here.

Julie and I were married on October 11, 1997.  I am 'hijacking' Julie's blog to say 'Happy 12th Anniversary' in a public forum - where her friends and family can see it, too.  (I would do it on my blog, but my only reader is.....Julie.)

Twelve years: Three kids, six homes, three (or four locations), four jobs, two advanced training programs for me, three or four churches....those are just some statistics on transitions that we have been through.  Some of them were tough financially (the training programs) and overall, we have been enormously blessed.  I am thankful that I did not have to include any major health problems or other upsetting life transitions in that list - God is good.  I mainly highlight these transitions to pay tribute to Julie because she is my partner and best friend through all of them.

I don't want to get too gushy in a public forum, but Julie is a very caring and merciful person, she is an enormously dedicated mother, an awesome cook, a gifted artist (with no current outlet for her talent), and in a word: Beautiful.  She enjoys gardening, is wise with money, works hard at homeschooling our kids, teaches a Sunday School class, helps with 4-H clubs and projects, and is patient with some of my harebrained schemes or ideas.

Lest some reader at this point in the blog think we have the perfect marriage and all is bliss, well, it's not perfect and it's not always bliss.  Very briefly, we've had our share of conflict and other struggles.  I include that brief description not as a counterbalance to the paragraphs above, but to add a level of transparency and to perhaps encourage other husbands/wives to continue to invest in their marriages.  I am thankful to God for how Julie and I are faithful to each other and to our vows. 

I think a main underlying theme of this posting (and its public nature) is to toot Julie's horn for her.  She won't do it herself, and her humility is another thing I admire about her.  In addition to all of that, as many of her readers can attest, it can be extremely hard being a homeschool mom.  Julie occasionally complains about not having an identity outside of the home, and she would be justified in complaining some more.  So, in that context, I wanted to give her tribute for the fantastic, superlative 'identity' she has within the home, and to let her audience, friends, and family know what a blessing she is to me and to our kids. 

I love you Julie - Happy 12th Anniversary

Tim Snider