Tuesday, August 5, 2008

8 years


Eight years! My grandparents will celebrate 60 years this weekend so 8 years seems like a minute but it has been an exciting 8 years!

5 moves (Ok some people move a lot more than that but all of ours had pretty chaotic circumstances!)
 moving away from our family and the only city we had ever lived in on the week of our 1 year anniversary

 seminary classes & a VERY small apt (some would call a dorm studio!)

making some of the best friends we will ever have

 living for a short time of one salary

getting adjusted to a city we would eventually fall in love with, learn to call home & feel a deep burden for

 we have kept the road (& air) hot: San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, New Orleans, Atlanta, New York City, Maine, Pensacola, Savannah, St Simons, Paris, LA, Salt Lake, Orange Beach, Nashville, Chattanooga, Logan WV and all the way back to N.O in a small honda, Sea Grove Beach, Houston, Arizona, Dayton (we brought home a little souvenir who we named Logan), Rock Hill, Columbia, Charlotte, Birmingham, Baton Rouge, Gulf Shores and probably a few more

welcoming Inman Jacob Houston

Hurricane Katrina

Evacuation & months of uncertainty

Inman returning to N.O before us,  while planning to return to N.O, Inman buys our house while I am in Atl and he is in N.O,  & I  furnish our new house without him even seeing some of our furniture before I bought it!

Returning to New Orleans the week of my 30th b-day

Summer '06: one we will never forget, a revolving door of visitors and many hours spent on the Baptist Crossroads site

Sticking together with people in a city with a whole new identity and passion

the loss of our 2nd baby

getting pregnant again and having complications the 11th week, restricted activity for Momma and decreasing my work load

Sensing God moving us and accepting the call to serve in Lawrenceville, GA

Moving from a city we have loved and called home for almost 7 years

Moving 25 weeks pregnant! 

Receiving a great welcome from our new congregation

Welcoming Logan Marshall Houston!

Learning to balance a wonderful new "normal" (trying to get them to sleep @ the same time while I type this right now:)

There is much more to our story. There are more memories than I could ever type. We have been blessed beyond what I could ever imagine. God knew exactly what I needed in a life partner. I know we all have our days that are stressful and moments of tension but there is no one I would rather walk along side of. I am not great at putting that all on paper. I could never have written for Hallmark! But I am so thankful for my husband today & every day! I am looking forward to the next 58 years......and the childless dinner we are going to have tonight to celebrate!






5 comments:

Stephanie said...

Congrats April! We love you guys and it's been fun watching you guys grow through the many changes you listed. I hope that you will be able to match Grandmomma and Granddaddy in years, and maybe I'll even make you a slideshow! You make a great team, enjoy your date tonight.

Stephanie said...

April,

Congratulations on your anniversary! I remember when Steph and I were rooming together at North GA, she came back after being home one weekend and said "I just met my sister's future husband!" I asked her how she knew-and she said "I just know." Anyway, I just love that story. Congratulations on your anniversary and one your beautiful new addition! - steph (flage) claxton

Stephanie said...

April,

Congratulations on your anniversary! I remember when Steph and I were rooming together at North GA, she came back after being home one weekend and said "I just met my sister's future husband!" I asked her how she knew-and she said "I just know." Anyway, I just love that story. Congratulations on your anniversary and one your beautiful new addition! - steph (flage) claxton

Traci said...

April and Inman,

Congratulations on your 8th anniversary. You guys are a special couple. I remember one day at the health fair at FBCNO Inman saw Renee and I in our old "Baptist" scrubs. He kinda just looked at us for a while and then said... "I miss seeing April in those scrubs because that was her happy place." At that moment I knew how special you guys were for each other and my heart melted. I hope that the years ahead are even more blessed than the last eight. Enjoy your childless dinner, I know how few and far between those are.

Love you guys,
Traci Dufrene

Dayle W said...

Congratulations on 8 years and a beautiful family April!