The Ingram's: Celebrating Marriage!

As I writing this blog tonight and look at the clock... I think about where I was a year ago today... I was most likely dancing the night away with my new Husband and celebrating with our closets friends and family! Maybe cutting the cake or tossing the bouquet. I can't believe how fast the last 365 days have gone by. It seems like just a few weeks ago we arrived back from our amazing honeymoon in Maui... and that last week we hosted our 1st Crawfish Boil, or that yesterday we saw the Grand Canyon.

As we celebrated our 1st Anniversary this weekend we found ourselves looking back on the many memories and adventures we shared together. Those precious stories all point to one thing... we are so incredibly blessed! As we left church today we decided to make a conscious effort to keep the mindset of thankfulness. It is natural to be thankful during the Holiday Season... but as we shared favorite stories from the year it was so clear how thankful we truly are. Blessed by our jobs, our family, our friends, our church, our community, our country... and the list goes on. So as we recognize how the Lord has blessed us, our prayer is that we would pass those blessing on through us... in our jobs, in our families, our friends, our church, our community, our country... and so on. And as we are in the season of celebrating Marriage I thought I would share this special note that I found while going through wedding cards we received a year ago.

Marriage Is...
A commitment. Its success doesn't depend on circumstances, feelings, or moods - but on two people who are loyal to each other and the vows they took on their wedding day...

Marriage Is...
A relationship where two people must listen, compromise, and respect. It's a arrangement that requires a multitude of decisions to be made together. Listening, respecting, and compromising go a long way towards keeping peace and harmony.

A union in which two people learn from their mistakes, accept each other's flatus, and willingly adjust behaviors that need to be changed. It's caring enough about each other to work through disappointing and hurtful times and believing in the love that brought you together in the first place.

Patience and forgiveness. It's being open and hones, thoughtful and kind. Marriage means talking things out, making necessary changes, and forgiving each other. It's unconditional love at its most understanding and vulnerable - love that supports, comforts, and is determined to triumph over every challenge and adversity.

Marriage is a partnership of two unique people who bring out the very best in each other and who know that even though they are wonderful as individuals... they are even better together.

- Barbara Cage

And a few photos from our weekend celebrating 1 year!!!