Keilah Joyce: Five years together

I was seventeen.

and I was getting excited, like I always did before I got to see him. He had never been to my house, though, and I couldn't wait to show him around. We had been friends for three or four years, and I had only "liked-him-liked-him" for a few months... but he had been crazy about me for three years. I was, of corse, oblivious to it for much of those three years. I wore jeans and my orange Old Navy v-neck, scrunched my hair and checked my make-up. I sat with my Dad and brother on the porch swing, laughing and taking pictures together.

When he got there, I showed him around the house, and we ate some food. He asked me to go with my sister for a few minutes, then he sat alone with my dad and asked for permission to date me.

After a hesitant talk (this boy was a wild boy) my dad agreed, and this wild boy took me outside for a walk. We walked and we talked. Standing there in the weeds, with bare feet next to the pond, shivering in the October night chill, he asked me to be his girlfriend.

Today, five years later, I celebrate that night. We have grown from two clueless teenagers into two twentysomething's who still have no idea what they're doing.

I graduated high school

We went to college

He asked me to marry him... Twice.

We got an associates degree/dropped out/left college

We got married, spent a lovely week exploring Maine

Moved 567 miles away, to Nashville, into a super tiny and very junky apartment

He went to school for a couple months

He has had 4 jobs, I have had one

Moved another 28 miles south, to a beautiful apartment that we are very blessed with

We've regularly attended 3 churches, and have visited at least 10.

Made a baby

Birthed a baby

Raising a baby

A music career beginning to take significant shape, being blessed more each day

...Five years.

We've had countless fights, sleepless nights, many moments of feeling like completely giving up... On school, on friends, on marriage, on money, on dreams... On God.

And it's been worth it. So very worth it.

We are blessed far more than what we deserve, and right now at this very moment, even through all the yucky things going on...

this is the happiest I've been.

Thankful for him. My best friend.

And now! Six million pictures of our life during the last 5 years.

...Because I can.