As my husband, Rob, and I are getting close to celebrating 12 years of marriage, I feel like I can finally say the word "celebrate" and mean it. I know it seems odd, but its true. We married and started a family before we even had a chance to get to know each other and become friends. After a very long road w/what seemed to be mostly down than ups, we are finally friends and enjoy being with each other, talking, laughing, and "blooming" together.

This year proved to be the best for our marriage. We were busier than ever, he hardly worked at times, the kids were more demanding than ever, and financially we struggled throughout the whole year. For most couples, these things can tear them apart. We on the other hand do things a little backwards in the Whitehouse family. All of these trials actually brought us closer and we built a loving friendship that I deeply cherish and will continue for a lifetime. I think the biggest part of our genuine change was that we both at the same time were praying and allowing God to be a part of our marriage. God has given us so many blessings, some we couldn't even see were blessings at the time. I remember coming to the realization that after all of the junk we had to go through, our separation, deaths in the family, medical issues, lies, fears, and just plain anger and ugliness, were simply just steps we had to take. While all of those are heartbreaking and serious issues, I now know they were just a small part of a bigger plan. A plan for 2 very selfish very prideful people to learn about pure and genuine LOVE.

Things aren't perfect, never will be, but the growth we have achieved makes it easier to accept the imperfections and just LOVE regardless. If someone would have told me 6 yrs. ago that we would still be married today, I would have scoffed, how could anything bloom from such ugliness....?

God has put some amazing couples in our life. Couples who were genuine, who didn't hold back and who put God in the center of their lives. Through these marriages we have learned so much. We have learned that even those "perfect couples" we thought had the best marriages, really are struggling too and not so "perfect". Their obedience of listening to God to share about their own trials helped save my own marriage. I have learned that trials can be a gift, sometime for ourselves, but sometimes and it seems like most of the time, they are for someone else. I'm sure our friends never thought that their trials would somehow help our marriage, but it did. God has used this to teach me that I need to be real, to be genuine and share not only my triumphs, but also and more importantly sometimes, my trials.

I try to remember during my own trials that maybe there is no lesson to be learned for myself , but for someone else out there. I don't always remember it right away, but sometimes it happens. I am kind of known for sharing too much information at times :)....I guess if I share something that helps someone and that brings glory to God, I will keep on doing it regardless of the occasional mishaps/embarrassments...and let me tell you, the latter of the two happens frequently.....

Here is a recent pic of my hubby and I.