Dear Caleb,Can you believe 5 years have fluttered by? They surely have fluttered. I held our girls in our arms today as I knelt at the back of Mass, offering it for you, for us, for our marriage, in the hopes that we will one day be together in eternity, and I just felt completely blessed by God's humbling gifts of our girls' lives-- the fruit of our marriage. Thank you. Thank you for being open to God's call, to His desire to expand our family, to working so hard to do your utmost in planning-- as far as we can see (and still being flexible with the curves and detours of life!)--our lives. You have made me so very happy, that it is a privilege and just a joy to sit with you, beside you, as your wife, at the end of a day and to lean on you, with the knowledge that we have our marriage in Christ, with our hearts set on Him, Who is always giving us the grace to incorporate the here-and-now for the always...eternity. As I look back to our wedding day, I happily recall Father's singing of our nuptial blessing:
May God bless you, hold and keep you. May God's mercy shine on you. Guide your work and guard your resting. Make your love forever new.
May God join your hopeful spirits. Fill your hearts with truth and courage. Trust to share both joy and tears. Teach love to your children's children. Make your household learn to witness living faith through all your years.
May God bless you, hold and keep you. May God's mercy shine on you. Guide your work and guard your resting. Make your love forever new.
May God make your home a refuge where you warmly welcome strangers, and the lowly find a place. Make your caring kind and patient, help you meet the needs of neighbors. Finding Christ in every face.
May God bless you, hold and keep you. May God's mercy shine on you. Guide your work and guard your resting. Make your love forever new.
A look back at past anniversaries:
A note from you to me...
And, me to you...
What a beautiful anniversary this was... in the hospital.
Our Wedding Song: Nada Valgo Sin Tu Amor by Juanes
Translated in English: I Am Nothing Without Your Love
English Translation (below):
As we weather while the time passes us by, it begins to appear that in the end our hurt outweighs the years.
And so I desire to spend my years together with you, my eternal love, together with my family, together with my friends...
I am worth nothing, I have nothing, if I don't have the best: your love and companionship in my heart.
Better a year late than a decade without you. It's worth it to finally have my heart replete.
Hence I always want to be conscious of your steadfast love, be we near or far from the end.
I am worth nothing, I have nothing, if I don't have the best: your love and companionship in my heart.
Come, my love...
I feel weak when I am without you, and I become strong when you are here. Without you I don't know what it's like to live. My life is a tunnel without light. I want to spend more time with you, take back the moments I have lost, and conquer the immense fear of death so as to experience eternity with you.
I am worth nothing, I have nothing, if I don't have the best: your love and companionship in my heart.
Hence I always want to be conscious of your steadfast love, be we near or far from the end.
I am worth nothing, I have nothing, if I don't have the best: your love and companionship in my heart.
~Poetic translation by CO
You make me so happy. I thank you for your love, your commitment to love and share yourself with me, with us, and with so many others without counting the cost. You have taught me so much, and what a blessing to have you in my life as a channel of grace to God. I know we are to each other, and that brings so much happiness to me, knowing that we have our way to God through one another. Thank you. How happy I am for taking that trip to Steubenville back in 2003 and finally meeting you. It had just been a little bit of time before that I was praying that if we did meet what a blessing it would be to have just a dear friend, someone to have as a spiritual friend. Did God ever bless me?! That was the best trip I ever made, and I am still reaping the benefits of that 5 hour road trip. Woo-hoo! Thanks to God for 5 years, two gorgeous gilly-wills, and a soon-to-be-born son later, I am thankful for marriage. Thank you, God!
All of my love,
Mares
