Happy Anniversary B.Elliot and J.Ruby!

Today (April 20th) I celebrate 18 years of having the greatest step-dad (GSD) on the planet. I realize that such a dude could only have been secured by a phenomenal mom...(phemom) and she is a prize I have enjoyed for all of my many years...but I wanted to recognize them both for having survived almost two decades of blended family-ness. It has been a great ride for GSD and phemom as they have welcomed 13 grandchildren, seen their children through marriages, divorces and deaths, made and lost money together, seen each other through sickness and now (Praise God!) lots of great health, and have (to their credit) both put up with me. :) Of course these are just a few highlights.

GSD has changed flat tires, snaked toilets, done various fix-it jobs, and taught me to unclog and restart a garbage disposal. (That has come in handy more than once!) He has given my husband a passion for a career that has provided well for my family and even gave him his first real job. He sat with me through arbitration as I faced a law suit. He has done everything you can think of with the grandkids and has attended more fieldtrips than I have! He has even scooped dog poop up out of my back yard while still dressed in work clothes! He has worn many hats, but the one I like most is friend.

Phemom has seen me through each of 7 pregnancies with everything from baby showers to entire wardrobes for these babies! She has visited with me before, during, and after each birth and always made sure that we were well fed. She has seen me through ER visits, health scares, and all of my many phobias and worries (makes ya tired, huh mom?), and has prayed for me more than anyone on this planet. She has helped me to laugh, sometimes at myself, and listened to me cry more than I should be allowed. Sometimes she has encouraged me to "turn on the praise music and take a bath." After which, everything always seems less discouraging. She has loved me at each of my many ages and stages and has treated me to more massages than I deserve. And this grandma has done everything from take us to Disneyland and rock sick babies to sleep. (She is famous for giving those kids kitchen sink baths!) Again, she has worn many hats as my mother, but the one that looks best on her is friend. (Well, grandma looks pretty darn good on her too.)

Obviously by great ride, I don't mean perfect. We know that God doesn't call us to perfect living and doesn't give each of us perfection until our days with Him in glory, but I do mean that what they have been dealt (and believe me it has been much) they have handled with great grace and more often than not have "considered it all joy" when encountering various trials.

Like God's word tells us in James, chapter 1:

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I applaud you both for your perserverance and I believe you have both exemplified lives which are mature and complete, not lacking anything. (Especially faith.)

Thank you both for sharing your faith and your lives with me and my family. We all love you and rejoice with you on your accomplishment and realize that we have a great heritage of faith, giving, dilligence, stewardship, honor, exhortation, servitude, perserverance, and mostly love to live up to because we get to have you in our lives.

We look forward to the challenge of being as much like Christ as you are!

Happy Anniversary!

Love,
Prince Charming, Snow white, and the seven dwarfs
(Also known as FSIL, fraughter, and the "grands.")