I was talking to my sister today, as we were babbling on about life she said “well I have found as you get older you don’t really focus on if your spouse looks a certain way” Then she said “it’s about how much you’ve been through and the experiences with that person that you value” omg this whole conversation was just so much of what I believe in, down to my core. She doesn’t know I’m writing this yet, lol. I respect this conversation so much, every once in awhile my older sisters have advice or some sort of comment that makes me stop in my tracks. This just really sat with me and I thought about all the things Chris and I would have missed out if we did not take another chance. We would not have had our two other children, we would not have experienced moving away from our home town together. We would have never grown together, it makes me so sad to think about us not growing together. Every relationship grows, whether it grows into a healthy relationship or an unhealthy one, it will grow. At times I look back and think of that wasted time and energy we put into that divorce, we should have put that into our relationship instead. These marriages don’t last forever because they “fall into place” it comes from hard work, crying, communication and honest feelings being shared. It is by no means easy, but I believe it’s worth it. Those good times and those experiences are something that makes it all so worth it. Although my mom really helped Chris and I give each other another chance, Chris never gave up. He pushed and pushed and continued to ask me every time we saw each other if I thought there was hope left for us. While we swapped Axel back and fourth we often walked away crying, we were fighting back the feelings that we couldn’t explain in words. I believe that’s love, that was the love we were holding on to. The struggles of marriage and being a parent sometimes feels never ending, I know this. With that said, every night when I lay down I thank God for the opportunities and the life he has blessed us with. It’s been quite a journey so far.