Top 3's of 3

26,280 hours of learning new heights of love and grace.

1,095 days of waking up to my best friend.

36 months of being challenged by the strength of my husband to live a life full of faith.

3 years of indescribable joy being the wife of Mr. Steven Sauder.

Yes, it's true. Stevo and I have officially been married for 3 whole years! I like to jokingly tell people that "we're pros" and that now "we have it all figured out". Ha. (This is usually when Steven shakes his head in denial and gives me a look of, "Babe, we have a long way to go...")

I know in the grand scheme of things, 3 years of marriage is just breaking the ice. I mean, when you put us next to our grandparents whose combined total of years married is over 120 years... well then, yeah. We're total amateurs. Older couples, who have weathered a few storms, have often reminded us that we're just beginning to lay the foundation for shaky times ahead. I am fully expecting that we'll continue to change, independently and collectively, and that God will continue to mold and stretch our marriage to better reflect His love relationship with us.

But honestly, even though the 3 years have gone by incredibly fast, they also seem like a lifetime. And even though we're only at the starting block, it feels like we've been running the race for quite some time.

And I love it.

I love that I feel like I've already been married to Steven forever--because it breeds in me a deep level of comfort and sense of security. I love that I feel like we're in the midst of a marathon--because it hasn't been all rainbows and butterflies and I'm learning that this love thing is a commitment, privilege and most definitely a fight worth fighting for.

Last January, I was able to reflect on the straight path that God had carved out for us--from dating, to marriage, to grad school, to work, to overseas. From Champaign, to Chicago, to Oak Park, to Roanoke, to Colorado, to Thailand. It is no doubt that God has done a lot with the Sauders. And even though there is a lot yet to be done with many mountains yet to climb, I don't want to just categorize this time as "just the beginning". I want to remember the specifics. The successes and failures. The moments of wisdom and stupidity. The times of love and forgiveness that have taken place within us and our marriage over past 3 years.

And so, on our anniversary getaway, Steven and I reflected on some Top 3's of the past 3 years.

Steven's Top 3 memories:

1. Our wedding day and 12 day honeymoon to Maui

2. Our road trip up the West Coast--San Diego to Seattle!

3. Working on the farm with Dad Sauder

Lauren's Top 3 memories:

*Wedding day and honeymoon were a given for me :)

1. Being a part of our small group (shout out to the LWC!) in Chicago

2. Nannying for Charlotte

3. Being a farmer's wife! (I seriously loved my time living on the farm. I know, I'm just as surprised as you are)

Our Top 3 "God moments":

1. Getting the phone call from Hatley asking us to join him in Thailand--2 days before we were about to commit to something else

2. Stepping off the plane in Chiang Mai--what a rush of emotions!

3. Raising 100% financial support in 4 months

Steven's Top 3 'not too fun' moments:

1. Dealing and working through "first year marriage fights"

2. Learning Thai :)

3. Working long, hard hours at McHugh

Lauren's Top 3 'not too fun' moments:

1. Being exposed to new and reoccurring sin through marriage

2. Raising support in 4 months + both of us working full time + traveling = a few breakdowns :)

3. Saying goodbye to all our loved ones

Steven's Top 3 'Things I've discovered about Lauren':

1. She still sleeps with rags (aka: blankies)

2. She is a great cook and entertainer

3. She's a deep thinker and has a gift of expressing herself through writing

Lauren's Top 3 'Things I've discovered about Steven':

1. He really can build anything!

2. He really can't remember things I tell him... Sigh.

3. He really can be funny! :)

Steven's Top 3 'I'm thankful for':

1. A wife that is full of life and joy

2. A friend who challenges herself and isn't afraid to challenge me

3. A joint pursuit of God and His global purposes in our life together

Lauren's Top 3 'I'm thankful for':

1. A husband who is incredibly patient, strong, honest and committed

2. A best friend who knows me better than I know myself

3. A marriage that is committed to pursuing the Kingdom of God

Our Top 3 lessons learned:

1. Forgiveness and grace always win

2. Fighting one another is only fighting ourselves

3. Communication and commitment are non-negotiables

Our Top 3 goals for our next 3 years:

1. Pray more together

2. Travel and see SE Asia

3. Start a family :)

It was fun to take time to reflect on our many memories and how we've grown, while also dreaming up new dreams for the next 3 years and beyond...

Happy Anniversary, Steven Sauder! Here's to loving each other more with each passing day :)