Celebrating 30 ... Hawaiian Style

So, last fall when he said "I think you & I need to have a little time alone for our 30th"  

I began to toss out some ideas ... we had wanted to go back to the mountains -- 

we could probably squeeze in a couple of extra days at Disney to ourselves -- 

he'd been to Niagara Falls as a kid, but I haven't been -- 

possibility after possibility ... and he kept saying  

"That would be fun.  But that's not where I'm thinking"

 

Then ... when he said "I was thinking about Hawaii" 

  ... my mouth dropped!!!  

And then ... I said the first thing that popped into my head 

"Are you sure???????"

And so ... 

we celebrated ----- 

just him and me ... 

a few weeks pre-anniversary date ---

10 days in O'ahu ...

just me and him

God's grace of our past 30 years ...

fairytale

brokenness

reconciliation

grace

restoration

mercy

redemption

... and it has been worth every moment that has brought us to where we are now ...

Whether in Hawaii ...

or at home ... 

or anywhere else ...

 I am so very thankful for the man that God gave me ...

everywhere and everyday

We started dating September 24, 1983 ...

 we eloped on May 16, 1984 ...

some people may have thought that we just wouldn't make it ...

{and we almost didn't}

But ...

God's grace is ever-so abundant

God's faithfulness is unending

God's redemption is beautiful

Yes, redemption is beautiful ...