38

Thirty-eight years is a long time.

Long enough to get matching perms and parachute pants. Long enough to cheer one another on through great jobs, bad bosses, and long hours studying for degrees. Long enough to say goodbye to parents. Long enough to have four absolutely astonishing children you wish could have had those grandparents in their lives. Long enough to wish you'd known how to do some things a lot better early on. Long enough to know some things only come with time. Long enough to sit silently together on a car ride knowing words are unnecessary (OK, that is rarely me). Long enough to have jokes that only the two of you get. Long enough to know how sexy it is for your partner to do a potty dance for your toddler or pull a sock out of your puppy's butt. Long enough to struggle and fight and disappoint. And long enough to keep making up. Long enough to hold one another together when your souls are ripped apart by the loss of a child. Long enough to forge a partnership that is tested and tried and yet remains intact through some of the worst. Long enough to know you have been blessed to experience some of the very best together on this side of heaven. Long enough to know that, "I love you," goes deeper and wider than you ever imagined possible.

And there's more to come.

In October, we will welcome Chase and Karen's baby into the world -- we will be grandparents! Next spring, we will celebrate the marriage of Chance and Lauren. This summer we will get to see Charli play soccer again with the Women's Premier Soccer League.

But here, now, today..... we celebrated by exchanging cards, taking the pups to the dog park, and having lunch together at a new local Italian restaurant. Tonight we are having dinner at home and watching Netflix. "Netflix and chill," I think is how the kids put it. A simple, beautiful day.

 Here's to Chip and Lisa’s 38. That’s a long time.