HAPPY 1st ANNIVERSARY, Austin and Hannah!!!

365 days ago was 1 of the biggest days that our family has experienced, so far!

The week leading up to this day 1 year ago was full of exciting moments. Our whole entire BIG family began the tasks of putting on a celebration for 1 of our own. If I've ever experienced selfless, it was this particular week. People taking off work, time away from their families - to make a couples dream-day, come true! It was Hannah's WEDDING week and ALL hands were in! We had jobs to complete and last special moments with Hannah as a Baker to be had. Everything got done to perfection and boy oh boy did we have those special moments. The wedding was the most magical day, it was truly perfect & beautiful in ever single way. The ceremony was full of Jesus, just like the bride & groom wanted. The celebration after was FUN and we all sent them off to begin their life!!

So today is the very 1st Wedding Anniversary for Austin and Hannah Benjamin. MY very most favorite couple in the whole entire world!! I seriously can't believe it's already been a complete year. It seems like yesterday that we were in the middle of that wedding week. All this week, everyone in our family has reminisced about what we were doing on that particular Tuesday, 1 year ago or on that Thursday... It was the most exciting time in our family that we all 7 got to experience together. We came together like a team that had a mission. We all had our own duties to complete and we all did them with the most love and care humanly possible. Ms. Hannah was in the middle of emotions that she couldn't control, some of the time. Leaving her family to begin her own little family was tough in some ways but as natural as breathing to this lil' lady that was called from the beginning of time to be Austin's helpmate!

1 thing Ms Hannah did since I could remember was pray for her husband. We didn't encourage our girls to daydream to often about that part of their future because it could bring on emotions that would get them stuck in that time and they'd forget that the season they were in, was important in it's own right. But Hannah was a little girl that we knew was destined to be a wife and Mother. Everything about her was nurturing, loving, selfless and maternal. Ray and I have always known that each of our girls would be incredible wives 1 day and Hannah was no exception. Now to see her be that incredible, wonderful little wife - brings so much joy to our hearts!!! I seriously could not be any prouder of her this last year. She transitioned into being even a better wife then I could have ever imagined. Ok, the cooking has room for improvement but other then that she has been a million times better of a wife then I could have ever even dreamed of being 29 years ago. Even though this year has had it's challenges, their love has grown them so closely knitted together! I've loved having a "married daughter!" She and I have had many talks this year and our relationship has taken on a new closeness that I knew would happen but it's even so much better then I could have imagined. I'm so super grateful to God that my kids feel comfortable to talk to us about pretty much anything and this year has brought so many AHHH moments for me. The leaning on the Lord that I've seen in both of them, the trust in the Lord for the smallest things, the growing together - has been even better then I could have EVER hoped for.

And the newest member of our family - my son that I didn't have to carry, labor or deliver (that's the best kind) - Austin! Ray and I couldn't be any more prouder of him if we tried. He has blown us away in ever way!! We could for sure be his biggest fans - behind his parents & his bride but we love how he loves HIS Hannah. He has LOVED and taken care of our girl and we couldn't ask for anything more. All of us loved him so much before they even married but our love for him has grown even stronger. Seeing this young man develop into the married man that he is now - has been nothing short of a miracle. He's a living testimony of the humility of Jesus and wanting so much to honor the Lord in his life, that he has set aside his own LIFE, for someone else.

I honor this precious couple today - on their VERY special 1st Wedding Anniversary!! We look forward to many, many, many years of sharing life with them!! SOOOO grateful to God for both of them!! They bless our family in so many ways and we can't wait to see what the future holds... Our prayer would be that they would continue every day to yield to the voice of the Lord, to become more and more selfless to each other, to see the good in each other and cover the other's flaws with love, that the Lord would be so evident in their lives that people would be drawn to Jesus. I thank God for their precious marriage and for the Benjamin family!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY and here's to another 50 years as Husband and Wife!!!

1 year ago...on that special night!!

And now...