You make me deliriously happy!

Twelve years ago today, God brought Fred and I together in Christian marriage.

My “spiritual father,” Dr. Paul Jensen, spoke near our wedding–he was SO close! (He ended up missing the ceremony by just a few minutes so he gave his message during our reception.)

My “spiritual Grandpa,” Bernard Vogelaar (Grandma Doris’s husband of over 53 years–“So he knows a thing or two about love!” as he explained to Fred during our courtship), prayed over us to close the ceremony.

Looking at my father and step-mother, mother and step-father, and my “Christian parents” (whom I lived with for my last two years of high school), how did my own dad, Joe Klena, respond when the pastor asked, “Who gives this bride away?” “We all do!” of course. 🙂

I remember being nervous and feeling stupid about how I looked, how much I weighed or didn’t weigh; my hair, my lipstick, whatever. But I never ONCE remember being nervous about marrying Fred. Never. Not once. Not during our courtship, our engagement, and never not one day since. I have only, EVER, been grateful. (And QUITE mindful of how I could never deserve such a man.)

On my wedding day, I remember that as much as I LOVED being with our friends and family at the celebration, a huge part of me couldn’t WAIT to get out of there and just BE WITH FRED and start our lives together. But as we stopped at our little grad-school apartment on the way out of town, and saw the HUGE MESS that had been left by our guests, my darling husband (of all of three hours) KNEW that I would enjoy our honeymoon MUCH BETTER if I didn’t have THAT picture in my mind (seriously–dirty dishes, milk and food left OUT, wet towels on hardwood floors … it was BAD), so there he was … in his wedding suit and his own FATHER’S TIE (Fred wore a simple navy suit and wore the same tie that HIS DAD had worn in HIS wedding back in 1959), sleeves rolled up, DOING DISHES and straightening pillows so that his bride would head off on their honeymoon happy.

(Am I the strangest person you’ve ever met or WHAT? And do I have the kindest husband or what?)

Twelve years.
One-third of my entire life.
Mrs. Frederick Steinus Barthel.

This is a grace I could never deserve.
But I am SO grateful for–every single day.

Eight months prior to our wedding day, when Fred asked me to be his wife (and I responded:“Yes! Yes! Of course, yes!”), Fred told me that he wanted to make me deliriously happy in life.

Can you imagine?
Melancholy ol’ Tara?
Deliriously happy?

Well, dear … you have done it.
And even on our “worst” days (days when I am at my worst and you continue on in your steadfast kindness and mercy toward me) … You, Fred Barthel, make me deliriously happy.

And I am so grateful to God for you!

Happy 12th Anniversary, darling!
You are truly the best husband in the entire world and I love you.

Yours forever,
Tara B.