Treasured Photos of Our Marriage

Ryan and I have been together for 10 years, and have been married for seven. We have a lot of photos that we treasure, but none more than these I am sharing with you today. Why? Because love is hard. It's raw. It's commitment. It's work. It's sacrifice. It's a choice. These are photos that symbolize our continued commitment to each other.

After seven years of marriage we have recently decided to have an AMAZING marriage, and not just one where we exist as life partners, one of true intimacy - not being afraid to share the ugly and support one another through it. This year has been a hard one for us, but I'm thankful for it because it has brought us closer in a way we have never known until now.

Ryan took me away to San Francisco to celebrate my birthday and to also set time aside for us. It was an amazing and special time to say the least. One of the things we got to do while we were there was have our photos taken by Gina Meola and Marcus Murphy - two dear friends of ours that also happen to be brilliant photographers.

We had dinner with them, prayed with them and then took in the most breathtaking views while they snapped pictures of me and Ryan. It brings me to tears to know that these photos were taken by the hands of two people that love us, pray for us and support us.

Engagement photos are sweet and beautiful, wedding photos are momentous and seven year marriage photos are empowering. I encourage all couples that haven't taken photo of JUST them (not family photos) after seven years to do it. You need to celebrate how far you have come since day one of "I do."

Photos  by Gina Meola