This was us three years ago. And I just realized that three years ago today, Ty and I went to our very first marriage counseling session.

We still go regularly, three years later, and to say that it was one of the best decisions we made would be an understatement.

We go to a Christian counselor named Matt, and if you know me, you know I tell everyone they should also go see him. In fact, many of our friends HAVE gone to see him as well. He’s the best.

In our three years of counseling we’ve dug into a LOT of stuff. Things like what it looks like to give and receive grace, how to communicate effectively, healing from past hurts/trauma, intimacy, budgeting and handling money, making the decision to stop shooting weddings to do Young Living full time, starting foster care, becoming parents, having to say goodbye to the boy who made us parents, getting pregnant, losing that baby too.

Our lives and marriage has been dramatically changed in the last three years. I look at this photo and barely remember what marriage was like then. I know it wasn’t bad; it was actually just fine. But what we have now is so much better. There is more depth than I could have ever imagined. We fight fairly and well. We know each other more intimately. We have more fun together. All because we decided giving into the stigma around marriage counseling wasn’t worth it.

I am SO very thankful for friends who pushed us to give it a try, and so very thankful for our counselor who is such a great reflection of Christ. ❤️