Happy 3rd Anniversary

Dear Kyle,

I’m sitting at the kitchen counter. The baby monitor emits static sounds to my right. I’m equipped with a liter of water and my first cup of coffee. My eyes hurt as they strain to remain open. I’m promising myself that I’ll start going to bed earlier. This is definitely going to be a multiple-cup-of-coffee kind of day. Tired as I am, you have been gone from the house for two hours already. You’ve already pushed back against your own sleepiness, jumped out of our warm bed to an alarm clock I didn’t even hear, readied yourself for a long day, fought traffic, and started the work day. We both go to bed late, but every morning, I have the opportunity to sleep in until Winnie wakes up, while you, on the other hand, are obedient to your early alarm. You get to work early, knowing that it will allow you to come home from work early, too. Our family gets to spend so much time together during the day because of your early morning sacrifice. 

Your sacrifices go far beyond early morning habits. Going on grocery runs, helping with the dishes dishes, taking on trash duty, rubbing my back (several times a day), managing our money, and working three jobs. You pull more than your own weight to serve our family. So much has happened in these three years of marriage. We’ve been blessed with one beautiful child, paid off all our debt, started a business/ministry, ran a half marathon, watched 7 seasons of 24 and all of the The Office (I just learned today that we share an anniversary with Jim and Pam!), hosted numerous friends at our home for dinner, started attending the Latin Mass as often as we can, discovered our love for seltzer water, and so much more. I cannot even remember what life was like before I was Amy Ambrose. 

Three years seems way too small of a number when I think about what life with you has felt like. I still don’t know what people are talking about when they say marriage is hard, because marriage with you isn’t. That’s probably because you are a man of virtue and faith. You have taught me so much about humility, integrity, and selflessness by the way you live your life. When you make a mistake, you say you are sorry. When I make a mistake, you’ve taught me to do the same. You study the faith and always look for ways to grow closer to Christ, and you always recommend fantastic articles and podcasts for me so I can do the same. Even as I type this, I have a voicemail on my phone that you left during your drive to work. In it, you are recommending that I listen to one of Fr. Dave Nix’s podcasts so that we can discuss it over our anniversary dinner tonight. I would study such different things on my own, but, in our marriage, my interests have expanded and deepened. 

Kyle, you are such an incredible leader who discerns God’s will for our family so well. You’ve led our family to do many things that seem countercultural, from equipping me to be a stay-at-home mom and wife, to enforcing a strictly observed Sunday Sabbath. I am so impressed by you every day. We often laugh about how very different we are—and it’s true that we are very different—but it’s our differences that are leading us to sainthood. We have to push against our own decisions and ideas regularly to find the middle ground. Our individual selves are melting away into one. Today, on our three year anniversary, I want to tell you that I will follow you anywhere. Becoming your wife is the greatest thing I’ve ever done.

Love,

Amy

A special thanks to our photographer, Jennifer, and her second shooter, Claire, for capturing all of these special memories!