Episode 48 Feathered In Grace & Armor: It's Only Been Four Years — So Why Does It Feel Like 40?

An Honest Anniversary Episode About Real Love, Real Life & the Staycationversary

Today we are celebrating four years of marriage. FOUR years. And we want to be very honest with you — it has felt like forty. And we mean that in the most loving, complicated, beautiful, exhausting, life giving way possible.  The most romantic thing you can do for your marriage is not the grand gesture. It is the daily choice. It is showing up for each other in the compound, in the new state, in the messy middle, in the season when the getaway is not possible. That is the love story. Right there in the ordinary.

Thank you for celebrating with us today. Thank you for being part of this journey. We are four years in and forty years worth of living has happened and we would not trade a single complicated beautiful exhausting grace filled moment of it.

Chadd & Gina

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Feathered in Grace and Armor. I'm Gina.

SPEAKER_02 0:03

And I'm the Armor part of this podcast. I'm Chad.

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Together, we're here to explore the beautiful balance between grace and strength in our lives.

SPEAKER_02 0:12

In a world that often pushes us to choose sides, softness or toughness, vulnerability or resilience, we believe the true power lies in embracing both.

SPEAKER_01 0:21

Each week we'll dive into heartfelt conversations, share inspiring stories, and discuss the lessons we've learned on our journeys of faith, love, and personal growth.

SPEAKER_02 0:30

So join us as we uncover how to walk through life gracefully, all while wearing the armor of God against the challenges we face.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

Whether you're a man or a woman, our hope is that this podcast becomes a source of encouragement and wisdom for you.

SPEAKER_02 0:45

So let's spread our wings and forge ahead together on this adventure of life, love, and the pursuit of grace. Well, hey, hey, we're back.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

Hey, hey.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

We're back in action with a jam-packed episode. And Gina already hates the word jam-packed, so I better cut that out. Hey, what's up, everybody? It's Chad and Gina coming to you live from the Clubhouse Studios, Tampa, Florida. We're excited to be here on another episode of Feathered and Grace and Armor. Gina has been working on this episode all her time with me for the last four years.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

Well, it's it's a special episode because we're celebrating our four-year anniversary. Yes, we are. However, we both said to one another.

SPEAKER_02 1:45

It feels like 40 years. It feels like forever years. And not in a bad way.

SPEAKER_01 1:53

It's kind of a joke with us where we'll sometimes say, like, oh, it's only six o'clock in the evening. It feels like 600 o'clock in the evening. We're just so tired. And then we transferred it over to our length of time being married, where we were like, wow, it's only been four years, but it feels like 40 years. However, we say it lovingly.

SPEAKER_02 2:27

It doesn't. Do you? Do you mean that?

SPEAKER_01 2:33

I do. I do. But we are going to be honest on this episode because we don't know any other way. And we are celebrating four years of marriage today. So happy anniversary, baby.

SPEAKER_02 2:45

Happy anniversary, Gina. As I was just sitting here looking at the picture with Elvis in Nashville and just recalling what an incredible weekend that was with uh several of our close friends and family.

SPEAKER_01 3:02

And it was. But it does, it has felt like 40 years. And we mean that in the most loving, complicated, beautiful, exhausting life-giving way possible.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

Yeah. Yeah. Because it it it's we've packed so much into eight years.

SPEAKER_01 3:21

We have. I mean, we four years dating, four years of marriage. So I mean, we've been together for eight years, but married for four, but it still feels like a lot longer. Yeah. It really does. And um I think it's because everything that we've packed into these four years, the blending, the compound, the move, the granddaughters, the career, the new.

SPEAKER_02 3:48

The multiple moves.

SPEAKER_01 3:50

Yes. We're gonna, yes.

SPEAKER_02 3:51

I mean, when you said that, I was like, yeah, you moved to you moved to Leo, but you know, you moved to Leo, and then you moved out of back to Fort Wayne, then back to Leo.

SPEAKER_01 4:01

Yeah, we we literally over the course of our eight years together, we have sold three homes.

SPEAKER_02 4:12

That's a lot.

SPEAKER_01 4:13

And moved, you know, many times.

SPEAKER_02 4:17

Many times over.

SPEAKER_01 4:18

And so we've just packed a lot into these four years. Um, and that's what we just want to talk about that. We want to, you know, it it's funny, but it's also very honest. And we just want to unpack it with all of you because again, we know no other way to do this, but to just be transparent and authentic about it. And um, you know, I guess saying that it feels like 40 years because, you know, it's not really a complaint. I don't, I'm not saying it to be like, oh my gosh, it feels like, you know, it's been 40 long years. But I just think the the volume and weight of what we've navigated together, the blending, or, and I wouldn't even say we have we have never successfully blended our five children um and four granddaughters, but the the the trying of the blending. Um, we're here trying to get this compound built. Like I said, we've moved to a new state. We've started over professionally, we're trying to find our community from scratch. You know, that leads to like our own, you know, disagreements and hard seasons. And we talked about the messy middle, the last episode. And so it's just it's it's that's it's I mean, we just have to look at it with humor.

SPEAKER_02 5:50

Well, you know me. I'm all about the humor and the fun and you are the laughter. Yes. So yeah, we've we've we've done our share of laughter, we've done our share of crying, we've done, we've we've we've done all that in such a short period of time. And and uh, you know, even with celebrating four years, it just seems like it's gone by so quickly.

SPEAKER_00 6:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

The four years and the four years prior to that, like 2018.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

I know. Yeah, it's it's just like we blinked and I don't know where four years went. We did, but we did. Yeah. I mean, I think just you know, the I fe feel like the reality for us is that most couples kind of accumulate this kind of life experience over decades. And we've done it in four years.

SPEAKER_02 6:41

And I don't think we've been four I mean, maybe we have been forced, but we but there's just a lot of things that have come in the last eight years um in our relationship with our our our kids and our grandkids and moving and having a long distance relationship in the very beginning of a two-hour, you know, commute from Indy to Fort Wayne.

SPEAKER_01 7:02

Right. And then we kind of had a long distance marriage at some times, you know, being apart while I was here in Florida and you were in Indiana.

SPEAKER_02 7:09

And and I continue to go back to Indiana and you do, you know. Yeah, and it takes a day for the weekend or now, you know, it's now it's like a whole week.

SPEAKER_01 7:18

So it's seven or eight days out of the month. Yeah it's a lot, yeah. So I you know, I just feel like we've like I said, we've just packed a lot in, and I think there's beautiful things out of that though, because we have we've we've made, I mean, you can either let things destroy you or they can make you stronger. And I think we've always done a good job of having kind of the life that we've had and all the things that that we've done in the last four years, we've used it to make us stronger.

SPEAKER_02 8:02

Well, make no mistake about it. It's it's been God who has had the pulse on our relationship and our steps at every beat.

SPEAKER_01 8:10

I love that. The pulse. I love that.

SPEAKER_02 8:12

Yeah, well, it that's the truth. Um, you know, he's you know, e even the even the the church service this past weekend and it's go time and and telling more people about God, not to get off subject, but God is always going to but no, just just that God has always he's always provided, he's always put us where he he wanted us to be. He's you know, he's always brought the he's brought the things forward that maybe we didn't want to maybe do. Or maybe um I gosh, I I don't even know how to say it. I guess I'm gonna get my words twisted up, but maybe the things that we didn't want to do, but hey, guess what? You're gonna do them because this is where I want you to be. Yes. This is where I need you to go.

SPEAKER_01 8:56

100%. So you're right. You are right. And I feel like one of the the things that it's really brought like perspective is you know, like what has loving each other through so much this fast taught us about ourselves individually and what it has taught us together as a couple.

SPEAKER_02 9:19

Well, it's you know, serving others, serving your spouse and putting you first, as opposed to, you know, putting kids first or putting a job first or putting you know other things first, God, spouse, kids, so on down the line.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

I think it's made us grow too individually as well, because we had, you know, like we had the long-distance dating and we had some of the long distance times in our marriage. And so we were able to not lose ourselves, which I think sometimes couples can do because they are so focused on the other person. And, you know, I feel like we do a good job of having still maintaining our own individuality and allowing each other to be, you know, our own person, but yet we definitely are we honor one another and we definitely like our marriage, like you said, is priority, it's Christ-centered. Um, so I I look at that and think that's that's one of the fruits that's come out of all of these things that we've jam-packed into these four years. So I guess, you know, what is the, I'm gonna ask you this, what what is the single hardest thing from your perspective that we have navigated together in four years?

SPEAKER_02 10:58

Well, that would be moving from Fort Wayne to down to here.

SPEAKER_01 11:03

Okay. And what what did it like? So getting through all of that, what did it show you from your perspective about our marriage?

SPEAKER_02 11:14

That we're stronger together. And that you can't, you know, you can't do things by yourself.

SPEAKER_00 11:22

True.

SPEAKER_02 11:23

You have to communicate.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

You do. You do.

SPEAKER_02 11:28

And that that's really it. That we and we have we've packed a lot of things, you know, within this moving, doing it just the two of us.

SPEAKER_00 11:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:39

I mean, we've packed U-Hauls, we've packed trucks, we've packed trailers.

SPEAKER_00 11:42

We have.

SPEAKER_02 11:43

And we've done it in a very short period of time.

SPEAKER_00 11:46

Oh, we have.

SPEAKER_02 11:47

We've driven thousands of miles.

SPEAKER_01 11:49

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 11:50

You know.

SPEAKER_01 11:51

I and I guess for me, I think the the single hardest thing we've had to navigate together in the last four years has been um the relationships with our blended children. Not their relationships, but like our relationships with them. Yeah. Yeah. That for me, that's that's what it's been. And and I guess what what it is showing me, still showing me, um, is I think it goes back to I think how great you have been to respect my boundaries that I've needed to put in place to protect my heart. And I think that you have been really good allowing me to do that and still trying to support all the relationships and yeah, because well, so let's bring some people up to speed because not everybody's gonna know that our backstory.

SPEAKER_02 13:00

You have two adult kids, and I have three younger kids.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

And, you know, obviously Well, they're not I wouldn't say I wouldn't categorize your three as younger.

SPEAKER_02 13:10

Well, they're in their early twenties. My two older are in their early twenties.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

You know that your daughter's gonna be 26 this year. Well, that's early. That's young. 26. She's she's heading to the back, she's heading to the back end of her twenties. But yeah. She's she's no, but yeah, I get what you're saying. I just when you say younger, I'm like, oh, they're gonna think they're like really young. They're in their 20s and my 26, 29, and 66.

SPEAKER_02 13:36

My youngest is in high school where your two kids are adults and they're out in the real world.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

Of course, of course, yeah. Yes. So, but it does. But I think for me, from my perspective, that's just been the hardest thing. Um, so here's the thing about our anniversary. When we started out, we had decided that we would every year take a little weekend getaway for our anniversary. And we had decided that was gonna be what we were gonna do. We were gonna take, you know, two or three nights away and go do something. And um year one and year two were amazing. They were amazing. The getaway was great. The first year, and then we decided that you would plan the odds and I would plan the evens. Yes. And so we got married in 2022, and so 2023, you planned our weekend getaway, and we went to Nashville back where we got married. Nashville, it was fabulous, and we had so much fun, just the two of us, and it was it was great. However, we still had we still had obstacles that weekend. We had kind of a big obstacle. We had a big thing happen with one of our kids. It was a pretty big deal, and so you know, we we had to go and celebrate us, even though we had this going on too. And so we have had to constantly and consistently navigate these things throughout our marriage. And so then um year two, I planned it, and we went to Onecima, Michigan, and I found the little green cottage, right?

SPEAKER_02 15:56

Yeah, there were like six or seven of these little cottages on this on this couple's property across from this lake.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

And it just so happened like uh they're having their little festival of Neckama Days. Yes, and had an Elvis impersonator, which was amazing. We didn't even know that was gonna happen. Yeah, he was good, and it was, you know, again, it was a great weekend. We had a lot of fun, but again, that weekend, we got a phone call from one of the kids, and there was a thing, and so we had to navigate that. So we have just always had to navigate these things, and I don't think we're I don't think we're alone when it comes to blending. Other couples, I'm sure, have the same story we do.

SPEAKER_02 16:43

Oh, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_01 16:44

And even if you're not blending, I'm sure that couples have the same story that we do. But I think, you know, it's just I wanted to like kind of set this up for here we are. So year three and four, year three, um, we didn't do a getaway. And you know, the I was disappointed in my husband. However, I give I gave him grace and mercy because we were tra we were like doing the transition, we were kind of trying to figure out what like we're moving, what are we gonna do? Reselling this, selling that.

SPEAKER_02 17:33

There was a lot going on.

SPEAKER_01 17:34

There was a lot going on. So we didn't go anywhere, and we just had to celebrate it the best we could. And so here we are, year four, and this would be my year to plan.

SPEAKER_02 17:56

And we have a big getaway planned.

SPEAKER_01 18:02

No, no, we don't.

SPEAKER_02 18:06

And we don't have a getaway planned or something to go do away from here because we don't. We we have a lot going on.

SPEAKER_01 18:17

We do, and we talked about it, and I actually was starting to plan, and then I brought Chad in on the planning and said, I want to bring you in because I don't want there to be expectations and then they're not met, and you know, it's just another thing for us, and I don't want to disappoint either one of us. And so I brought him in, and you know, the thing that we decided was we didn't want to use financial resources um for that at this time because we're investing a lot of things into this compound and our future here. And so we were just choosing to redirect our resources. And I don't, it's not a failure. Um, I think it's great intentionality on our part. Um, but however, I think it's still okay for us to feel like a little disappointed or you know, just I guess sometimes you we see other couples, you know, this is that compare thing where you see other couples that are going all on these, you know, anniversary trips and the cultural expectation that it has to be big and romantic and expensive to be meaningful. And I guess for us, we were just, you know, I was like, hey, I want to kind of normalize this conversation on here because just because we're not doing those things doesn't mean that we are not honoring our marriage, that we are not gonna celebrate our marriage or anniversary because we are, but it's just gonna look a little different.

SPEAKER_02 20:14

It's gonna look like a staycation versary.

SPEAKER_01 20:17

It's a staycation versary. Yes. And so that's what I'm coining it. I'm coining it the staycation versary.

SPEAKER_02 20:25

What did you say about syllables the other night?

SPEAKER_01 20:28

I said we are pronouncing everything on the wrong syllable. Syllable. And you were like, it's syllable. Staycation. I was like, yes, I know. So I think that it's really good to have this conversation and put this out because I I am guessing, I am I'm betting, I'm I'm certain that there are a lot of other couples who feel this pressure.

SPEAKER_02 21:04

Well, yeah, I'm I'm sure there are, and social media doesn't help at all either.

SPEAKER_01 21:10

Right. You're absolutely right. So we have decided on this staycation versary, and um I it's I'm looking forward to it. Yeah, no, I'm I'm absolutely I'm looking forward to it. Um, I think it's gonna be great.

SPEAKER_02 21:27

And it's like a little mini festival. We're gonna be doing different things on different days.

SPEAKER_01 21:31

Yes. And, you know, it's sometimes it's just even the things that close by you that you've wanted to go do and you haven't found the time or you haven't taken the time to do it. And so you're like, oh, this would be a great day because we literally are carving it out. Like there's we're not working. Um, you know, I I blocked it out. I told clients I can't I'm I don't have hours um or sessions open. Um For this for you know, Wednesday and Thursday and through the weekend. Um, and you did the same thing, you're working ahead and taking care of your clients. And so we really have been intentional about this time. And so um I'm gonna we're kind of gonna walk you through like what we're gonna do, but before we do that, I just wanna say this too. I wanna give there's two things I wanna say. The first one is drum roll. Okay, before we talk about our staycation versary, I just need to share this because if you can't laugh about this, then I you have there's just no sense of humor. So as I said before, every year on anniversary there's been something that we've had to deal with, some kind of drama, something's come up, it just you know, and this year is gonna be no exception. So literally on Friday, and today is Wednesday, today is our four-year wedding anniversary. My son informs me that his dad is going to come and visit from Indiana on Wednesday out of all the 365 days of the year, he's coming to visit on our anniversary to the compound to hang out with our son and daughter-in-law and three granddaughters, which, mind you, I think is wonderful. And I am happy that he is coming to visit and spending time. However, can you just even believe it that it's on our anniversary? I was like, oh, okay. And crazy. Yeah, and he's not staying on the compound. He will go stay off compound for the night. However, he will be around during the day. So as we will be in and out on the compound, we will have to probably run into him, which we have a very cordial relationship, but you just you cannot make this stuff up again, out of all the days of the year. And kudos to my husband because I mean, you seem totally unbothered by it. I'm not bothered by it. I just really find the humor. Like you cannot make this up. That's just another thing. It's just, yeah, it's like this is what happens with the blending and the interesting dynamics of all of this. Okay. So our staycation versary, this is what we're doing. So we decided we're going to go have massages.

SPEAKER_02 25:09

Oh, massages.

SPEAKER_01 25:11

Yes. So we have booked massages, and we are going to get a really nice dinner at a restaurant that's new that we've wanted to go to. That you found.

SPEAKER_02 25:27

I love it.

SPEAKER_01 25:29

And we are going to probably go listen to some live music and or play some pot pot. Get Chad to do some singing.

SPEAKER_02 25:45

Oh, in a karaoke bar?

SPEAKER_01 25:47

Yes. Ooh. Because he, you know, is an amazing singer. So we are also going to kind of have like a whole weekend of things we want to do. Like, I like to thrift and go to like vintage markets and things like that. And so we're going to go find some that we've been wanting to go to, but we haven't really just taken the time or made the time to do it. So we're going to do that this weekend. And I think the I don't know, my favorite part of, well, let me just talk about this. So I feel like the massages are, you know, you know, I'm all about self-care. My ladies know this if they follow my coaching page.

SPEAKER_02 26:35

But a good massage is needed.

SPEAKER_01 26:37

It is. And we have done a lot, you know, we've been doing a lot and talking about, you know, the messy middle and doing all these things. And so I feel like we've really neglected our physical bodies because we've just been doing, you've been doing a lot of work around the compounds, like physical hard work. And, you know, I'm carrying around granddaughters and babies. And, you know, it just takes a toll. And so we just chose that, like, listen, we're gonna take, you know, financial financial resources instead of going away, we're gonna go like do some self-care. So um I'm I guess I'm encouraging or I'm giving, you know, our listeners permission to take care of your bodies.

SPEAKER_02 27:24

Yeah, give yourself permission to spend the money to go get a massage or to visit a chiropractor.

SPEAKER_01 27:29

Yeah, even even in a like what you would consider like a tight season or whatever, like do it.

SPEAKER_03 27:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:35

Um, and then, you know, we're we're going to dinner out because that's we're going out for a real anniversary dinner. It's an intentional celebration. It says that this day matters and we're marking it. And um, you know, I I love sitting across from you without an agenda, off of the compound, um, without a to-do list, and just being able for us to connect and talk. And I think that that is really important. And um, I don't think as couples, we do that enough. So that's something we're gonna do. And then the live music is kind of like the unexpected joy because we both love music, and you know, we kind of um that was one of the things that drew us to one another. And um, obviously Chad is a singer and a DJ, and so he loves music. And I think that joy is not a luxury, it's a it's a maintenance for your marriage. And so we always have fun when we go listen to music, or if I can get Chad to sing, then it's always good for me.

SPEAKER_02 28:45

Then it's always good.

SPEAKER_01 28:46

Yeah, and it's it's just being playful together, um, even in really serious seasons. And we need that because we're kind of in a serious season. So we we need to do that. And then, you know, like the thrifting is kind of like adventure, you know, it's just we're going out together and finding different things, and and for me, it kind of hits my creativity um heart, and I love that. And so um we just find unique and and just interesting things, and we just like to do that in the old record shops or antique shops. Yeah, it's fun. And then I think my favorite part of every year of our anniversary is kind of the um the emotional intimacy and kind of like our dream renewal or kind of um I don't know, just for us to kind of go over our intention for the next year together as a couple, just kind of sitting together. And I wanna, I wanna like hear your dreams and well, I'll tell you one of my dreams right now.

SPEAKER_02 29:57

How about that?

SPEAKER_01 29:58

Um You don't have to. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 30:01

She's like, she's like, no, please be quiet.

SPEAKER_01 30:03

Oh no, no, I'm not. But I'm just saying that, you know, I really I like when we just can sit and kind of talk about those things because I don't know. I think emotional intimacy means a lot more to me, especially in a second act for marriage, but also just a second act of life. Um because I think it requires more intentionality than physical intimacy. And I don't think enough couples participate in that. And so I think it for me, it just to be able to dream together after a season that's been so focused on just surviving and building. And our dreams have shifted and they've evolved and they've grown since last year. And um, I just like us to be able to talk about like what we imagine for our marriage, um, and kind of just putting our dreams into words together. And I don't know, I feel like it's kind of an act of faith, and I think it's a good thing to do because I I want us to dream as a couple, however, I think it's still really important that we have two individual paths that are parallel and that we support each other on those. And I always think our anniversary is just a good time for us to take inventory of our marriage. And obviously for us, it that comes in like the Christ-centered marriage and kind of our foundation. And for us, like just talking about what that looks like and how we're doing and how we're keeping up on that and how we're putting our marriage first while also, you know, caring for ourselves, caring for our family and balancing all of that. Um, because there is a lot of tension that goes um with uh blending families and kids and grandchildren and always trying to be present and and help everyone because we do look at that as our ministry as a couple, but we have to protect our marriage as a priority too. Um so it's it's a it's a balancing act. So just how we keep it Christ-centered and handle the seasons when everything feels hard. So for me, as Chad knows, because I that's my love language, like if we can sit and talk and just be emotionally connected, I'm a happy girl.

SPEAKER_02 32:45

We know this.

SPEAKER_01 32:48

Um, but I really encourage all couples to do that. I think it's really, really important. And um obviously you can do it wherever you go.

SPEAKER_02 32:58

I mean, you don't have to do a staycation versary, but well, you know, I I revert back to like Danny and Ryan and how they always they would they lived in Indianapolis, but they would stay in downtown Indianapolis just to get away from their house.

SPEAKER_01 33:10

They would go to host to go connect. Yeah, I think it's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 33:12

Yeah, and and and people don't realize there there's a benefit to doing that. There is couples for couples anyway, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:18

Yeah, because it gets you away from you know laundry and oh, I'm just gonna do this, which is something that we will have to really work hard at. Is you doing more laundry or both of us trying to do things that we're not supposed to be doing during our staycation versary.

SPEAKER_02 33:38

Oh, this week.

SPEAKER_01 33:39

Yeah, like today, tomorrow, this weekend. Tomorrow to Wednesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

SPEAKER_02 33:48

The whole week.

SPEAKER_01 33:49

The whole like kind of, you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:51

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_01 33:52

Yeah. So that's we're gonna have to be very intentional about that.

SPEAKER_02 33:57

I think we can do it.

SPEAKER_01 33:59

I know I can.

SPEAKER_02 34:02

She's looking at me, folks, with a serious look.

SPEAKER_01 34:09

Oh, yeah. He's the guy who'd be like, Yeah, today I just kind of want to take it easy and and rest and you know, not do much. And then the next thing I know, he's got a new project. He's got the drill out and some boards, and uh, he's building something. Yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 34:26

Something. We're trying to build a garden.

SPEAKER_01 34:28

Yes. So uh for me, that's my favorite part of our anniversary weekend weekend is always when we kind of connect and take inventory and stock of our marriage and where we want it to go. Um, what's your favorite part?

SPEAKER_02 34:44

Well, that's I mean, my favorite part is just spending time with you away from here.

SPEAKER_01 34:49

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 34:50

And when it could be here or it could be anywhere where there's a bunch of other people around. Just you and me, getting away and going and doing some fun things. Connecting, talking, having a glass of wine, and just whatever it might be.

SPEAKER_01 35:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:05

So I'm looking forward to that.

SPEAKER_01 35:07

Yes. And so you mentioned something earlier, and so I I always think it's fun to look at what traditionally each anniversary year, like what the symbolic um thing is for it, or like the gift, right? Yes, and so traditionally, year four is fruit and flowers.

SPEAKER_02 35:35

Well, I can tell you I'm never buying you flowers again, so we know that because I get them wrong every time.

SPEAKER_01 35:43

Oh my gosh. Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_02 35:45

So, would you like some mangoes this year?

SPEAKER_01 35:48

You're gonna pick one from our mango tree. I think they're all gone, but however, this is what I loved about the fruit part and the flower is I feel like that couldn't be more perfect for us because I feel like what we're doing with this this move, this compound, this all of this that we've been doing, we've been planting seeds. Lots and lots and lots of seeds that are going to bloom into beautiful flowers and they're producing some amazing fruit. Yeah. And I really do feel like that we are starting to see the fruit.

SPEAKER_02 36:48

How so?

SPEAKER_01 36:50

I feel like we can see it in our kids. I feel like that there's been fruit produced from the fact that you and I have stayed committed to keeping our marriage a priority, how we hold our marriage, how we hold our faith. And I really do feel like our family is a ministry.

SPEAKER_02 37:24

Well, yeah, definitely. It starts at home. And it starts with your kids and your grandkids and your relatives, your and even in some cases your your parents, your your mom and dad, or your grandparents.

SPEAKER_01 37:37

Right.

unknown 37:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:38

You can go backwards.

SPEAKER_01 37:40

And I just see the fruit in our marriage as well. I just you are just so like you never shy away from the conversation. You never shy away from a dream. Like I told you this morning, you always wake up in like you never wake up in a bad mood.

SPEAKER_02 38:03

Well, you did say that today.

SPEAKER_01 38:04

You never wake up in a bad mood.

SPEAKER_02 38:06

My hair's a little crazy and I'm a little groggy, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:09

It's super cute. You're like this sleepy bear that just rolled out of hibernation. And but you're never, you're just never in a bad mood when you wake up.

SPEAKER_02 38:19

Well, because I know that like you you've got the coffee on, it's gonna be hot, it's gonna be great. Because the best part of waking up is Gina in my cup.

SPEAKER_01 38:30

He sings that to me every morning. So it's literally every morning.

SPEAKER_02 38:35

I mean, yeah, I don't, I you know, every day is a blessing. I just told you know, we've got so many friends that are starting to turn 50. I had a friend, Matt, that turned 50, and I you know, I was like, hey, it's a privilege, you know, it's a privilege to be at this age. Like not everybody gets to 50. Yeah. So and you you choose every morning you choose how you're gonna wake up and what foot you're gonna put on the floor first and what your attitude of what your attitude's going to be.

SPEAKER_01 39:06

Yeah, and I just feel like every morning we wake up and we choose each other.

SPEAKER_02 39:15

Well, the cat's out of the bag. I choose you because you make a great breakfast and you you make great coffee.

SPEAKER_00 39:22

There you go.

SPEAKER_02 39:23

And you're always such a delight to be around in your God time in your little smile.

SPEAKER_00 39:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:32

Yeah. So thanks for four years.

SPEAKER_01 39:37

Yeah. Thanks for 40. 40 years.

SPEAKER_02 39:41

It's been a long 40. Man. Here's to 400 more.

SPEAKER_01 39:50

Yes, 400 more. I love that.

SPEAKER_02 39:53

That was a that was a great, that was a great little uh little podcast. Do we have any anything else for our listeners?

SPEAKER_01 39:59

I don't think so. I just I just wanted to share this and you know, just I'm sure we'll be back next week with an update and you know, definitely check out our socials for all the pictures and all the places. Yeah, like maybe we'll we'll take you guys along with us on our anniversary kind of um all the things that we end up doing and kind of show you. Because, you know, one thing I know we had a few weeks ago, we had put a post on our social media like grab your person and go do something fun. And we didn't talk about what we did, but what we did was we um well, you know, we always want to go get tacos, so we found a new place to get tacos, however, it was right next door to an adult arcade, and so we went there and had so much fun. Oh, it was because it was like Pac-Man and Garragons. You could use quarters, yeah, and we played darts, and um, so we emptied our jar of coins and took our quarters and stuff in there, and that was just so fun. And then we got ice cream afterwards because there was a little ice cream shop after that, and honestly, it was like it was a date on a budget because we went to dinner early between like four and six, and so we got the shareable menu, and so that was um thank goodness for happy hour down in Florida, and then the arcade, we think we spent maybe 15, 20 dollars, maybe tops of coins we spent.

SPEAKER_02 41:32

But it was fun.

SPEAKER_01 41:33

We had a lot of we had a lot of fun, so it didn't have a lot of money, but we just we had fun. So if there's you know, if we can encourage you by you know something that we're doing, we'll we'll share it. But yeah, yeah, so thank you so much for listening and letting us get on here and just be really authentic and honest about all of this.

SPEAKER_02 42:00

Yeah, yeah, because it's a lot. It is a lot, it's been a lot of 40 years.

SPEAKER_01 42:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 42:07

And uh we've got 400 to go, so we do. Thank you guys for listening to the Feathered and Grace and Armor podcast.

SPEAKER_01 42:14

Yes, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 42:14

And uh be sure to check us out on socials, say hi, check in. If you need prayer requests, we are here for you. And uh, Gina, if you don't have anything else, we'll uh we'll get out of here. Okay, baby. Love you. Love you. Thanks so much for spending time with us today on this episode of Feathered and Grace and Armor. We hope today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, and gave you something meaningful to carry into your own relationships. If this episode spoke to you, please take a moment to leave us a five-star review on Spotify, share it with someone you care about, and join the conversation with us on social media. If you're walking through a difficult season and need prayer, guidance, support, know that you're not alone. We are here for you. This podcast was produced at the Clubhouse Studios, Tampa, Florida. No rebroadcast or reproduction is permitted without the express written permission of the founders of Feathered and Grace and Armor. Until next time, stay grounded in grace, walk with courage, and remember you're never too late for a powerful second act.