First Kiss

I still remember the feeling I felt when we first kissed.

Marriage isn't always easy, it's probably one of the hardest things in life. But if you are willing to work at it, it's also one of the most rewarding.

Marriage may not be what Hollywood portrays, romance, sex and then "Happily Ever After"...But it's so much more than that.

I remember as a young adult, watching movies like Sleepless In Seattle, Pretty Woman, and The Notebook, thinking "Wow!" I felt like love, finding "True love" would solve everything!

Then I got married, and everything was perfect, a dream come true...AT FIRST. Then once the honeymoon wore off, and children came into the picture..That's when reality set in.

Wow, marriage is HARD!

Suddenly, date nights were a rarity, sleep, SEX, almost everything enjoyable seemed to be put on the back burner. Then when we finally seemed to develop a "routine" and things were getting easier, "We're Pregnant!" (This happened a few too many times, we have 6 kids!)

But what I realized is this, that IS true love! Real love!

Real love is someone holding your hair when you are puking your guts out, with morning sickness, it's someone staring at you when you look absolutely hideous, with huge bags under your eyes from sleep deprivation and saying "You're beautiful!" It's someone wiping your tears when your heart has been broken by death. Its someone standing next to you, pushing till their red in the face, and crying with you as your baby takes their first breaths of life..

Its someone willing to die for you, willingly sacrifice themselves for you. Marriage should be a picture of the sacrifice paid at the cross. Anything different from that, is a lie. That was messy, it was bloody, and it was painful BUT it was beautiful. Because true love IS a sacrifice. And sometimes it means dying to ourselves, our fleshly, selfish, selves and putting our spouse's needs before our own needs.

Marriage is a battle for the one you love. Fighting to make things work, when you get knocked down, you get back up. You never give up, when things are hard, when you're sleep deprived, moody, hormonal and unbearable, they're there by your side- loving you unconditionally.

THAT is a beautiful love story. That is a REAL love story.

We’ve been together for almost 12 years now, married almost immediately after we dated... And I can honestly tell you, it wasn't easy making it this long... But it was worth it!

I have an amazing man that I get to wake up next to every day. I have an amazing family, I love them all so much- that it hurts (in a good way) AND we are happy. How much better can it get?

But this is all due to two people fighting for each other, determined to make things work, determined to make time for one another, and willing to sacrifice for love. We chose love, it IS a decision! And you have to make that decision.

The choice is yours, I choose love, will you?

I'm your Mrs International reminding you-
TO CHOOSE LOVE,

Priscilla