the fiddlehead report...a day in the life of the Rikkers: 15 years ago....

15 years ago.....I married my best friend, my love, my partner in life

We were young, in love and eager to happily begin our life together.

Our wedding was held at the Historic Courthouse in Stillwater, Minnesota....beautiful.

I think it is best we didn't know the challenges we would face. The growing pains.

We were both growing and both changing....together.

Some how, by being together, we were able to become more of ourselves side by side.

Like the symbolism of a teeter-totter.....there were ups and downs. But to find the balance we worked at it and worked at it. Over the years we have become better communicators, better listeners, better at knowing eachother and ourselves. That's the key, or at least one of them....and remembering the balance just doesn't happen, it requires understanding, love, compromise.

In 15 years of marriage we have finished degrees, moved between states(WI/MN to KS, MI, WI) and a year in Strasbourg, France. There were internships/residencies, and then jobs we loved and didn't love. We decided to grow our family, there were miscarriages, and then 3 pregnancies and birthing 3 beautiful boys in 5 years. And then in our 11th year we began our journey into adoption and brought home our daughter from Ethiopia. There have been wonderful furry little souls (Porter the Pug, BlueBoy) that we have loved, snuggled with and said good-bye to. We purchased several homes, each of which we worked hard on, loved and made memories in. We have lived on loans, and very small pay checks, pinched pennies and recycled cans (10cents a can) in Michigan to make ends meat. We have played hard and lived/ traveled around the world, with 2 small children. We have yelled and cried, made mistakes and resolved to do better. We have grown some gray hairs and began some lines on our faces, hopefully more from smiling.
We have laughed, at each other and ourselves.