The Family Birthday

Why Our Kids Celebrate Our Anniversary

2nd Annual Wood Family Birthday Party

Eleven years ago, our family began—not just with a wedding, but with a covenant. We stood before God and our community and said yes. That yes wasn’t just for us. It was for them too—the children who would one day call our house home.

Last year, we started a new tradition: turning our anniversary into a family birthday party. Because our marriage isn’t just a private love story—it’s the foundation of our children’s daily life. They don’t just witness our vows—they live in the safety those vows provide.

We spend the day retelling the story of how it all began. We share memories from when we met, flip through our wedding album, laugh about the dates, and remind our kids that this story—our marriage—is what made their world possible. It’s the promise they now depend on.

Marriage isn’t always easy. It’s a daily choice. But every year we keep our promises—especially when it’s hard—we’re giving our kids something irreplaceable. That’s why they get to celebrate it with us. They have a stake in this. Our commitment to each other is what builds their confidence, their joy, and their sense of belonging.

Yes, we still make time for just the two of us. But this tradition is how we show our kids that our marriage belongs to all of us.

-Josh

---

Help us build more strong marriages—and stronger families.

At Them Before Us, we believe that when you protect a child’s right to their mom and dad, you lay the foundation for their emotional, psychological, and social health. But right now, only 50% of kids in the U.S. are raised by their married mother and father to adulthood.

That’s not just a statistic—it’s a generation of kids growing up without the daily presence of the two people who are supposed to love them most.

Our vision is bold and simple:
A world where every child is known and loved by their Mother and Father every day.

But let’s be honest—our culture, our laws, and our technology often prioritize adult desires over children’s needs. We’re here to flip that script.

This month, we’re inviting 50 new monthly donors to step up and help us unlock a $50,000 matching gift—that’s $1,000 for every new monthly donor, no matter the amount.

When you give, you’re helping us fight for the rights of children. You’re joining a movement that says: strong families begin with strong marriages—and kids deserve both a mom and a dad.

Want to do more?
Share your story. Tell us what your mom and dad meant to you. Email us@thembeforeus.com, tag us on social, and use #ANDnotOR to join the movement. Help us remind the world that children aren’t accessories. They’re humans with rights—including the right to their mother and father.

Let’s do this—for the kids.
👉 Learn more, give, or join the campaign here.