Five Years

Today is our five year anniversary. FIVE years. We are a whole hand old now.

This last year has been a good one, yet it's been difficult in it's own right. In the last year, we've grown together and we have seen our love has deepen and take roots. Our marriage together continues to develop and look just as unique as we are.

Even though much of the last year was spent apart with Todd working two jobs and me left without him, we have purposed to remain close and connect as often as possible in the midst of that. Todd loves me in a way that I have never been loved, and with each passing day, more of my heart finds healing because of it. His strength and sacrifice for Tommy and I this past year has spoken volumes to me of his character. And though the pizza-delivering season was hard and felt like it would never end, it has and I'm excited about the new season that we are entering together. It already feels good to reconnect and see each other more.

Over the last year some of the only time we've had together were trips to the grocery store or staying up until 2:00 in the morning just to be together because he had gotten home late from work. I'm looking forward to more upcoming date nights, weekend adventures, and just eating dinner together as a family. As I write and dream about my hopes for our upcoming year of marriage, I'm curious what the next year will be like for us. We can always plan for things, but often times, life happens and God has other things in mind....

I used to wrinkle my nose and bristle up when people would say things like "Marriage takes work." I thought those people were crazy and maybe they were just in bad marriages or something. And maybe "work" is the wrong word. But marriage does take something! It takes effort, time, compassion, understanding, conflict, resolution, passion, adventure, patience and most importantly love. I'm sure there is much about marriage we have yet to understand or even go through together, but spending five years with the same man has given me the hope that we will make it through anything together because we aren't committed to just staying together because that's the "right" thing to do. We want it to be GOOD and purpose for it to be.

Some of my favorite pictures of us from year 5 of marriage.....

We aren't afraid to kiss in public.
We are totally ourselves. Our gross, weird, selves.
We have an absolute blast together.
If there is such a thing as a "soul-mate," I'm pretty sure we are that for each other. Pictures like this make that completely evident.
We are totally silly. We are hoping that Tommy learns plenty of silly from us.
Life can be really scary. And I'm glad I've got him next to me when things start to freak me out.
Life isn't perfect. But it's rich, full, real, authentic, challenging, tear-full, safe, loving, exciting and full of passion, because it's spent with this man. The man that it is my pride and joy to stand by and call husband as long as we're both alive.

Happy 5th Anniversary babe! I wouldn't want to share my life with anyone else!