Today Marks Our 4 Year Anniversary!

I can hardly believe it, but today, March 5th, marks our 4th wedding anniversary. It's weird because while it seems like it was just yesterday, it also feels like it's been an incredibly LONG 4 years. Weird how timelines can be so conflicting like that...

I think about all that's happened in the past 4 years and I'm blown away at the pace of life. We lost my mom shortly after our wedding which was incredibly hard. Braeden was born that September and was colicky as hell. We built a house and our first home together sat on the market for a year, to the day... We've made amazing friends in our new subdivision, people I know will always be in our lives. We traveled to Mexico. We took our first of several "family" mini vacation to the Dells with Braeden. I started my own Uppercase Living business which Joe is very supportive of. I got a part time job at the Athletic Club I belong to. Braeden started preschool this winter and is thriving. We watched our investments climb to exciting levels and saw them drop drastically. We became Godparents to my sister's son. We've spent 3.5 years raising a son who is, thus far, incredibly compassionate, funny, loving, smart and we spend so much time talking about how he's going to turn out...hoping we're doing right by him.

Most people would probably sit and type out an emotionally charged entry about how great married life is and how happy they are. I'm more of a realist than that, and I love that about myself. Marriage is not easy. Living with the same person in a union year after year is incredibly challenging as once the honeymoon (figurative and literal) are over, you are faced with life's daily grinds. There are struggles, things you wish happened differently, concessions you sometimes need to make and tough decisions that you don't always agree on. I don't think marriage is easy, and anyone who gloats differently has their head up their ass.

But I'll tell you what I think marriage IS.... It's an evolution. It's an evolution where you move from who you used to be to who you are today. Because of my husband, I am a strong woman. I am a supporting wife and loving mother. I cannot imagine being anywhere except right here, right now. Good and bad.

It's not the same as it used to be, but we've evolved. We no longer make out in bars (thank God for all in our company) or get drunk 5 out of 7 nights a week because we don't know what else to do. We don't lay around all day on Sundays anymore because we have different responsibilities. We don't eat out 5 nights a week anymore because the best time of the day is when Braeden's eyes light up listening to Daddy talk at the dinner table over a simple meal I've put together. Sometimes the biggest fire in our bedroom is a heated conversation over what a farce the local news is.

In the past 4 years, Joe has gotten to know me better than anyone else and I love that. We are so in sync at times it's almost scary...sometimes I'd like my thoughts to be private but he often seems able to read them. He knows what makes me tick, he knows how to spoil me, and he knows how to be supportive. And I, in turn, know the same about him. And although I am often a nag (by my own admission), he loves me anyways, even if he doesn't remember that at that given moment. It often slips my mind that I love him too when he's being unreasonable or pessimistic. But we always come back to the same spot and remember how much we love each other. We're a REAL couple, not two people putting on a front of perfection. We have ups and downs and always will. But I'll take them. For him, I will take them.

So here, 4 years later Joe, I love you completely with everything that I am. I cannot imagine my life without you and now, while stress is high thanks to our dismal economy, know that I will ALWAYS be there for you. You will always be my guy, and I look forward to all the years we have yet to share...