Happy Anniversary

Today is my and Andy's five year anniversary.  I remember when I first met Andy, he was just this cute guy I worked with who didn't really talk much.  So much has changed since then.  Now, he's this really cute guy I live with who doesn't really get a chance to talk much. My, how things change. ;)

This past weekend, we had the chance to go on a lunch date together and as we sat there talking, I couldn't help but be struck by how different our lives are compared to when we first began dating.

2002-Newly Dating

We were just a couple of twenty-somethings, working, going to school, and having fun.  My biggest problem at the time was if I was going to have to work all weekend or if I was going to get the chance to spend some time with my friends.  We both worked at Kohl's and we thought it was pretty cool when we were scheduled at the same time.  Our dates were mostly to the movies, to dinner, or hanging out at O'Charley's on The Strip.  Our conversations were mostly about our friends, school, and there was nothing remotely serious about anything we said.

 2006-Newly Married

We were both recent graduates and had our first "real" jobs.  We were renting a townhouse that we didn't have enough items to furnish.  I was learning how to juggle being a wife with being a first year teacher.  We would come home and have the rest of the evening to do whatever we wanted; go to dinner on a whim, go to a movie, go to the pool, or just hang out and watch TV.  We talked about our dreams of having a family of our own someday, but having kids was the furthest thing from our minds.

2011

We are now a couple of thirty-somethings, working, taking care of our kids, and having fun.  Our conversations are peppered with words such as, "mortgage", "home-equity," "good school zone," "insurance," "baby-proofing," and "discipline."  Finding time to spend with just the two of us is rare and usually spent wondering how the kids are doing.  Spontaneity is a thing of the past. Going to dinner, a movie, or the pool are life-changing events that require more preparation than a NASA shuttle mission. We don't have big problems, but lots of little worries: 

"Will Emma ever be potty trained?"

"When will I have time to mow the yard?"

"Do you think Sophia's teeth are coming through?"

"What are we having for dinner tonight?"

I look around and see lots of strong, healthy relationships that I admire and strive for.  We are blessed to both have our parents still happily married.  I know that five years doesn't seem like much, just a stepping stone is our lives, really, but when I think about all that we have accomplished in our five years together, I'm pretty proud of us.  

We have committed our lives to each other.

We bought our first house and turned it into a home.

We brought two of the most beautiful baby girls into this world and are doing a darn good job of raising them.

We love each other more now than we did five years ago and are thankful to know that our love will continue to deepen as we grow together.

Through it all, my husband still makes me feel like that twenty-something without a care in the world.  And that is definitely something to celebrate.