8 Years

8 Years ago today, my father walked me down an aisle in our backyard garden to be married to the boy up the street. Today marks our 8 year wedding anniversary...Though I don't think of us as being married for only 8 years-I keep track in years been together, which is now up to 13. We have other anniversaries too- the year we bought our house, first went on certain trips, started a business, pregnancy, the birth of our daughter...

This one is a big one though. It marks for me, the start of a really big adventure with my husband. With my bestest friend in all the world. This adventure of marriage has been what all of our adventures are: challenging, funny, comforting, frustrating, fulfilling, draining, maddening, uplifting, sustaining, perfect, terrifying, exhausting, hilarious, unbelievable....we all have a big adventure or two in our lives, this marriage is one of mine.

Today when I think back to our wedding 8 years ago, to who I was, what I thought was important, relevant and real-I realize that I am a very different girl today. I am sure my husband is different too. I am thankful that we have become different together. We seem to have grown up and are still curious about the future changes the other will go through-curious enough to stay in the game, so to speak.

Today I want to thank my husband. I want to say thank you for so many things. Thank you for taking care of my crazed, unreasonable, frantic, obsessed, manic self, for always believing in my new projects, even when it means I tear the house apart for weeks, for always shaving shortly after growing a beard, for bringing me cereal in the middle of the night when I was pregnant, for being there for every second of my labor and Ava's birth and every day since then, for being a loving and involved father, for all the crazy things we have done, places we have been and experiences we have been through together, for every day that you have been there leading up to today, for the past 13 years, for being you, you have made me laugh, you have made sure I make it through, and I appreciate that you are still here every day when I wake up. I know it isn't easy and that I (often!) make you want to "poke your eyes out"...(I think that is how the quote goes!) Thank you. Thank you for making me want to (frequently) poke my eyes out too. What would life be without passion!?!

We never have a dull moment, never a boring day. That is how I like our life. Full, sometimes unbearable, usually exciting and hopeful, always ridiculously humorous and curiously magical. It's been a wonderous 8 years.