5 Years!

Today is my anniversary and I believe a "Congratulations!" is in order!! Today marks the day 5 years ago Dustin and I officially became husband and wife. I looked back at my blog from last year, and not much has changed. Then again, everything has.

June 18, 2006

Last year at this time, we were happy parents of 2 beautiful little girls. We had more money in our bank accounts, more free time, and less worries. This year, it's quite the opposite, though I find myself much happier. Our son is here, our children are all healthy, (and costing us a fortune), we have fewer date nights and more on our plates than ever! I constantly worry about each of them, but that's what being a parent is all about. Honestly, there's no one I'd rather worry with than my husband, and that, in a sense, brings me peace.

Each year brings new adventures, new forks in the road, and decisions to be made. I think we have a strong enough relationship to tackle anything, and this past year has really put us to the test. Laila's diagnosis was hard, to say the least, it pushes my limits of sanity on a frequent level. When I crack, he's there to catch the pieces. Without him, there would be no me. Not long after Laila's diagnosis came Dustin's news of surgery. Handing this, in some ways, was harder than dealing with Laila. Spending nights apart, watching your child in pediatric intensive care, crying yourself to sleep- no one wants to do those things alone. Though the miles separated us during those times, we were never alone.

When Dustin asks me why I love him, my mouth goes blank. It's not that I don't have an answer, it's that no answer seems good enough. I love him for who he is, and who I am when I'm with him. He makes me face my fears, but he's right there to hold my hand. He's my biggest fan, and always there to catch me if I stumble. Without his smile, my life would be lonely, his laughter is music to my ears. Knowing I married my best friend completes the puzzle of my heart, and that's a feeling no words can describe.

Whenever I'm homsick, Dustin comforts me. He reminds me of the good times and leaves out the bad. He brings a light to the future brighter than the sun, a warmth to my soul no blanket could, and a feeling inside me I never knew possible. Every morning when I rise and I see his long eyelashes flutter open next to me, I know I made the right choice. I feel it in the depths of my being, this is the man I will spend the rest of my life with. Here's to another 5 years, 5 more after that, and the rest that follow. Even when we're apart, I know we're never alone, we're always in each other's hearts.

May 16, 2011