I take you….

Tomorrow is our 5 year anniversary. HOLY FIVE YEARS BATMAN!

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that so much time has passed since we stood in front of each other on a very cold day and exchanged rings. I feel that we are such different people now, than we were five years ago. Not in a negative way, but that we’ve grown so much through our shared experiences.

In the past 5 years we’ve bought, remodeled, and landscaped our house; much of which we did ourselves. It was quite the learning experience; not only about home improvement, but about patience with your spouse. I’m proud to call it our home. I love our house, it’s warm and cozy, albeit a complete disaster of toys. We know each of the rooms nooks and crannies and where the mistakes are. We know the blood, sweat, and tears we put into that house and that makes it all the better.

We’ve been through layoffs, new jobs, promotions, overtime, and extra hours at the office. They have all paid off and we have been one of the lucky few who have kept our jobs through this downtrodden economy. In fact the extra work we put in has paid off in career advancements, extra money, and even vacations. I think the fact that we struggled financially during the first year or our marriage helped carve out our future and that lead us to a great path. I’m proud that we worked through that together.

Our greatest accomplishment though hasn’t been our house or careers, but our daughter. Cardin. She changed our lives the morning of November 8, 2008. Our world revolves around this one little person. She has the ability to make the entire day a complete success with just a simple hug or smile. To watch her grow and flourish; this is the greatest gift we can be given as a couple.

Don’t be fooled though lady, it hasn’t been all roses. We’ve been through funerals and fights, we’ve suffered two heartbreaking miscarriages, but at the end of the day I know what pulls me through is the way I felt five years ago when I read my vows to Brett. The love I felt for this man, the happiness that I was able to share with friends and family that night…that’s what helps me through the times when I want to quit.

Happy Anniversary Brett. I love you.