Today marks our Decennial Anniversary!
It's hard to believe this happened a decade ago. It seems both just a short while ago and forever, at the same time.
But in that time, we have added to our family...
Thomas - in 2005
Mary Alice in 2008
and Henry in 2010
Oh, and these two in 2012. (Don't let their cuteness fool you, they are as mischievous as the three rugrats above.)
Now its just a regular party at our house!
In all seriousness, John and I have accomplished a lot these last ten years. We have accumulated seven degrees between the two of us. We have visited Europe, and most of the Western United States (together, that is). We have moved twice. Bought a home. Spent close to a third of our marriage renovating said house. We are actively raising (and I do emphasize the "active" part) our three wonderful and engaging children. They have brought so much joy to our lives. And stolen our sleep. But we prefer to think about the joy part. We have even managed a mid-life career change that has sent John back to school for yet another degree, this time in a different city away from our little family. We have dealt with the heartaches of deaths and job losses. And I can't remember a time when John and I have ever been closer than we are now. Life has been good to us.
Tens years has gone so quickly, and I am sure that 20 years will come before we know it. But if history has anything to tell us, it's gonna be a hell of a good ride (not to mention scenic... those of you who have ever traveled with John will understand what I mean).
Factoid for today: The decennial anniversary is marked by a gift of tin or aluminum. "Whoa... What??" Yeah, that was my reaction, too. Seriously... tin or aluminum? I mean, heck - 5 years will get you something made of wood. You can usually find something pretty classy that is made of wood. But tin or aluminum? What are you supposed to do with that? Random resource around the Internet point out that tin or aluminum can represent strength and flexibility at the same time, which does make it sound a bit better, but doesn't exactly drive away the initial impression of a loving couple exchanging a can of vegetables and a baseball bat. They just don't scream the anniversary theme of "everlasting devotion" or even a simple "Darling, I am so happy to have spent the last 10 years with you." I motion that we remove tin/aluminum from the list and make it a "Get 'em the nicest thing you can afford right now" year. Which, in our case, would probably be some flowers... picked from the neighbors yard. Simple, inexpensive, and at least it requires some dangerous trespassing as a test of one's devotion.
