Seven Years

Seven years ago I woke up at 5 in the morning with a million butterflies in my stomach. "Today's the day," I thought. It was a big day for me. I was both equally nervous and excited. In 9 hours I would walk down the aisle and marry my best friend.

Let me back up here. B and I had been engaged a total of 5 months. In fact, just 4 days shy of 5 months. We'd only been together for 11 months. We had quite the whirlwind romance. When we had first started planning our wedding, we knew we didn't want a long engagement, so we had set a date for September. Then, as we planned, things started to get out of control. Our small, intimate, less than 100 guests wedding, turned into a 300+ guest circus. People we didn't even know were being invited. Friends of the family who we'd only met once as a kid, distant family we hadn't seen in years. We had to choose a different location because our guest list had grown so much.

One night B and I were talking about our future, and how out of hand our wedding plans had gotten. I wish I could tell how it happened, but it was such a blur, I don't really remember. We decided, on a whim, to somewhat elope the following Saturday and then move the next day from Texas to Alabama. Don't ask me why Alabama, I really don't know. So, we called our immediate family, told them we were getting married the next weekend, and to be there or be square. And with that, I walked down the aisle on Saturday, June 24, 2006 and said I do to the love of my life, with a total of 14 guests in attendance.

Seven years have passed since then. I look back and think about how we were just kids. So young and hopeful for our lives together. We had no plans, just a love for each other. So much has happened in the last seven years. We've moved all around (back and forth to Alabama twice!), we've changed jobs, we've fought like crazy and made up, we've had a beautiful daughter, and we've loved each other like crazy. I look back at that day and it's hard to recognize that 20 year old girl with the million butterflies in her stomach. I've changed and grown so much. And so has B, he's become a wonderful man, husband, and father. Through everything that we've gone through in the last seven years, I wouldn't change a thing, otherwise we wouldn't be us.

B, I love you so much. You've helped me become the woman I am today, and I don't know what I'd do without you. You're such an amazing husband, and an even more amazing father. M and I couldn't ask for better. Thanks for putting up with me this long! LOL Here's to seven more years of me and you, babe, and many more after that.