{8} years

Eight years ago today I got married at the ripe old age of {20}.

I'm so, so glad that I did.

I'm married to my best friend and I would not trade our years together for anything in the world.

Our:

{first year of marriage} was spent living in Santa Barbara, carefree and young and staying up way too late, dining on State Street, laying out by the pool and going to the movies.

{second year of marriage} found us leaving Santa Barbara, buying our first home in Santa Maria, and giving birth to our first baby: a precious little girl.

{third year of marriage} included the joys of parenting, facing the devastation of miscarriage and beginning the process to adopt from Ethiopia.

{fourth year of marriage} took us to Ethiopia where we met our two sweet sons.

{fifth year of marriage} brought the birth of another beautiful baby girl.

{sixth year of marriage} took us from the Central Coast of California to Denver, Colorado.

{seventh year of marriage} we were gifted with TWO pregnancies. We look forward to meeting one of those babies in Heaven.

{eighth year of marriage} brought the birth of our THIRD baby girl, and also the beginning of another Ethiopian adoption process.

It is funny to look back over that list and compare our first year together to, well, the rest of them.

Life was simple in 2002, but it was, well, not full. And even amidst the fun and the ability to run quick errands, we knew it. I think about that time we had together, before pacifiers and skinned-knees and time-outs. Before Kevin was a dad, and before I was a mom. I treasure those memories, but I'm glad it didn't last. I'm glad the Lord gifted us with a sweet baby girl, who we discovered on our one-year-anniversary.

Our life together, like any life, has been filled with joys and sorrows alike. As the years and adventures slip by, I'm more and more convinced that I made a good choice, or rather that God made a good choice for me. The vocation of marriage and motherhood is a profound gift and today, I'm celebrating eight years with my best friend.

(Tonight we're all going to dinner at an Italian restaurant in our neighborhood. I can't wait!)