8 years of wedded....bliss?

8. Years. That's like going through high school twice. That is a LONG time, but not really that long because it still feels like we are in the beginnings of it. We're still learning how in the world a marriage works. Some days we are spot on, other days it looks like we drug our marriage out into the middle of a muddy field and did donuts on it. I hear that's normal. I'm glad. 

What a crazy 8 years. 4 kids, 395 dogs, a cat, a horse, (you wont let us have a fish because of that time in college that I bought that aquarium and all those little neons and bright fish and the next morning half of them were floating, so we replaced them and those all died too cause apparently I didn't feed them enough). Well I have news for you pal...everyone deserves a second chance and I think I'm ready for another fish dadgumit. I haven's forgotten to feed the kids for 7 years so I think I've proven myself. I lied yesterday when I said I wasn't expecting an anniversary gift. Well, I didn't lie, I have changed my mind. You better come home with a fish bowl and something OTHER than a beta in it buddy. Our next 8 years together depend on what I see when you walk through that door this evening. And I don't want a stinking goldfish either. I want something bright and pretty to look at. Be sure to ask the fish guy if our new pet will be happy all by itself. If he says no, well then you better bring home 2 fish. I can do this.

Marriage is fun isn't it? I suppose if you don't start popping 89 kids out right off the bat then it would be a little MORE fun but we like a challenge, obviously. Or at least I like a challenge, I did marry YOU after all :) 

Wedded bliss doesn't occur 365 days a year. It might not even occur 182.5 days a year, but I can tell you when I have known what wedded bliss feels like. July 30, 2007. December 5, 2008, February 16, 2009. February 28, 2010. July 16, 2010. April 10, 2012....and a whole bunch of other dates that I'll never remember. It took me 23 years to gain my very own testimony of our God, on Feb. 16th you threw together my baptism in less than a day. I cherish my testimony more than anything and I love that no one can take it away from me. I love that you never ever once tried to force a baptism on me. Getting sealed as a family in the Dallas Temple a year later was another day of wedded bliss. All 4 of our babies, so brand new and sweet and healthy....except for that one that has a murmur and a hole in his heart, he's not as healthy as the others, but he's healthy enough for us! As I laid there on the operating table, guts sitting on my chest, throwing up on myself, eyes tightly shut so that I might not catch a glimpse of my guts in the reflection of the giant light hanging right above me. I would crack them open every once in a while to puke or desperately get your attention so you would scratch my entire face off because the anesthesia was ruining my life....well those moments HAD to have been wedded bliss because not only would you watch the entire c-section but you would have conversations with Dr. Nelson as he was working on me. And you were still happy and smiling even with my intestines just a short distance away from your face. Yeah, that's definitely wedded bliss. You keep buying me puppies even though they just. keep. dying. Moose is sturdy though, he's gonna make it. I can tell. Like all of the others I will love him to death...but not literally. Because that makes me sad. I hope you don't give him away while I'm out for the day. 

And just like our puppies, I will love you until the day that you die. Unless I die first. And I will also continue to love you even after that because guess what...we are SEALED together and we still have a whole eternity to go as long as we obey the commandments. 

This photo is from the weekend after we got engaged

I love you Jared! Happy 8th Anniversary!