Those steps were the start of a lifelong commitment with my best friend. There are no returns, exchanges or refunds. There is no money-back guarantee. We made an oath that will last a lifetime. We made a promise to each other, that no matter how hard it gets, no matter how tough life is, we will walk through it together. Those were the last steps I made as a single woman. Since that day, I've had someone to walk beside me.
I am so grateful that I have Brian. He's not perfect, but neither am I- far, far from it. He is one of the most generous people that I know. He is loving and gentle, and so wonderful with our boy. If I could have seen a glimpse into the future when we first met, and seen him with Caleb, I would have melted right on the spot.
Today I didn't don my wedding dress, but as I traditionally do, I put on my bridal accessories: my headband, bracelet, and earrings. I don't know of anyone else who does this, but the accessories are subtle and not in-your-face, and I enjoy putting on those things I wore as a bride. And yes, I plan to do that every year, even if I make it to my eighties.
Brian took off of his second job today so we could spend the whole day together. I had requested our wedding song on the Christian radio station, as I do every year, to be dedicated to Brian, but I stupidly forgot to turn the radio on! I was so caught up in some important research I was doing, and I completely forgot. I told Brian about it, and showed him my e-mail as proof of the request.
We exchanged gifts, and we are following the traditional anniversary gifts, and this year was leather. I got for Brian our initials plus our wedding date carved into a piece of leather which was made to look like a tree. It is hard to explain, but it looks really nice. Brian bought me a cute leather bag and had our wedding date stamped on the back.
For the second year in a row, Brian took me out to dinner on the lake, with Caleb in tow. He was so well-behaved and it was so fun to take him. Most people think of an anniversary as a time to have a romantic dinner- ALONE- but that is not an option for us. Even if it were, meaning, even if we had family close by, we probably would take him with us anyway. He is the very best part of our lives, and we love doing things together as a family.
Brian and I couldn't agree which family photo was better, so here's two for you, plus a few more from the day:
