Love & Marriage

Love at first sight...you can call it cliche, call it whatever you want.

Doug and I met June 17, 2002 and we instantly fell in love. If anyone would have told me when I was a kid that I would meet and fall in love with my husband at 18 years old, I wouldn't have believed them.

Three months into our relationship I remember saying to myself, "I am going to marry this guy some day." 14 months into our relationship Doug nervously got down on one knee and proposed to me. The excitement and happiness for the next step in to our future in one word would be "powerful." We couldn't wait to share the news with our family and friends.

We received so much love and support as our lives were shifting to move forward. However to this day I remember the response a person gave to us when we announced our engagement. Instead of a blessing or sharing happiness this was said, "I hope you wait a while." How to respond to that? It's been nearly 9 years since then and to this day I honestly don't know if there is any right way to respond to that.

One thing I am very certain is that we have love that only grows stronger with each year. Marriage isn't an easy thing and if anyone tells you it is they aren't living in reality. In the last 10 years of our relationship and 7 years of marriage we have been through a lot of ups and downs. Some things in life make it hard to think you will get past something and that there are brighter days a head. Sometimes life events cause stress on a marriage, been there done that. Our marriage was tested with our son's two month battle in the NICU that was anything but rainbows and sunshine. Instead of growing apart, it brought us together. We hold tight, hoping and praying for a safe arrival our second son in November.

It takes two people to make a relationship work, even sometimes it takes two people fighting with all their might to hold the pieces together. Every marriage is different and I can't speak for any other, I am speaking from our own marriage our own relationship.

You know what I love about our marriage and relationship? Everything. The good, bad, ugly, and the sunshine that follows. That's life, unpredictable...filled with happiness, sorrow, love, forgiveness, excitement. That unpredictability fuels our marriage and keeps us wondering where life will take us and our family.

Monday evening we celebrated our 7 year marriage with simplicity. We ate dinner at the first restaurant Doug ever took me too in our little town. We then walked some trails in one of the most beautiful areas in town.

With a tripod and timer, we managed to capture of few "date night" anniversary photo keepers. 



Doug captured this image of Baby Bee and I, the best anniversary gift ever.