5 Years Ago Today...

5 years ago today, I married my best friend. I am so lucky that I can say those words and honestly mean them. The past 5 years have been full of ups and downs but have been the very best 5 years of my life.

Adam and I met casually about 8 years ago. We were both dating other people. We lived in the same apartment complex and our relationship consisted of a passing "hello" when checking the mail or running into one another in the parking lot. Two years later we seemed to be running into each other every few weeks (Thank You Klings!). Adam called me on a Wednesday morning for a Saturday evening date (following all "The Rules") and I accepted. We went out on that date and have hardly been apart since. We made a down payment on our house 6 weeks after our first date, were engaged 6 weeks after that and married almost 1 year to the day from that first date!

We have experienced great heartbreak and tremendous joy over the past 5 years. We lost a beloved dog, suffered infertility and miscarriage, lost jobs, and said goodbye to my grandpa Fink, and fought, nursed and eventually lost my mom to cancer. We have held hands through his little sister's countless surgeries and eventual loss of an eye and his dad's heart surgery just last week.

On September 8, 2005, we welcomed Olivia Jane into our world. She has been our light and brought us more happiness than we could have ever imagined. She is the perfect combination of her mom and dad. She is beautiful and smart and outgoing and witty! She has a special way of touching people and making them love her!

On January 27, 2009, we had Amanda Grace. We wanted her so badly. She will probably never understand how hard we tried for her. She is not even 6 months old and already has a smile that will melt your heart and light up a room. She loves to cuddle and coo and has the sweetest temperament. She is wonderful and gorgeous and the "perfect" answer to our prayers.

Adam and I have laughed until our sides hurt. We have taken fun vacations and spent time with our many wonderful friends. We have long conversations about everything and nothing. We embrace our differences and respect each other's point of view. Though we don't always see eye to eye, we understand one another.

When I was a little girl I dreamed about my wedding day. I played wedding with my Barbies, my dog married the neighbors dog in a lavish backyard ceremony, and I pretended to walk the aisle with tulip bouquets a time or two. As I got older, I fought to catch a "real" bouquet at friends wedding (okay, so maybe I tried to catch more than just one!) and bought Bride magazine to look at rings and princess dresses. 5 years ago today, just as the doors were opening to the wedding of my dreams and my dad was about to walk me down the aisle in my pretty white dress, I looked at him and said "I have dreamed of this moment all my life and now it's here!" It was. It has been. I trust that it always will be.

I realize now that being married is much, much more than diamonds and pretty white dresses. Being married to Adam is give and take, good and bad, happy and sad, and the best decision I ever made.