Five Years Ago Today

Five years ago today, Joe and I were married.  All of my wedding pictures are in storage right now, so I took a picture of the two pictures we have in the house of our wedding.  Interestingly, the photographer told us our wedding was the last wedding he was shooting with traditional 35mm film- after our wedding he was upgrading to digital.  I remember thinking that sounded so technologically advanced, and never thought I would have a digital camera- how things can change in only five years.

Yes, how things can change in five years.  Looking back at our wedding day, it almost seems like it was another lifetime ago!   At times it seems like that our lives five years ago was the “calm before the storm,” and the “storm” being the wonderful two children we are blessed to have.  Some of the obvious big differences between our lives in September 2002 and September 2007-

2002: I was a compulsive neat freak.

2007: Now if there is a teeny, tiny path, through my house, which I can walk through without stepping on a toy, I think my house is clean enough. 

2002: Three loads of laundry a week was a lot.

2007:  If I don’t have three loads of laundry a day, it has been a “light” day- (no one threw up, or covered themselves in jelly, dirt, mud, etc.) 

2002: I thought tired meant not getting 8 hours of sleep.  I actually have a degree in floral design (a new fact about me!), and I did the flowers for our wedding.  I stayed up until 4am the Thursday night into Friday morning doing them.  I got up around 9 or 10 the next morning- the day before the wedding, and I was just dragging all day. 

2007: Getting five or six hours of sleep at a time is a GOOD, FULL night of sleep.  I don’t plan on getting 8 hours of sleep in a row until the boys move out.

2002: Joe and I go out every weekend- usually starting around 8pm on Friday night for dinner, and a movie.  Who cares if it was the late movie?  We could sleep in as late as we wanted on Saturday.

2007: At 8pm Joe is usually giving the boys a bath, while I am doing the bedtime prep for Ryan and Cole. We have eaten hours ago; in fact when we go out to dinner now, we are usually eating with the senior citizens at the early bird special, because our kids like their dinner at 5. 

Sleeping in on Saturday means 7am IF Ryan decides to sleep that late.  Otherwise he wakes us up at 6:30, telling Dad especially he needs to get up and make him waffles.

2002: Joe and I had time for dates and quiet dinners at our favorite restaurants, sometimes with family and or friends.

2007: A date now is dinner with the kids at Noodles, and the only time we see friends is if I run into another Mom I know at Noodles, while she is trying to juggle her kids and food!  Quiet dinner- yea right!  I guess if neither boy is talking, screaming, laughing, crying, or banging their silverware against the table for more than 10 seconds that would count.

2002: I thought my life was complete- children would only add to it.

2007: My children are my life- I could not have imagined how much I love them- not only do they add so much each and every day, they are the best of Joe and I. 

2002: I didn’t think I could love my husband more than on our wedding day.

2007: I love my husband more than on our wedding day.  He is the best father I could have hoped and dreamed of for my children.  I never considered my love would grow for him, when he became a father.

2002: I thought I was so fortunate to be marrying Joe, who I loved with all my heart.  I thought I was pretty lucky!

2007: I am so fortunate to be married to a  man, who I still love.  Even when we are stressed, sleep deprived, and argue, we always manage to make-up, and get back to where we are “okay.”

Happy Anniversary!