It's hard to believe that two years have passed because I remember the day so vividly in my memory, and I know it'll be one I cherish for my whole life.
Two years ago today we started our own little journey not just as man and wife but as a family!
One whole unit.
It's crazy and so exciting to think that at year 3 we'll have an 8 month old!
Two years ago I became the happiest woman in the world to be marrying the most amazing man ever, and to this day I feel the same way :)
It's hard to believe that this weekend marked 7 years of being with my amazing hubs.
No, not all in marriage, but together in a relationship.
It doesn't feel like 7 years and I mean this in the best way possible.
Time has flown by and looking back brings back so many memories.
We've been through our ups and downs.
We've had our fun moments, and moments that real life has kicked us in the behind and have plain ole sucked.
We've changed and grown both together and as individuals as we've experienced and been experiencing new things in what seems to be almost every day.
College brought us a wealth of knowledge when it came to one another, ourselves, friendships, and of course prepared us for the big kid world.
Marriage has brought on it's own challenges and learning experiences.
Some we've really come to love and cherish while others are points that made us realize that we are never truly done trying to better ourselves and not just for ourselves but for each other.
Now we are moving on to a whole other chapter of bringing a life into this world.
3.5 months down and oh boy has it has already been a journey for the both of us.
I can't wait to take on parenting with someone I know will be a fantastic father.
I'm blessed beyond words.
Seriously, when it comes to how I feel about Kev and I's relationship I have a hard putting it into words because it means so much to me and I've gained so much from being with an amazing person.
I can't wait to see what the future holds for us because the past has been more than I ever would have dreamed of.
This song has recently hit the top 40 charts and couldn't be more appropriate for this occasion :)
We all have our favorite things in this world.
Things we live for.
Things we could never live without.
I believe I have more than 10 overall but I suppose some of these are fairly generic because there are just certain aspects that I love but could change a bit from situation to situation.
1) People and our relationships:
This would encompass all of those important to me. Kev, my family, friends. More importantly it's the relationships that I have formed with these people that I absolutely live for. All these relationships are different, changing and growing and it's so fun to go through that. Granted not all relationships I've had have lasted, but I suppose that is life and it's something I'm willing to go through in order to become the person I want to be. Without these relationships I would never be who I am and I would never have the wonderful people in my life that I will ensure are there forever.
2) Gunner, and really all animals.
I seriously can't get enough of my mutt man...or really animal. I just love 'em! No matter how many times I see or hear it it breaks my heart to know there are people out there who are cruel to animals and I'll never understand it. Heck it breaks my heart to see people treat their animals like pets, and they aren't even treating them bad, but they aren't treating them like little humans like I do! Animals are a passion I have and one I'll never grow out of.
3) A good meal.
Let's be real folks, we've all had those meals that we just die over every single bite we take and that NEVER gets old. The words "Oh my god, this is SO good", and "MMMMM" have to be a constant part of my vocabulary or I tend to not be a very happy person.
4) Traveling.
Not only because I get a vacation but I really believe that getting the chance to explore new places helps you explore yourself. It helps open the mind, see new cultures/ideas/beliefs, and try things you may never have tried if you just stuck around home base. Of course the food and relaxation that are sure to happen doesn't hurt either.
5) Music.
Nothing like a good song to put you into a better mood. Really, I enjoy any song that gets my emotions going, not just happiness. Anything that helps me know that others relate always seems to make me feel better. Plus I love to dance so even if it's not meaningful and I can dance too it makes me happy!
6) Memories.
I thoroughly enjoy the fact that we are a species that has the ability to recall happenings in our lives. Getting to think back to when I was a kid playing in the yard with a favorite toy, driving to football or basketball games with friends, and many other things that I really can rattle off without rambling is honestly a pass time that I love! Having photos to go with them is like the ultimate icing on the cake for me. I don't want to say I live in the past because I don't but those things, good or bad, did put me where I am today. I have no regrets and it often reminds me of how blessed I truly am to have so many memories to recall that make me smile :)
7) The fall.
Yes, I am one of those people that if I could live in a world where it was constantly in the 60's and 70's I would be thrilled. Rain is also welcome. I love everything about the fall! The colors, the smells, the activities, I seriously cannot get enough of it! Now if Mother Nature would just make it last a little bit longer in Ohio...
8) The water.
I've grown up being around a body of water my whole life. Not always consistently but on the weekends we would go to the lake, I participated in swim lessons for years, and we did have a pond in my latter years growing up. There is something about being on/in the water that just soothes me.
9) My Job.
I honestly am not sure I would have ever said this but I really enjoy my job. I enjoy the company itself, and my co-workers which is a huge deal considering I think atmosphere is everything. If I am going to work this is the place I want to be. I feel challenged, yet not overwhelmed. I feel needed but understand that I am just one of the many people that help this place run so not all the pressure is on me. I really never get bored because things are constantly changing. It's actually very fulfilling...and I get a sweeeet discount :P
10) Me!
Hey maybe that is a little selfish but we need to be honest with ourselves and realize that you should be living a life for you! I strive to be a better person daily. That would include being a better wife, daughter, friend, etc. If you aren't living for yourself then you can't really say you live for anyone else because you are going to be unhappy and in turn so are they. Suppose that goes back to the whole "you can't please everyone" and "In order to love someone you have to love yourself" mottos. You gotta do what is best for you (and of course take loved ones into consideration). I live to enjoy myself, to learn, and to grow! What could make a better life than that?
In the spirit of the 4th, and like many other bloggers I'm dedicating this post to our wonderful country.
I may not always agree with the issues and decisions made.
We all have our flaws just like anyone else, but regardless of that I'd like to say....
WE ARE SO BLESSED!!!!!!
Blessed to have the freedoms we have thanks to the men and women who have sacraficed their lives for that freedom.
Blessed to have the families that support those that serve, and even those of us who don't.
Blessed to the the right to an education, food, and other basic essentials that many other countries to do not have.
Blessed. Blessed. Blessed.
It's easy to forget but I know that I count my lucky stars regularly for what I have, and not just the things I earn for myself, things that others put down their lives for.
So good ole Shaner posted this on facebook and I absolutely love it because it's always been something that I've thought about when it comes to the topic of homosexuality.
There is the constant argument of whether being gay is a choice or if you are born that way.
Nature vs. nurture if you will.
Growing up homosexuality was still something that people tended to keep under wraps, at least in my town because it's a small, fairly conservative place that probably would have not been that accepting.
Sad to say, but true and I am sure we all know some places that are like that, and I am happy to note that I don't believe it's necessarily that way now, but again this was when I was growing up.
So when the topic of whether gays decided to be gay or if they were born that way I wasn't really sure what to think.
Without the exposure to this lifestyle part of me felt that it was human nature, scientific even to be heterosexual that no one would be born that way because the whole point of humans were to reproduce.
However, part of me thought I am not sure no one, again at least in my town, would choice to go through the hurt and ridicule the homosexuals have to face.
And I want to be clear that I've never had a problem with homosexuality, I just wasn't sure how someone got to be that way.
Several years down the road I got to thinking about it and realized that there was NEVER a point in my life where I logically had to make a choice between liking boys or girls.
Never once was there a moment where I thought "Hmm...do I want to like boys or do I want to like girls?" and then made the decision to like men.
It just simply was.
And that is why to this day I firmly believe that it's not a choice, it just is.
Granted there are those that "experiment" with relationships and might trying hanging out with boys and girls and maybe that's a choice but I feel what is meant to be will be.
There are those that genuinely like both genders and even then I don't think that's their choice either.
What is the point of all this you might be asking.
Well my point is how can people hate someone for something they really have no choice over?
That's like someone hating you because you have brown eyes or something...I mean ya can't really help it can you?
Sure you can try to change your eye color with contacts but no matter what you are what you are.
You're a brown eyed person!
Just like gays are what they are, gay, and so what if they are!
They are still human beings with feelings right?
Right!
So stop all the hatin' and join the love game on this one folks.
Hating is a battle that you are going to lose because people cannot help you they truly are in the end.
I will never understand why people find it acceptable to treat another person poorly because of their skin color.
I will never understand why people think they can do a better job than another because of their gender.
I will never understand why people think homosexuals getting married is even remotely going to affect them in any way what-so-ever.
I will never understand why I live in the melting pot of the world but God forbid I say "Merry Christmas" or there is a Heaven Street in New York. **I am saying this in regards that I am a Christian, I know other religions experience this and that is not ok either!
I will never understand why people think it's ok to call mentally disabled people "retards".
I will never understand why degrading racial slurs are still in existence and being used by those whose ancestors would have been deeply disrespected by it.
I will never understand why in this day in age kids are bullying because of differences...we should be educating not degrading.
I will never understand why one person who is not the same as anyone else on this planet truly believes that another human being is any less because they to are different.
One of the favorite things about social media is the chance to document a growing relationship.
When I started to write this post I first went to Facebook to find the pictures I wanted to use and quickly noticed that Kev and I have other a thousand pictures. The first being ones of us before we even started dating! If you had the opportunity to go through my Facebook you would get to witness a whole series of Kev and I's growing relationship over the last 7 years. I absolutely love that. I love getting to look back at what we use to be like and what steps we have gone through to get here, now. After looking through them all I can definitely tell you that there is no one else in this world that I'd want to look back and share that journey with.
I wish I could show you all our pictures, but this only calls for 9.
And I won't lie, I actually found it pretty difficult to find 9 pictures that I haven't already used.
That being said I have already used a couple of these, but I just love the picture enough to show it off again.
The summer we started dating.
Kentucky Derby, I believe 2008...can't remember
Dolphins game!
Our wedding rehearsal dinner.
An engagement picture
Our house warming party in 2009!
Dinner out in Miami
Gotta have a wedding pic!
I believe out of all the pictures this is one of my favorites, because it's us in a nutshell.
Always bugging Kev, but he is always there for me to hold onto.
I love this guy so much, we always have so much fun, and our pictures reflect that.
I really should start taking more...
What are some of your favorite pictures with your significant other?
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