Two Years {anniversary photo shoot, part one}

 Today Andrew and I are celebrating two years of marriage.

Seriously, time is flying.

We are busy today.  Andrew and I have been babysitting my four youngest siblings the last couple of days and our "tour of duty" officially ends tonight.

It has been such a fun time!

 Just a week ago Andrew and I had the amazing opportunity to have a couples photo shoot!  A good friend of my family is a *gifted!* photographer and she offered to bless us with these incredible pictures.

I am still blown away as I see how she captured our love story.

 Some shots just couldn't be serious because we are a weird, quirky, goofy couple.

And some shots just couldn't be sugar-coated... because we are also a hurting, changing, holding-each-other-so-we-don't-break-to-pieces couple.

 One thing stays true though:  we are so in love.

Yes, that "heart skipping a beat" kind.

 Recently, my Mom and I were talking about our wedding days... about the things we loved and the things we would definitely change if we'd known better. Our stories are so different (my parents were engaged longer than Andrew and I even knew each other!), but we share one very special thing in common: we both love our men so much more now than we did on our wedding day, whether it was two years or over twenty years ago.

 

Looking back, I can honestly say that my wedding day was not the most wonderful day of my life.   There have been so many "insignificant" and random days since then that have blown it away.   They aren't marked on the calendar and I wouldn't be able to point them out to you.  All I know is that I can look back at my wedding day and say, "Goodness! I didn't even know what love was then!", because the feelings I have for Andrew are so much deeper, stronger, and *consuming* now. 

 And that makes me so excited because it's only been two years since I said "I do"!

Just imagine how much MORE I will love Andrew after five, ten, twenty years of marriage?!

 



Side note: anyone else thinking "Gone with the Wind"???  ;-)

God has brought us so close in the last two years...

This man- my darling Andrew- has carried me through joy, worry, peace, uproar, victory, loss, grief, depression, health issues, and so much more...

He makes me see that I am someone of value... sometimes just in the way he looks at me. 

We are so different. 

We communicate differently.  We receive love differently.  We cope differently.  We grieve differently.  We heal differently.

So, no.  It hasn't been easy.  It hasn't been a "charmed" marriage, but it is our marriage and I am so thankful for that.

Today I want to say "Happy Anniversary" to my sweet man.

Andrew, you are my life.  You are my love.  You are my strong place... my safe haven.  You can blow the clouds out of my sky or form crashing waves in my sea (yes, that means I can get frustrated with you or misunderstand you... or that you have been tickling me), but I love you no matter what the weather. 

Thank you for loving me always. 

You know life with me isn't going to be easy.  You know that some of our dreams may never come true... but you still choose me.  I am forever thankful to you and to God for giving you to me.

I can never say it enough. 

 I love you.  I love you.  I love you.

Happy Second Anniversary, sweetheart.  Here's to dozens more! 

Our marriage, our romance.

 It has been amazing.  It has been joy-filled.  It has been riddled with heartache.  It has been filled with both laughter and weeping.   It has brought growth, depth, and strength to our love. 

 It hasn't been pretty... but it has been beautiful.

Blessings, my friends!  <3