9.16.2012
It's hard to believe that eight years ago last month I moved away from my friends and family and settled in a small town in Alabama. Mike and I had been dating for less than a year when I made my journey down here, and we immediately moved in together. I regret nothing. From the moment I made the choice to move to the South, and move in with him I've had an overwhelming sense of knowing I was exactly where I needed to be.
Through the years we've had ups and downs, not with each other mind you, but in our day to day lives and families. Our jobs changed, jobs were lost, unemployment was a challenge, we had deaths in our families, argument in our families, but we alway had amazing times too. Weddings, birthdays, trips, laughter, birth, and new friendships. A lot can happen in eight years.
Life has been moving so quickly that I meant to write about this back when the anniversary of me moving here was actually happening, but sometimes life is a bit more important than jotting something down for the masses to read.
I paused a bit this morning thinking about how different my life might have been had I not met Mike online over 9 years ago. What if I had just went about my life as it was, where would I be, who would I be and what would I have become. I don't know the answer but I do know for a fact I wouldn't be as happy as I am right now, in this moment, in my life and with him.
It's cheesy but true - home is where your heart is. And my heart is where he is, therefore, when I am with Mike, I am home.
I miss my friends dearly, and my father and my family but I KNOW in my heart if I make time they will always be my friends, and my family. When you are an adult, your life doesn't revolve around your friends like it used to. You focus on your significant other, your children, and your family. Your friends are the added bonus to your life. They are not afterthoughts but just aren't always right there all the time.
You make new friends, but you keep your old ones too. Every moment in your life is another thread in the quilt you're spinning every day.
When I moved here eight years ago, I had no idea how long I'd stay. We weren't sure where we'd want to be 5 years from that day, or ten. Neither of us made huge plans, we just knew we wanted to be together and I think that is what's helped us get this far, and I believe what will propel us further.
We make plans, we discuss our future and I think maybe deep down we always knew we'd get to be where we are now, one month away from our first anniversary as husband and wife. We didn't stress about this. OK well maybe I did a little bit. (please note this has been sitting in my draft box for months now, I originally wrote this in September... and never posted it - we celebrated our first year together and it was wonderful!)
I knew from the day I laid eyes on him that he was the one for me. It may have taken him a bit longer, or maybe he knew too but was playing it cool. I never admitted to him that I would follow him anywhere but now I think he knows.
I can't imagine a day in my life without him. Before meeting him I don't know that my heart was truly living. I knew love, and I new unconditional love from my parents but true love was nothing I thought it was until I met him.
Eight years ago I took a leap of faith. The main reason I moved here was because he said he was willing to move up North to be with me. There was a 50/50 choice for us and we were both willing to bend to meet the other. I chose to come here because I knew his friends were all living the same lifestyle we would be living as a new couple. Most were dating, still going out, still enjoying life before children. All of my best friends back home had settled down, found their husbands, and began families. It's a different type of fun, one that I didn't want him to feel forced into or like I was constantly wondering when it might happen for us. I wanted our relationship to unfold naturally, and moving here meant it could.
My friends have always joked and teased us about when we would get married and now we hear about kids. We will, when we are ready, and when it's time. I'm happy we've had our first year as a married couple to just be us. Who knows that the future will bring, for now we're celebrating this moment in time.
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11.24.2012
We are gearing up for our second Christmas as a married couple. This year we will be heading to Colorado to spend time with Mike's entire family on his father's side. I'm so excited, and so blessed to be welcomed into such a huge loving family. If only I could convince my father to fly to the frozen tundra, it would be perfect. But I will pick my battles. Instead Papa Bud (aka my father) will hopefully make his way back down South for an after Christmas party with both of us.
In closing, life is good - I can't complain and I'm really, really happy. I guess you could call this my late Thanksgiving post. I am thankful for all the love in my life, from family, my husband and my friends. Without them I am nothing.
Happy Thanksgiving Hangover to us all - I hope you ate lots of turkey, gave your thanks and enjoyed all your families traditions. I think I drank enough red wine to last me until Christmas, or at least until next Saturday. And now it's time to start decorating for Christmas, preparing for next weekend (my birthday weekend) and seeing THE WHO in concert!!! SO excited!
1 comments:
Such a sweet post!! :)
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