I have been married 5 years today.
Yep.
This whole week has been one giant ball of stress. And not even because of the snake in the toilet. Mostly bills and money related. Which always just sucks right? It's been one of those weeks where every time (probably every day this week) we have thought "ok, we're good, everything is caught up, everything is on schedule, time to relax" something else happens or comes up.
And Neil and I are both giant, stressed out balls of fun right now.
So, I'm going to share something cheerful about my anniversary. Or my relationship with Neil anyways.
A little blast from the past.
I think everyone knows that Neil was one of, or was, my very first lengthy relationships. We "went out" for three entire months in 1997.
I had two other "boyfriends" before that. One for 3 days. The other for two weeks.
I know, whoa. Three whole months.
Until he broke up with me the day after my birthday.
Seriously.
So, three months isn't very long at all, but in middle school terms and for a first boyfriend, it was an eternity. In 7th grade, after Neil broke up with me, the most I "went out" with anyone was only about a whole month. I had a lot of crushes ok!
But while Neil and I were together, we talked a lot on the phone. And he liked to play me different songs over the phone. Mostly terrible rap music, but there was a Babyface song, that he would dedicate especially to me and I heard it a lot those three months.
(in case you can't view it, the song is: everytime I close my eyes by babyface)
Yeah, maybe don't actually watch the music video... because, wow, is it dated. But awww, just imagine a skinny boy with blonde hair and one of those bowl cuts (but where they shaved up underneath it... remember those, gosh I though his hair was SO cute) playing this for a nerdy girl with glasses and a perm.
Magical right?
I know.
(taken on August 15th - last one taken together, I should remedy that.)
Our wedding anniversary actually isn't as important to me as the one of when we became a couple (in February), and committed ourselves to each other and started living life together, that was all happening way before our marriage and I wasn't any less dedicated to the relationship before we got married... otherwise I wouldn't have married him.
But our marriage was such a celebration of it all, and such a lovely way for us to enjoy all the hard work we'd put into this relationship, all the growth and strength we now had together. It was personal and meaningful and I loved this day five years ago.
So in the middle of the stress today, in the middle of trying to yet again, juggle around bills, I'm going to remember how insanely beautiful this day was, how much I love my husband and how, in another five years, it will still be that day I'm thinking of and not any of these bills or this stress.
Just happily marrying Neil Johnston on the 17th of September.
