Fourteen years ago, I laid in this very room so excited that when - TopicsExpress

Fourteen years ago, I laid in this very room so excited that when I woke up I would marry my best friend. My house was full of relatives from all over. All of my children were here; the two I would bring into this marriage with me and the two I would gain by marriage. There was another one we knew nothing about as she was still in Gods pocket waiting for the perfect time. I can still remember how excited I was, never nervous, no jitters, no second guessing just too excited to sleep--the same feeling I had waiting for Santa when I was a little girl!. This was probably the ONLY thing I had done that I was absolutely sure of-I KNEW marrying Billy was part of Gods plan for my life!! We laugh at how much this marriage has had to endure in the last fourteen years. There have been tests and stressors that would have left most marriages broken. Yet here I am, lying in bed next to the most wonderful husband, devoted father and absolutely the best friend with whom a wife could ever dream of spending her happily ever after just as giddy add I was then. He is sound asleep of course. No doubt he was thinking the same thing for all of the five seconds it takes him to close his eyes and go to sleep!! Someone asked me how we were able to still be best friends and love being together as we do after all the stress marriage can bring with a blended family (teenagers especially), building businesses, my health issues and chronic pain, special needs children, inlaws and outlaws, demanding schedules, kids and family spread out everywhere along with the regular stuff life throws your way. But we manage to find solace in the chaos of our lives by stealing little moments for ourselves. Like sneaking out of the house to ride around and listen to Merle. Or just catch each others eye and laugh so hard we cant stop over something stupid we both see and KNOW we are thinking the EXACT same thing. It is the goofy, playful newlywed games/humor that serves to remind us we havent been married 30 years as it sometimes seems, but just a few short years that we have managed to pack in a lifetime of wonderful, happy, loving memories to add to every day. We grow stronger every day and every day I find a new reason to fall in love with my beautiful best friend again. He makes me feel whole. He makes me feel beautiful. He makes me feel worthy. He makes me feel safe. He makes me feel like the most real ME I have ever been because he makes me KNOW that he loves me. I AM living my own fairy tale and he is my Prince. I just accept that if the horse we will ride off into the sunset should need to be shoed, have his saddle changed, get fed or watered or should he need a fire to stay warm or tire changed on his trailer, my Prince will let me handle all that right after I get dinner cooked and his tv programed! Hey! I never said it was a typical fairy tale marriage...I am still me and he is still he!! Happy Anniversary Schmoop!! I love you 2 dollars!!! Thank you for the best 14 years of my life. I look forward to spending all my days and most nights with you.