Another Anniversary

Today is Craig and my ten year anniversary.  And an event like this calls for pictures, so I will be scattering pictures from our engagement shoot throughout the text of this post.  I don't think we used any of these, so you can think of them as outtakes.  They make me smile-- I have a hard time thinking of myself as getting older, until I see how young we look here!

We kept laughing, which was a lot of fun, but makes for smiles a little too big for this kind of picture...

We had high hopes of going to Hawaii to celebrate this momentous occasion, but between having Camille and Craig getting a new job, it's looking like that will have to be put off for a while.  As if that wasn't bad enough, tonight is the open house for CATEC, so Craig will be working late, and I will be spending the day with the kids.  Not exactly the stuff of Hollywood movies and brag-worthy facebook posts.

Man, I was skinny...

But I don't mind.  This feels like more of a chance for quiet contemplation than having a big party, and ten years is a lot to reflect on.  I plan on getting out my wedding album and showing it to the kids after dinner-- I'll have fun, even if they don't!

Craig looks so young here...

Craig and I have seen and done a lot together in these ten years: four different homes (two of which were apartments); three degrees; five children; two new jobs for Craig and me turning into a serial pregnant lady; three different cities we've lived in; vacations to South Carolina, California, Texas, Hawaii, Seattle, DisneyWorld, and Oregon, plus lots of camping trips in Virginia (and one in Utah); construction projects, sliced fingers, home births, teeth knocked out; tears and laughter, arguments, the occasional disappointment, but mostly the overwhelming joy of these last ten years...  So much living crammed into these ten years.

I love the look of adoration on my face.  Can you tell how much I love my Craig?

We did use this picture, or part of it.  Craig did the color effects himself, and I loved how it turned out.

People talk about how marriage is work, but-- as Middle-Aged Mormon Man said-- to  me, being married to Craig is as natural as breathing.  Or people will talk about how marrying their spouse was the best decision they ever made.  But I hardly needed to decide to marry Craig-- the whole time we were dating, I felt like I was working to convince him to marry me (and, quite frankly, screwing that up as often as not).  When he finally asked, there was never any doubt what my answer would be.  No one had ever made me as happy as Craig did.

And still does today.

Happy Anniversary, my Love.