Happy Together

Hubs and I celebrated our 1st anniversary by trekking out to Milwaukee for a day and a half. We sang "Glee" songs in the car, ate Wisconsin cheese, drank micro brews, tooled around the art museum, strolled the lake front, got over our initial "What have we done?" shock of pulling up to our refurb factory boutique hotel in an industrial district and realized it was a beautiful, luxe, hidden gem, and generally spent 30 hours together just the two of us. It was so so so so great.

No books. No internet. Not even our beloved AugDog (Thanks Jackie!).

I was struck this weekend by how comfortable I am with him; by how I feel like 100% of myself when we are together. I didn't date that much before Hubs, but those few experiences drilled into me the certainty that I would never be able to really, truly, be my whole self with a man. I have too many embarrassing habits. I'm too silly, too loud, too self-indulgent, too self conscious to show all my cards to another person. I assumed there would always be parts of myself that I would have to keep under wraps to avoid looking stupid. But there I was, cheering along with my husband as we pulled into Mars Cheese Castle, eager to stock up on over-priced tourist-friendly cheese. And I didn't even have a twinge of embarrassment about it. I just looked over at his big goofy grin and took a picture.

And it felt awesome.

One year ago yesterday, I stood in front of my friends and family in my childhood back yard and pledged to love him, honor him, cherish him, and keep him, and to be faithful to him, for as long as we both live. When I think about those vows, I know that it will not always be Cheese Castles and microbrews. There will be sorrow and grief and anger and disappointment along the way. But tonight, when I look at my best friend reading his well-worm Bible on the couch next to AugDog, I know that our futures have been woven into one life together, and I am peacefully excited to see what the Lord has in store for us.

A (Jesus) Fish and Her Bicycle

PS - I am still recovering from the shock and surprise that I am actually married. One year later, and it is still hard to believe. Blessings upon blessings, sometimes when you least expect it. Thanks be to God.