our fifth.

Five years ago today, we met each other at the altar and promised to love each other, for better or worse and in sickness and in good health, every day for the rest of our lives. We walked back up the aisle together, my arm around his, and smiled so big that our cheeks hurt and our eyes were squinty (we did all of this after we kissed, of course). We danced and laughed and had good fellowship with family + friends at our reception before it was time to speed away and enjoy our honeymoon in paradise.

That last part is what has been replaying in my mind in recent days and weeks, and it has been for reasons much more than the beautiful sights our eyes beheld while we were there.

Our first week was full of a lot of firsts for us, all of which I'm thankful for, and we spent every ounce of those seven days doing one simple thing: being together. It was blissful, to say the least, and I remember catching myself in random dazes where I was just staring at him. At last, he was mine and I was his. Forever.

We came home, began to learn new kinds of lessons, got into silly and not-so-silly fights (like whose side of the bed is whose, for example), bought our first house, started a family, and the list goes on. It's been five years since our dreams really started coming true (even though all the years before that were a dream come true, too...well, for the most part), and we've been moving forward into new seasons since.

Many will say that our "honeymoon phase" is coming to an end, but I confidently say that we'll never graduate from that phase. Sure, we will if we get careless and let it pass us by, but I have no plans of ever looking into TJ's eyes and not getting lost in them. We may not physically be on an island in paradise anymore, but our hearts never left. They've tried to plenty of times, but we are committed to keeping each other accountable (even when it really hurts) and continuing to put wood on the fire when the flame gets low. Some days are easier to do that than others, but even the tough days with him are better than my best days without him. As long as I remember that, nothing else matters.

The man who asked my daddy for permission to marry his first baby girl, who kissed me at the altar, who picked me up and carried me into our honeymoon suite on our wedding night...that man is still the man who makes my heart beat faster with every new day we spend walking through life together. He's different in some ways than he was on this first day, that first week, as mine all mine, but that just means that he's grown. And as he's grown, I've grown alongside of him.

I loved him when he was just a boy, I'll love him when his hair is gray, and I'll love him all the days in between. That's a promise.

That week we spent in fantasy land was remarkable, but the fantasy that we've built together by the grace of God has been better than my wildest dreams.

Why?

Because we're together.

There's nothing more dreamy than that.

Happy Anniversary to the one who cheers with me when things are good, holds me when things are not so good, and is patient with me when I get the two confused. We are better together, there is no doubt about that.

Teesh,

There will never be a day that you don't have every ounce of love I have to give. Life before you is a blur, but life with you is always full of organized spontaneity (a perfect blend of us both). Here's to continuing to smile as we walk into new seasons, my arm in yours always, while being surrounded by our incredible loved ones...especially the one(s) who call us Daddy and Mama. Our hearts beating in sync is my favorite song. Always and forever.

Love,

Anna