It Hasn't Been Easy, But It's Been Worth It

In 6 days we will be celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary, it really is hard to believe that it has already been that long. 

Throughout our relationship we have had many ups and down, some downs that I really thought were going to tear us apart. Too often we see the outer representation of a relationship and it seems perfect but it's rare that we see the flaws. No relationship is perfect, I think we all know that, I want to see the imperfections, the tiny cracks that have helped build a foundation worth fighting for.

Our relationship did not start out in the most conventional way, yes we met almost 20 years ago in middle school but our story didn't start until much later. He was living in NC as a newly commissioned 2LT and I was working my full-time job at a mortgage company in Las Vegas. AOL Instant Messenger and Myspace brought us together and 3 months after reconnecting we were married. Yes you did read that right. He wanted me to move to NC to live with him and I said no unless he had plans to marry me, well he called my bluff haha.

To be honest our first year was extremely difficult, we were figuring out who we were as individuals as well as a couple. I was living in a new place with someone I didn't know all that well. There were growing pains and a lot of tear inducing fights, but we made it through. We are both stubborn, independent, and opinionated, which in all honesty has made our relationship that much better.

The next several years were filled with highs and lows. Infertility/pregnancy loss, multiple separations because of the military, and the loss of my Mom. To be honest all of those low points made us better people and they made us a better couple because we realized that no matter the situation there was no one else that we would want to go through it with. Everything we have gone through has made us appreciate each other more and love each other more.

I don't want anyone to think that we aren't happy because we are, I wanted to show that relationships and marriage take work, lots of hard work, but in the end it is worth it. We have lived through more in our 8 years together than most do in a lifetime and we are better because of it all. 

I couldn't have imagined spending the last 8 years with anyone else, our love has grown so much and my life is not complete without him. He has made me a better person and I hope that I have done the same for him.