Amazed...it gets better with age.

When I look at this picture I took of my husband and I, I see a happy couple.  I have many, many pictures like this one.  I have noticed that we have changed.  As much as I do not like the idea of getting older, I love the idea of getting older with him.  No matter what!   For that...I love him!

I think we have matching wrinkles from the happy times and maybe his worry lines are deeper.  For these, I love him!

Can you tell where we are?  We left the kids with some friends for a bit and visited the Biltmore Estate.  It was hard to imagine that any one person in the United States had enough money to built such grandeour.  It was magnificient! Did I mention how much we missed the kids?  We could not get home fast enough...is that wrong?  I think some of our friends think we are crazy because we do not take more time for ourselves without the kids but in the 9 years we have been marriend, we have not felt the need to be away from them more than a few hours.  Until recently, we even took our littlest on dates with us and even find that we enjoy other peoples children when we are out alone.  It's mutual.  For this...I love him!

We had a conversation while we were alone together.  I wanted to clarify to him how much I loved that he was the man I always knew he would be.  I never felt the need to change him.  From the day we both realized we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, we knew we loved each other for who we were at that moment and if nothing changed, we would be happy.  The things we loved about each other then are still true today.  The things that were important to me still hold true, he loves me, he respects me, he works hard at everything he does and I could go on and on.  The things he loves about me are still the same, I love him, I respect him, I trust him and I work for my family... 

There was a time in our marriage when I wanted things to be different but did not know what exactly needed to be changed.  I wanted my husband to do more around the house, to love me more, to pay attention to things he did not notice and the list goes on...then one day...that changed.  I studied on what God wanted in my marriage.  I read about the changes I could make to be a better helper for him and when I realized that he was still the man I feel in love with and that I was expecting something different, I changed.  I am not his helper in every way I can be...I may not always be sufficient but I try and he knows that and for that he loves and respects me.  He could never love and respect me for trying to do things better than he could or belittleing his efforts or not honoring the things I love about him.  I had to stop saying...can you help me...and then complaining he did not do it like I wanted.  I had to be happy with his efforts and as a result...I received more.  For this...I love him!

I love him!  I love him for being the man of my dreams, for being my friend, my partner, my lover, a father and the man I feel in love with. 

Happy Anniversary My Love!