Just like everyone always says, I can't believe it's already been 4 years since we've been married! But... I also can't believe it's only been 4 years! It seems like Matthew and I have been together forever. We are the perfect complement for each other.
I feel like we have a very healthy marriage. We are truly the other's best friend. We don't have secrets from each other (that I know of anyways). While we do argue, I don't remember the last time we had an important or large argument. We apologize, forgive, and try to forget quickly. We have many similar interests and are learning to try to appreciate the interests we do not share (or at least tolerate). We would much rather have an evening together than an evening with anyone else. We share similar views on life, love, religion, and politics (most of the time). We were raised in similar structures and have the same view of parenting- which makes the hard decisions for Jack that much easier to make. We both pray for God's guidance in our lives and thusfar have been extremely blessed.
I had the day off for our anniversary, which was extremely nice. We slept in (as much as we could with Jack), had a nice casual lunch at home, and headed out to Roanoke. Our first stop was Gander Mountain.
We had discussed our "anniversary allowance" prior to this trip so we had a nice little budget for our spending. Matt had his anniversary and Father's Day allotment to spend. After a lot of browsing (Jack and I browsed the entire store while Daddy looked in the firearm section) we left with a new Nalgene for me (a nice green 32 oz-er since my current one was only a 16 oz-er), some carry ammunition, some kind of snake cleaning thing for his handguns, a magazine pouch, and a NorthFace backpack for Matt. When we got to the register we discovered he had spent his entire allowance for both events! But he's a happy camper. The backpack will be used for when he goes hiking (to train for the Army), to carry everyday stuff he needs (like to the gym), and as a more manly diaper bag for when he has Jack.
We then headed over to the mall to browse. Jack was such a trooper! He was perfectly content in the Moby the entire time we were in Gander Mountain and the mall.
I didn't find anything I needed at the mall, but it was fun to browse. We got Jack an outfit from Baby Gap for his dedication. He has a lot of clothes from Baby Gap, but nothing "dressy" in his current size (but a lot of "church" clothes in the next size! I didn't plan that well). So we found his a nice button up shirt and some olive green pants. He'll look so handsome!
I ended up using my allowance to buy an amazing leather purse and three tops from J. Crew. Spoiled! I checked online and the purse was over $200 less than the actual retail price! I'll miss the Clearance store here in Lynchburg when we move away! Two of the tops I bought are these adorable Tee's that have this lace design on the front. I got one in white and navy... and my MIL and SIL both have the white one! We do have similar fashion taste most of the time.
We stopped home quickly to freshen up and then headed to Milanos for dinner. This is one of our favorite restaurants in Lynchburg, it's not super expensive, and it's right down the street from our house! A week and a half ago I had said I wanted to go there for our anniversary so I could have the Italian Lemon Cream Cake. It is A-mazing.
Jack was such a good boy while we ate. He fussed a little but we gave him some snuggles and then he went back in his carseat. The waitresses and people sitting around us all loved him!
He grabbed his gummy keys on his own and put them in his mouth! He's learning so much! He was chewing on the hard top of the keys instead of the soft, gummy bottom... but that's ok. He was content and that's all that matters!
I had considered asking one of my friends if they would watch him while we went out to dinner, but neither Matt nor I were ready to be away from him yet! He is our little booger and we love him. We love spending time with him and he is a normal part of our lives. I don't know if we'll even need time away from him in his entire first year!
Here we are four years later. I actually think we've started to look older. Matt definitely looks older. I am thankful to be back in my normal clothes again. It's so nice to be able to take advantage of my full wardrobe!
This is one of my anniversary presents. A 14K gold monogrammed necklace. I had been wanting a monogrammed necklace since we got married but all the ones I kept finding were too large for my liking. This one was the perfect size! It was listed as only allowing one initial but I asked and was able to get a full monogram without even an extra charge! You never know until you ask! I love it. Definitely a new favorite. The chain is the perfect length too. (and I just noticed that my hair makes my neck look super contorted! strange)
The past four years have been the best and most fulfilling of my life. Marriage has given me so much opportunity to grow and learn. Being a spouse is so humbling. I am called to be a servant-helper to my husband and neither of those things comes naturally to me. Rising to those positions in our marriage has helped me be the woman God wants me to be. It has helped me learn to be a more patient and loving individual. It has helped me develop a servant's heart towards others that are not my husband. It has taught me to appreciate Matt and the man he is.
I am so thankful for the past 4 years and am so excited for this next year. We are learning each and every day something new about parenthood and if things work out with the Army we'll learn a lot more about the difficulties of marriage I'm sure.
