10 years.
4 children.
5 states.
2 apartments.
6 houses.
10 deployments
50 months apart
3 childbirths together
1 childbirth apart
3 cross country road trips
7 times packing up our belongings
8 times unpacking our belongings
2 surgeries
4 girls
countless letters,emails, long distance phone calls
a few arguments
a fair amount of misunderstandings
lots of tears
so much worry
bliss
frustration
sheer panic
teamwork
communication
respect
more love than i could ever put into words on this blog.
ten years ago today i married my hero, my best friend, and the love of my life.
i never ever ever could have known what God would show us, teach us, and put us through.
over the years we have been through more than i could have imagined.
but through it all, the good times and the bad, there has been a finely woven thread of respect.
faith.
love.
honor.
dedication.
commitment.
he is a steady presence in my life. his hand on the small of my back? gives me the confidence to do ANYTHING.
he is my anchor.
i am the silly one. the social butterfly.
he is the rock.
i am so grateful.
so so so so so grateful.
he is the best husband, the best father, the best man.
he loves me in a slow, steady, constant, respectful way. and this is the best gift he could give our daughters.
he is gentle and kind and shows them how a man should treat a woman.
we are a great team. and after 10 years there is still so much to learn.
so much growing to do.
so many mistakes to make (and learn from).
there is no one that i’d rather have holding my hand.
happy anniversary, james carr howell.
god only knows what i’d be without you.
xo
S