7 Years

Today is our 7 year wedding anniversary. It sure doesn't feel like 7 years. SEVEN years sounds like a long time to me. (I sure hope the saying that tastes change every 7 years isn't true!)

We met in May of 2001, a week before Memorial Day. I was living near Tucson, Arizona. I moved out there from Pennsylvania to try something new, and planned to stay with an ex-boyfriend of mine. Bryan had moved out there from California to also seek some new adventures and peruse a relationship with his girlfriend at the time. We both spent a few years exploring and learning life lessons on separate journeys until our paths finally crossed.

The night we met, I went alone to my little local cow boy bar The Lariat. It was free pool night and I was confident some of my friends would be there to keep me company. As I was sitting at a table with friends, sipping my bottle of Heineken, I heard the door open behind me. Suddenly, an overwhelming feeling hit me. People speak of 'love at first sight', but I didn't even need to look. I already just knew. I turned around and saw my handsome husband for the first time. To my surprise, my friends who were at the table waved and said "Hello Bryan!" to this beautiful mystery man who just took my breath away. How did they know him? I was a frequent flier to this saloon, and I already knew the crowd, and all the acquaintances who were friends with them. Of course I had to know more about him. Everything about him. I asked my friends who he was. They looked at me like I had two heads. "You know Bryan, don't you?, He's here a lot, he comes a lot of Thursdays for pool, and weekends too. He's friends with Josh." Nope, I was SURE I had never seen him before. Apparently, over the past year, we had JUST missed each other, but had a wide group of mutual friends.

We were introduced, and started talking. And never stopped. We sat outside on an outdoor patio surrounded by a beautiful Sonoran desert garden. We talked about ourselves, or goals, our hopes and dreams. We sat alone, in the warm desert night on white plastic chairs, with my feet propped up in his lap. I spilled out everything I needed him to know- that same night we met. I told him I was in a relationship. That I had thyroid cancer. That I planned on moving back to Pennsylvania, and soon. I needed to lay everything out right then and there. I was sure he was the one, and I wanted to get everything out in the air and taken care of. Later that night, I broke off a two year relationship. We have spent every day together ever since.

He has been able to make me laugh ever since. I feel loved, protected, respected. Not only is he a great companion and lover, but also a very best friend and Dad. I always hear married couples talk about "rough patches". I can honestly say we have had very few. The "rough times" we did experience I can attribute to long work hours, two high needs babies and severe sleep deprivation. Those factors are tough on any couple.

We still continue to grow and learn. I am appreciative we grow and learn on the same path in life, together. Now that the kids are a bit older, our goal is to spend more time alone together. We have put almost all of our passion and energy into parenting. Our hard work has paid off, and we have some great kids. Now we can focus on us a bit more, too. We are really excited about this.