A Decade...

I remember when I turned ten years old.  I thought it was so cool that I was a whole decade old...one-tenth of a century.  10 years is a lot.  It's a milestone measurement of time.  So much happens in the span of a decade.  If you think about every 10 year chunk of your life and really think about how much you changed...how much change you witnessed, it's pretty amazing.

Well, today I am celebrating a specific decade of my life.  The decade from June 15, 2002 to June 15, 2012.  Yes, that's right.  10 years ago today, I married my best friend.  I've already blogged about my wedding day here, so I won't do that again.  But I would like to share some thoughts on these last 10 years.

This last decade of our lives has seen us through many things, both good and bad.  We have gone from being apartment renters to being homeowners.  We have gone from being "just the two of us" to being the parents of 2 amazing kids.  We have had jobs, lost jobs, and changed jobs.  We've played games and listened to lots of great music.  We've seen each other through (and continue to help each other through) leukemia and diabetes.  We've mourned the losses of family and friends.  We've been to Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio (exotic?  no...but fun memories?  yes!).  We've enjoyed watching and mourned the losses of some amazing TV shows.  :)  And most importantly, we have loved each other and laughed at with each other every single day.

While doing this blog I discovered that Kevin and I have not had nearly enough pictures taken together over the last 10 year.  But I did manage to find 2 that are 10 years apart (December of '99 - December of '09)...not the decade of our marriage, but a decade nonetheless.  And I know the quality of the first picture isn't that great, but I dare say that we have gotten even better looking!

Now, I'd like to share a birthday card that my parents gave Kevin.  I think it's probably truer than they even know:

"Before you married you-know-who, her life was fairly sweet.
But something wasn't right somehow.  The gal was incomplete!

Then one day you came along and everything soon changed.
She looked so extra happy, people thought she was deranged!

At last she'd found her soul mate and she truly was elated.
The floating hearts above her head were ones that you created!

Once you tied the knot, it got much easier to see,
that you were what was missing from her family's family tree!

Your wife thinks you're really awesome, and the rest of us do, too.
It's plain to see, we all agree...there's no one quite like you!"

(Now, that last part may have been a bit of a back-handed compliment...but I'd agree.  There's just no one like my Cakes, and I'm so lucky to have been able to share this last decade with him.  Here's to many more.  Happy Anniversary, Cakes!)