Bay is so dang old! Proud of her. She was so excited for her first day.
Bryson and I celebrated 8 years of marriage a couple of weeks ago...and I couldn't help but think about how easy things were in the beginning...and yet at the time they felt so hard. And now life with him is easier, but life is much more difficult at times. I sure am glad that through this crazy life, I have such a supportive and loyal husband. He would never do anything to hurt our family and he works very hard for us every day. I decided to write him a poem...kinda like I did as a wedding gift 8 years ago.
We met and with one look from you, I knew.
I knew you were the man I would be with.
I knew we had a future.
You took your time to ask me out, but when you did I made it easy.
We started dating just after the snow began to fall in late November.
I liked your shy smile, your confident walk and your strong hands.
I liked how you treated me always as a friend...an equal, but yet something special.
We loved to learn about each other and I fell for you fast.
When the words passed my lips too quick, I hoped you wouldn't run.
You didn't run. You felt the same for me, too.
You told me the first day of that great year.
You asked me to marry you under an orange sky.
Dolphins danced with joy in the horizon of our beginning.
It was the start of my favorite part of my life.
I was vulnerable, but free and full of love with you.
We soaked up our love under the pink sky on the beach,
As the orange sun kissed our skin good morning.
Our wedding day was one of my favorite days with you.
You were so handsome, so hopeful and so strong.
We smiled all day thinking of our life together.
We were happy and felt love and knew it was right.
When you looked at me that day
I never felt more beautiful or more fully myself.
We built a home, and worked hard to get by.
We learned more about each other and this life.
It was hard at times to remember the orange glow of our love.
But we didn't lose sight of the horizon....dolphins dancing...pink sky.
Then along came a baby, sweet baby. What joy!
I never felt more complete than that night I first held our girl.
She looked into my eyes, so vulnerable, so still.
She was the other piece I was missing of myself.
I never knew how badly I wanted to be a mother.
We were happy with our smiley baby girl.
Time passes and we enjoyed traveling and growing together.
Once again we welcomed home a baby.
A boy with hair like his Mom and strong hands like his Dad,
But he looked like his sister whom he quickly adored.
He made us more of a family than we ever were before.
Things got hard. Things got dark. We had years of grief.
We lost our grandparents, your father, and there was a lot of pain.
We faced scary horizons, no longer able to see the dancing dolphins.
I couldn't feel the kiss of the orange sun or see the pink sky.
We still knew where we were meant to go in the dark.
And this didn't last. Everything passes with time.
Now we stand with our hearts scarred and our heads heavier,
But we still hold each other's hand. We still feel warmth.
With our children in tow we move forward.
They bring us so much hope and joy.
Their laughter is soothing and their embraces never ceasing.
Their horizons are waiting...
So many more times of wonder and love to come.
There will be more thunder and more dark clouds,
But the sun will always come back with sweet greetings.
Even when our skin has grown pale, with lines written on by time.
The orange glow will shine again,
And remind us of that first day of our life.
Our skin will renew in the orange kisses of that morning;
And the youthful love and the wisdom of age, we will take with us.
