It took me a while to find all the right words I wanted to say without writing a book (typical me lol). I realized I can't. So... Let's Story Time shall we?

(Get ready for sappy, corny af content!)

3 years ago we were in Illinois. I was pregnant with Audrey and on bed rest due to sciatic pain in my thighs, legs, and groin and extreme back pain. Kevin had lost his job and was trying to find a new one quickly. Both of us weren't working and had no idea where we would come up with the money for everything (pay rent and utilities, buy groceries, etc). We were depressed, frantic, concerned. For the sake of our kids, we put on a happy face. For the sake of each other, we tried our best to be positive.

In a span of a few months, Audrey was born and we decided to do something extremely drastic: move to another state, Florida. It wasn't easy by any means. It was physically tolling, mentally exhausting, and emotionally draining. Somehow we made it. We then began the process of starting over.

I can say this now with a shrug because when I think of how much he's gone through and where we are now, my appreciation for Kevin swells and those pains we went through seem like small waves in the ocean we call life. He's lost his job, left our friends and family (and especially his mom), worked a temp holiday retail gig, found a job that seemed promising that ended in disappointment...and now is working at a company that has broadened his horizons in sales and business and expanded his networking skills.

In just 3 years, we've gone through all of this. A new baby, moving to another state, rebuilding our empire from the ground up. Together. Stronger than ever. In just 3 short years, we've come so far as a family, as a couple. Now, imagine what we've gone through in the 8 years that we've been married? Or even the 16 years that we've been together in total? Ours was a relationship built from friendship and turned to lovers, but we never stopped being friends. The best of friends. We went through a lot of bad times - years of it - but it has enhanced our appreciation of each other and our worth to each other. The years of trials we've been through have strengthened our bond. It's truly amazing to me when I think of all the blessings and opportunities and things we have now.

Life has significantly changed from 3 years ago. We were presented with a situation that had tested our bond, our marriage, our relationship, our family. Even after we moved to Florida, our bond was still being tested. It took some time to finally feel settled and "okay" again. And then things started to happen that would show us both that things were going to become so much better than we could have imagined. Now our lives are so much different, a testament that with hard work and preservation, good things do come.

I am living life right now. I have an amazing husband who works hard at work and at home, as both a husband and a father. We still confide in each other for everything, talk about anything and everything we can. We are still the best of friends. No matter how tired he is from work, he comes home with a second wind once the girls come running to hug him yelling, "Daddy!" He's ready to dive into his father duties and chores: walking Coco, emptying out the dishwasher, helping me serve the girls their dinner, cleaning up the table, bath time, washing the dishes, taking out the trash, etc. We take joy in grocery shopping together. He looks forward to attending Reesie's gymnastics class, and shows how proud he is of his little girl. Every night he thanks me for today and tells me how much he appreciates everything I do, even if I didn't really do much all day. He compliments each meal I make, whether he eats or not (sometimes he's full from his protein shakes). He teaches the girls to thank me because "Mommy made this with love for us." He subconsciously gives our children the example of how to treat a woman/how a woman should be treated, how a father should be with his children, how a husband should be with his wife, how a man provides for himself and his family, how a gentleman should be thoughtful and helpful and respectful. He values me as a mother, me as a wife, me as whole - who I am and the things that make me, me.

I write these very sentimental things today because today is a special day. Today, we celebrate 8 years of marriage. I wanted to convey my feelings in a special way, but no matter how many times I thought about it over the past few days (we celebrated our 16 year anniversary of when we first started dating on May 1) or tried to type it out, I couldn't limit it to one small paragraph. I wanted to go back a few years so that the extent of my gratitude would be expressed properly.

I appreciate you so much, babe. You do so much for our family, have gone through so much for us. Every day you wake up early to start your day with a smile on your face and still come home with that same smile. You're never too tired, never too busy. Whatever the kids need, you get to it; whatever it is I need done, you're always willing. You still make me laugh as much as you did 16 years ago, even when I'm mad. You still make me feel beautiful and wanted, even when I don't believe you, and never stop telling me even when I don't take your compliments well. You've given me 2 beautiful daughters, and have helped me raise one hell of a son. Even if today is our 8 year wedding anniversary, we still find a way to celebrate our love every day, even in the littlest ways.

Happy 8 year wedding anniversary & happy 16 years of love, babe. I love you.