Promises

Four years ago today, I married my best friend.  We stood before our friends and family and made promises, BIG promises to each other and about the family we'd one day have and our life together.  Little did we know, a few months after our first anniversary, we would be blessed with our first child...and a few months after our second anniversary, we would be blessed with our second child.  Thank God we didn't keep that pattern up.  But, back to what I was saying - we made big promises, the most important promises we will ever make in this life.  And I'm starting to realize the most exciting part of those promises wasn't the day we made them (even though we had a rocking good party that day to celebrate them), it's everyday since then that we wake up and keep them.  It's every morning when we wake up next to each other, kiss each other, and continue to carry out our life together. 

Last weekend Justin's parents took the kids for an AMAZING long weekend.  I've had a few moms mention how hard it must be and how much I must miss my kids.  And I did.  But, I honestly think sending them away is giving them two of the biggest gifts I can give them.  One, a deeper relationship with their grandparents.  Two, a mom and dad that love each other deeper and fiercer than ever before.  We don't send the kids away because we JUST NEED A BREAK (which, sometimes we do).  We send them away so that for four days, we can focus on each other and the life we are building.  Justin and I promised to love each other until death does us part.  And part of that promise is the promise that goes with it to our children - that they will always have a mom and dad that live together under one roof and love each other like crazy.  Sometimes life gets busy and crazy and a little out of control.  It's so easy to forget what made you want to marry this other person in the first place.  Time together, without distractions, helps remind us of all the wonderful parts of our relationship and each other.  Don't believe me?  Send your kids away for a weekend, stay home, relax, and enjoy one another.  I promise you will feel ten times more connected to your spouse at the end of the weekend.

So, like I said, we made big promises.  Ones to keep forever.  And from time to time we pull out our vows and read them.  We both keep them on our dresser in an easy to see place.  It's important to never forget.  We wrote our own vows because we wanted them to be completely genuine. We kept them a secret from one another until the ceremony.  In honor of our anniversary today, here are our simple, beautiful vows to each other. 

To Justin:
I take you, Justin, as my husband because you are my best friend, my one true love.  I cannot promise you perfection.  However, from this day forward I can promise to love and be faithful to you as long as I live.  I promise to be your lover and confidant, to laugh and cry with you, to support your hopes and dreams, and to fall in love with you over and over.  I promise to build a warm and loving home with you, and to never go to bed with anger in my heart towards you.

To me:
Emily, I can't give you everything you want, but as your husband, I can promise these few things to you.  I promise to always love you, be open and honest with you, and forever be faithful to you.  I promise to make you and our marriage my top priority, and I know by doing these things we can accomplish more together than either of us could alone.  And finally, above all others, I take you just the way you are.  I love you with all of my heart Em.

Today, on our fourth anniversary, Justin Loda, I thank you for the amazing husband and father you have become.  Thank you for putting our family first.  Thank you for supporting us financially.  Thank you for pushing yourself and going back to school to help us reach our dreams as a family.  Thank you for fulfilling the dream I've had since I was probably three years old - you are the one that made me a wife and a mother and you sacrifice so that I can stay home and focus on those two dreams.  Thank you for constantly working hard for us around the house - fixing things, working in the yard, and keeping our old cars running.  Thank you for being so darn sexy while you do all these things.  And above all, thank you for loving me just the way I am.  I love you hot stuff.