5

This past weekend, Tim and I celebrated our five year wedding anniversary. Tim's Mom graciously agreed to come in to stay with us and keep sweet Kennedy so we could have some time away with each other to celebrate.

Friday night we went to see the Harlem Globetrotters at Rupp Arena. I am sure that sounds like a funny thing to do to celebrate your 5 year anniversary, but I have wanted to see them since I was in middle school and Tim and I have talked about it on multiple occasions but the tickets are always so outrageously expensive that I've never been able to justify the purchase. Well - these tickets were given to us by a friend who got them free in a round about way. Knowing my husband loves all things sports - even more so when we can experience sports together - I knew he'd be all about it. It was fun and we both really enjoyed ourselves. Here are some pictures.

*Sadly, I don't have a picture of us together but that tends to happen when we go places alone and don't know anyone around us. Oh well!

Saturday was spent running errands. Tim's parents gave us a HUGE and incredible gift for Christmas - a washer and dryer. They gave us a certain amount of funds towards that purchase and all that was left was for us to pick them out. Tim has been doing all kinds of research online (bless his little analytical heart), but we really needed to just get out and look at em', you know? So...since we had childcare - Saturday was the day and Oh My Word - we looked and looked and number crunched and number crunched and negotiated and...well you get it. We ended up at Best Buy and were able to purchase a washer and dryer as well as a new fridge which is super exciting because our current refrigerator came with the house and proportionally doesn't fit in the space where it is so you can't fully open it which has caused many a not nice word to escape these lips let me just tell you! All appliances are to be delivered this coming Saturday and I am so super jazzed - it would be impossible for me to share with you quite how jazzed exactly but just know - it's MAJOR! We had a laundry list of baby/nursery prep errands to run too, so needless to say when it was all said and done I was worn slap out. Tim had been thoughtful enough to make reservations at a nice restaraunt but the last thing I wanted to do come 4:30  was to even think about showering, getting ready and going back out - I was TIRED and swollen and just DONE. He thankfully took pity on me and complied with my desire to cancel our reservations and just go have a yummy, simple meal at a comfortable and favorite restaraunt of ours (Johnny Carinos). The food was delicious and we spent the time at dinner looking over my gift to Tim (photo albums which included all of our pictures together as a couple beginning the day we met to this past Christmas). It was nice reflecting - lots of laughter and just - awe at how far we've come in these 5 years. I wouldn't have changed one thing about our time together - it was just what we needed. Thanks Mom, for keeping Kennedy!

It's so hard to believe that it was five years ago. We both discussed over the weekend how in some ways it felt like it had been five years but in others it just doesn't. I know when I think back on our wedding day, those thoughts go more with that initial feeling of - really, five years ago? I remember everything about that day!

 My handsome groom to be

 My emotional and profusely sweating father walking me down to give me away.

 It's ok Dad - (I was sweating too). ;)

 Lighting the unity candle and for the first time - really understanding the symbolism there.

 The first time I heard our names together....Mr. and Mrs. Taylor!

 The oddly proud feeling I had seeing Tim with a ring on his finger - he's definitely mine ladies!

 Signing our marriage license and the fiasco that ensued after becuase we forgot to date it in the appropriate year ~ after all, we were only 14 days in!

I feel like we've grown a lot since that day....changed alot, matured alot and just frankly learned alot about what it really means to be married. Each year has been good, but each year has been hard too. I am happy to say I feel although it's hard - it's rewarding and it gets easier - you learn more and you sacrifice more for each other and there is such reward in that. God honors each sacrifice and the more I learn to lean on him for strength and understanding where our marriage is concerned - the more enjoyable it is and the easier it gets. I know we are going to keep learning and continue to be challenged and I by no means think we have it "figured out", but boy how far we've come and I am so thankful for that! Because of those things - I look forward with much anticipation for what the next five years will bring. Thankfully - I know no matter what, we'll be holding on to God and to each other, and that makes me one happy wife!

Cheers to the next 5 + years honey! I love you.