8 years...
8 years ago, Bill & I said "I do". 8 years. It's hard to believe. Sometimes it feels like 20 years, other times it seems like we're still young newly weds.

On our anniversary, I always reflect on the years past & how we've grown, how our marriage has evolved. There have been some highs & some lows & we always seem to make out OK. We promised to be true in good times & bad, for better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness & health, until death do us part. We've kept our promise, even if at times quitting seemed like an option.

We've stood by each other when The Church & some of my family were against our union. We were together through all of the job losses & financial turmoil. Through many cross country relocations, through illnesses & through the attempted influences when Bill's family offered to pay for his school & housing if he left me.

This 8th year anniversary is a special one for me. It's the year where I feel like "we made it". At this point, our marriage has never been stronger, our relationship has never been better. I feel like nothing can break us now. We've pretty much been through it all & survived. We came out on top & became closer, even. We've worked very hard to get to this point.

Our dynamics are interesting. We have a very yin & yang relationship, where the term "opposites attract" ring true. He's the practical, concrete guy who likes to play it safe. He's logical. He has terrible eating habits & hates working out. He's patient, quiet, calm, holds his tongue & likes to read. I'm the adventurous, abstract gal who likes to take risks. I'm emotional. I'm neurotic about my eating habits & the gym is my second home. I'm impatient, loud, explosive & would rather climb a mountain than read a book. We couldn't be more different, but we are the perfect fit. We make it work. We are the opposites that make the whole.

While our differences can cause conflict, they also balance us. He keeps me grounded while I try to get him to think out of the box a little. Between the two of us, we get the best of both worlds. While we've grown to understand that without each other, our lives would still go on, it just wouldn't be complete. In our darkest moments, that's what's held us together. We can't imagine living life without the other.

On this anniversary, I feel like we've made it not only because we've successfully overcome trials & tribulations, but we've really learned (& continue to learn) about balance. How our extremes balance each other out, balance as husband & wife, mother & father, man & woman. This year, there is peace in this understanding.

Billy, there have been some rocky roads these last 8 years, but I wouldn't change it for the world. The bumps are what made it interesting & rewarding. It's nice to look back & say, "look at what we lived through!" I guess it's like climbing Everest. It can be absolutely hellish getting there & only the strong survive. But once you're at the top, it's the most beautiful, life changing experience ever imaginable.