Happy Anniversary to me

On June 27, 1998, my life changed forever. I became a wife at the young age of 20. I have had moments where I wondered what it would have been like to have waited to get married until I was a bit older, but it has all worked out in the end.

We met in June 1996. I was almost 19 at the time, and he was 26. A huge age difference, I know, but I always so much more mature than most girls my age. And, we all know girls mature faster than boys. He totally wasn't my type. I liked dark hair and green eyes. He was blondish with blue eyes. The one thing Brian has always managed to make me feel is special, and because of this, all thoughts of my usual type flew out the window.

We've had our rough times over the years. Stress lead him to a breakdown and depression about four years ago. Two years later, we lost our second daughter. I was afraid those two things in such a short period of time would break us, but it didn't. I think it made us stronger. We no longer sweat the small stuff, and we don't fight as much about inconsequential things. I think we both realize there are more important things than who forgot to take out the trash or forgot to pay the phone bill.

Brian is such a hard worker. He works 12 to 14 hour days so that I can stay home and get an education. Of course he says he's going to be a stay at home dad after I graduate. In spite of the fact that he works those hours, he still helps me around the house and is a fantastic daddy to the girls, who just adore him.

Don't get me wrong; he drives me crazy sometimes. I hate the way he goes into the bathroom and stays for 30 minutes and no one bothers him, while I have Tessa and Rosie, the dog, barging in with Ella whining in the background, all the while I'm trying to take a simple pee. But, when I see him playing board games with Tessa and peek-a-boo with Ella, all of that fades away.

So, Happy anniversary, Brian. So many said we'd never make it, and we have.