10 Years

I've come to the conclusion that love is what you make it. For some, it is a 24/7 lovefest. While for others, it is an intense and passionate merry-go-round of breakups and makeups. No matter what sort of relationship you have with your significant other, if the love isn't there then you aren't really living. There is no doubt about it though, it takes a little bit of work to keep that flame burning over the years.

DH and I went out for our 10 year unofficial anniversary last night. We've been together for 10, married for almost 7. That to me is quite an accomplishment. It's been a rollercoaster relationship that has been full of challenges and blessings. We've produced two children, a boy and a girl, who are both beautiful inside and out. We've survived the rocky patches and still manage to make each other laugh after all this time. Considering the fact that we became parents early on in our relationship, we have essentially grown up together to feel our way through the choppy waters of adulthood. This might sound corny, but I love the fact that I can still look into DH's eyes and see the man I fell in love with all those years ago.

My MIL took the kids overnight so that we could celebrate alone. DH and I knocked off early from work and went to Outback Steakhouse for dinner. It is one of our favorite places to eat, so it was only fitting that we go there. We've been under a lot of stress lately, so tensions flared for a bit as we acknowledged and aired some things that had been swept under the rug for too long (due to our children always being around). For anyone who knows us, it is a cycle that DH and I go through sometimes. When we fight, it can be intense. When we get along, it can be truly some kind of wonderful. Once we got the icky stuff out of our systems, we seemed to rise above the petty stuff to simply enjoy each other's company.


We didn't go see a movie or anything like that (as nothing was playing that we really HAD to see). However on a whim, we did something we both rather enjoy and helped heal our rift. Of all places, we went to a furniture store to check out some things we've been wanting to get. It was fun looking at the bedroom sets, kitchen tables, and other pieces. Though we walked out empty-handed, we seriously considered getting a couple of things. The greatest part was that it didn't take much for us to come to an agreement in terms of taste. It's like when you buy a house or a car, you just know it when you see it. It always feels good when we just look at each other and know we found what we've been looking for and simply nod. For all our differences, we know what the glue is that keeps us together and the love alive after all this time. I consider that a true blessing.