Friday, August 21, 2009

Elevensies

August 21, 1998... oh, so sweet...



August 21, 2009... interrupting a Mario Kart 64 Marathon to take a picture...



Today Chris and I celebrate eleven years of wedded bliss! As each anniversary rolls around, I always feel a little bit impressed with myself. I used to compare us to the famous celebrity marriages ("we've been married longer than Tom and Nicole!"), but those don't seem as formidable as they were when we only had a few months under our belts. Now that we're settling comfortably in the double digits, it's less about the number of years we've racked up, and more about the fact that we actually still enjoy our day-to-day lives with each other. Eleven years of hanging out with the same guy-- you have to admit, that's pretty cool.

Moving is kind of like taking a treacherous hike along your past-- it's amazing the kind of junk you dig up. It's impossible for me to clean out a closet or a drawer without getting momentarily sidetracked by its contents. Yesterday I cleaned out our "etcetera" drawer, the place where we put things we're not sure what else to do with. In addition to random batteries, Sharpies, buttons and leftover Jack-o-lantern tea lights, I also found a few old pictures. One was of Chris and me in Ensenada, Mexico, where we ate incredible fish tacos and churros, and Chris discovered the real reason why people warn against drinking the water. Another was us with big smiles and matching tee-shirts at a family reunion in Colorado, where we spent an unplanned $300 and spent nearly a week without a car because of a leaky "fuel intake valve"... whatever that is. And another was a fuzzy black and white image of almost nothing... that almost nothing that somehow turned into Neil.

I stopped my packing up for a few minutes to watch our Ten Year Slideshow and had so much fun reliving all of those different moments. It's fun to think about all of the places, the food, the friends, and the laughs we've had, not to mention the three amazing children! How can I not be impressed?

I love that Chris and I have eleven years worth of pictures together, and I love even more that each of those pictures carries a wealth of memories that sometimes only we know about. I love being reminded, again, how truly lucky I am to share my life with such an incredible person.

I love you, Hunsty!! Happy 11 years-- here's to an eternity more!

7 comments:

TimandBecckaMarley said...

Ohh Congrats guys!!!!!!!!!!! I was weirded out when Tim and I hit double digits this year. We are at 10 years (as of Feb 2nd of this year) so we are not far behind you!!! You guys are adorable!!

The Hammers said...

Congrats! If it's your 11, that means mine is just a few weeks away!!! I feel the same as you, blessed that I still love him as much as year 1, and even more than that. I hope you guys have a great day, you both deserve it!

Ashley said...

wow! 11 is a great! Also on a totally different note, I also have all those things...including the tea lights, in our junk drawer. What exactly should be done with all those things?

Emily said...

I remember your wedding day, how fun, eating a million eclairs. Congrats and good luck moving! My advice, don't be afraid to throw stuff away.

jason and michelle clarke said...

Congratulations that is great!!It's good to look back at past pictures and be reminded of all that you've done together,fun times!!

Heidi said...

Happy Belated Anniversary! Hope all is going well for you guys in Idaho! XOXOX

Becca said...

The best thing about your blog is your writing, Elise. This was wonderful to read.