To Michael

Who would of ever thought looking back to this old picture (we do have older ones but they are in old albums) that we'd make it to our tenth anniversary. I actually remember in Key West our friends had bets on us and called us the "I give them 6 months" couple. Yet here we stand 10 years later still raising our glasses to one another (now it's usually a wine glass). So what have we learned in 10 years of marriage? I can only speak for myself but I've learned...

1. That you don't always have to be talking while your sitting together. Communication doesn't always have to be verbal. Sometimes just sitting side by side in silence is much more important than rambling on and on about anything just too talk.
2. That even after 10 years together, I am still a very jealous person. I have gotten better over the years but I be damn if I see a woman giving you a look over or trying to talk to you when I'm not around. So I guess that means honey after 10 years I still find you someone to fight over, which I think is a good thing. Means the spark is still there and it hasn't blown out.
3. Sex may not come as often as it did in our first few years (I guess we are getting old or at least I feel old most nights) but its still great and as everyone seems to say "Make up sex is still some of the best." LOL!!! I have to admit though we aren't as bad of Raymond and Debra on "Everyone loves Raymond" are we when he says "I only get it on Birthday's and holidays." Ha Ha!!!
4. We still argue about the same things, death and taxes. Oh and house hold chores, what to watch on TV, laundry, and eat but we have seemed too learn that there are more things too worry about in life than those little things in life.
5. We still worry about looking good for one another which I think is awesome. Sometimes after so long living with someone you let yourself go and gain weight, wear less make up and/or just don't care anymore about your appearance because "Hey we've been married for so long."
6. I think we both have become more understanding with one anther. I think we both had a lot of maturing to do in the beginning and focused more on our own needs and now we try to focus on both ours and the family needs. I hate to admit it but I think we have finally grown up .
7. I still need romance. I didn't think after all these years I would but shit I'm a woman, I still like the little love notes here and there, the flowers that are "just because " and not because you are in "trouble". Little gifts and chick flixs. You name it I still like a little romance just like the next girl.
8. That we still need our space. We still need to hang with our friends alone and do things with out one another. It's nice to be able to have time away for a minute and then come home and clearly understand why we are still married and not in that "dating scene" anymore. I give anyone who is there now but seems like too much work for me after 11 years of being out of the whole "dating scene".
9. We've learned over the years that family is valuable and that we try not to take that for granted. We have learned to visit family more often and spend as much time together as a family ourselves doing things because you simply don't know when it will be taken from you.
10. I've learned that over the past 10 years you have not only become my husband, partner, soul mate but also my best friend and I am so happy that you have hung with me all these years with my health issues, crazy phobias, and temper at times. I love you babe and I am so happy to be your wife.

3 Things I'm happy for today:

• being able to spend ten years with my husband.
• for him being there for me in SICKNESS and in health
• His smile because it really is contagious (when its not a fake one, like posing for a family photo LOL)