FRUIT AND FLOWERS

Four years ago, today I married my best friend and the love of my life. I can't tell you how blessed I am to have him in my life. Each year when our anniversary rolls around I have lots of thoughts about how long we have known each other, what our wedding day was like, what our life has been like since the wedding, and most specifically what the last year has been like. This has been a tough one for us. I don't want to focus on that. Let's just say that I wouldn't have wanted to go through 2009 with any other man and I thank God every day for using this last year to make our marriage stronger.

For each anniversary I get him a traditional gift. For year one, paper, I gave him the label from the wine we had at our wedding in a frame. Year two, cotton, I got him a decorative box with a note in it written on 100% cotton paper. Year three, leather, I got him a leather dopp kit. This year proved to be a challenge. Year four is flowers and fruit. Easy for all the men out there, but not so easy for us wives. I ended up getting Justin some boots he has been wanting and attaching some flowers to the gift wrapping. Not ideal, but I was at a loss.

I got the flowers. A dozen red roses, which I love because that is what I carried in our wedding. Justin also got me tickets to A Christmas Carol (the play) and a massage. I was spoiled.

Unfortunately our anniversary didn't turn out just as we had planned. Obviously it didn't because it is 10 pm on the evening of our anniversary and I am posting on here. Justin has not been feeling well for a few days. Today we took Grayson to his Nana's to stay so we could have a romantic weekend. By the time we made it back to Raleigh Justin was feeling really bad and had a really high fever. Off we went to Urgent Care. He has the flu, possibly H1N1. We won't know for sure which type for a couple of days. He is REALLY sick.

So here we sit on our Anniversary. Our nice dinner, cookout milkshakes. Our date out, a trip to CVS for $50.00 Tamiflu. Our entertainment, whatever is on the TV in the background. Our agenda, monitor this fever (currently at 103.8) and hope it breaks soon.

You know, some people would insert here that they wouldn't have it any other way because that is just what you are "supposed" to say next. I would. There are lots of ways I would rather spend our anniversary, but at least we are together. So many people can't be with the love of their life on their anniversary whether it be due to deployment, death, sickness, unfortunate circumstances, work, or other reasons. Lots of people don't get to be together. We are!

So tonight may not be perfect and wonderful, but we have a great life together every day. We have a wonderful son. We both are blessed with the ability to work and have jobs, which during this time is a HUGE blessing. We have a loving and supportive family as well as a wonderful group of loving and supportive friends. All of those people encourage our love for each other and cheer us on when we need it most. Last but not least, we serve an amazing GOD. WE ARE BLESSED. As for our fruit and flowers. Well I am admiring those lovely flowers on my counter, I had cherries in my milkshake, and Justin is sipping on OJ. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US. . . .(keep reading)

In addition to our Anniversary it is a VERY important man's birthday today. Today is Papa Jack's, my father-in-law's, birthday. If you have been following our posts for any length of time you will know that Papa Jack has been deployed to Iraq for almost a whole year. Fortunately we can't call him today to wish him a happy birthday. Fortunately???? Yep that is right. Fortunately because this amazing hero to our country and our family is on his way home. PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE. We don't know where he is, but he is out of Iraq. It is also looking like maybe (but you should keep praying) he might (yep, might so keep praying) be home for Christmas. It depends on how long it takes him to get to the US and for them to do whatever it is the military does here before they let the soldiers go home to their families. What an amazing Christmas gift that would be for all of us. So, although we would love to talk to him and wish him a happy birthday we are just fine with having to put that off and do it in person. Happy Birthday Papa Jack (wherever you are). We love you and can't wait to see you!