Dear Us, 10 Years Ago

Joe and I celebrate our tenth anniversary today. We were both established in our jobs but still pretty clueless about a lot of things in life. I often think about those two crazy kids, in love and determined to make the best life for themselves. Sometimes, I wish I could go back and tell them a few things, but then again, its much more fun to figure them out on your own.

Dear us, ten years ago,

Today you will say I do. You will probably never feel more beautiful then you do today. Cherish the moments with your family. Dance on that table at the reception! You wont remember much of the day....its just too exciting. I remember when you said you didn't want a videographer because you wanted to remember it a certain way in your head and who watches those silly wedding videos anyway? Get someone to videotape! Look around at all the people who are there to love and support you. Some of them won't be around 10 years from now...whether due to death or friendships lost or a falling out between family members. Enjoy every minute!

All those people standing beside you? You'll grow closer to some of them. The opposite will have with a few too. That's ok. Everyones on their own journey living their own life and you will see that the most important people will still be in your lives 10 years from now.

You are going to have so much fun making a home together and trying to figure out all the stuff: how to decorate the christmas tree, having opposite work schedules, who is in charge of the bills, who does that yard work. This is part of creating a family unit. It will be hard some days. Just because it is "how we did it at my house" doesn't mean that is how it needs to be now. Compromise and make your own traditions. Remember when you were asking your mom about how to obtain accessories for the house? Ha! She told you would collect them over time and boy was she right. Be happy that you both have the same taste when it comes to home decor.

Embrace the simple days. Life gets crazier down the road. Death, friends getting divorced, job changes...its all going to happen. Prepare! One day you will be so busy with life and babies and you will long for the days when the biggest decision you had to make was Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware.

Enjoy your first house together. It will be the place where you have parties, create memories and bring your sweet baby home from the hospital too.

Enjoy moving to a bigger house. I know you are sad to be leaving your first home, but think of all the memories you will make in the new house.

Travel, travel, travel.....as much as you can. Go on adventures and don't think twice about spending money when it comes to this. It's so very important!!

There will be days where you are angry and hurt at each other. You’ll make a promise together to never go to bed angry, and you’ll keep that promise even on nights when you’d rather face the wall silently crying. Make sure to keep the lines of communication open. You’ll learn that you’re much stronger together, on the same page. You both have strong wills, let them work for you, or you’ll let them work against you.

 You'll teach each other many things over the years. You will grow up together, you will have babies and become parents together, you will love each other fiercely. Make sure you don't forget to put each other first. Make God the center of your marriage. 

It won’t always be perfect, but I can say with confidence, you’ll love to learn from and embrace those times.

You’ll write this letter to yourself, with a smile on your face as you think about those past ten years and look forward to the next ten years.

Be careful with each other. Let go of things quickly. Apologize when you mess things up. Support and encourage each other. Above all, love each other well.

Love,

us, ten years later

P.S- Take a look, it’s a beautiful life…