This past Saturday, Chris and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary. Ironically enough, we were attending a friend’s wedding on Saturday and as the ceremony unfolded, I found myself looking at the bride and groom and feeling slightly jealous at the adventure that they are about to embark on. You’re only newlyweds once. But then I looked over to where Chris stood with the rest of the groomsmen and, as I did, he looked out into the crowd and found me at that exact same moment. We smiled at each other and darn it if I didn’t get the same goosebumps from my head to my toe that I got six years ago standing at the alter.
That boy melts me.
The past year of marriage for Chris and me may not have been as doe-eyed and candlelight filled as our first year of marriage, but it certainly has been as meaningful.
I said I was starting to feel at home in Florida.
He said he missed his friends in Connecticut.
I said I was tired of clipping coupons and counting pennies.
He said he was tired of our tiny rental house.
I said I wanted to write a book.
He said he would watch the kids while I wrote.
I said I thought I could make writing a career.
He said he thought I needed a paycheck.
I said I was pregnant.
He said he hoped the baby came out carrying a bag of money.
I said I wasn’t giving birth to a leprachan.
He said he hoped it was a girl.
I said how odd it was that we would leave the backdoor unlocked.
He said to not come inside and to call the police.
I said I would never go back into that house again.
He said he found a house with a pool.
I said I was going to be a teacher.
He said he pitied my students.
I said I was worried someone was going to break in and take Bean.
He said I was worrying a lot lately.
I said I was tired from being pregnant.
He said he thought I was depressed.
I said maybe he was right.
He said he’d hold my hand through it.
I said I was angry at God.
He said he missed seeing God in my everyday life.
I said I’d talk to my minister.
He said we didn’t have enough money to cover my maternity leave.
I said thank goodness God and I were on good terms again.
He said he’d find extra work.
I said I’d pray.
He said he was getting a big promotion.
I said it’s time to go to the hospital.
He said she was the second most beautiful redhead he’d ever seen.
I said her name was Carline Grace.
He said he’d forgotten how much newborns sleep.
I said Bean went potty twice in one day!
He said sunsets on the back porch were worth the move to Florida.
I said I finally felt like myself.
He said he’d missed me.
I said I loved him more than the day we were married.
He said he loved me, too.
The thing I’ve learned about marriage in the past six years is that each year, each milestone, each moment, each memory can be important. Everything has the potential to be just as important as it was that very first year of marriage. Marriage is all about your perception – how you perceive your spouse, how you perceive yourself, how you perceive your relationship, how you perceive your life and your lifestyle – and your perception is about your mindset. If you choose to find the importance and the significance in the everyday, then your sixth year or your fourteenth or your fiftieth year of marriage can be just as important and significant as your first.
At least, that’s my theory. And I’m looking forward to proving that theory for the next fifty years with my sweet husband.
1) Nova Kristin: Congratulations and Happy Anniversary! I particularly enjoyed your he said she said. Great post!!! (06.05.2011 09:07pm)
2) Heather in ND: Your words are beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (06.05.2011 09:09pm)
3) Lisa: Happy anniversary! Sure, you only get to be a newlywed once but I find its much more exciting as the years go by to grow and experience new things together. I'll be married 4 years this year and every year so far has been drastically different but as long as we make it through them together, that's all that matters. (06.05.2011 09:10pm)
4) Olivia @ Crossing Bridges: You brought tears to my eyes. My husband and I just celebrated our 2 year anniversary. Like you & Chris, we started dating in high school, have been together for as long as either of us can remember, and married young. It wasn't until we were married that we realized the importance of mindset and perception. I love your I-said he-said section. Congratulations! (06.05.2011 09:12pm)
5) Life of a Doctor's Wife: Beautiful post. Happy anniversary to you and your husband! (06.05.2011 09:16pm)
6) Jennie: You made me cry. Happy Anniversary! (06.05.2011 09:17pm)
7) Katie M: Congratulations! Glad you still get goosebumps from your handsome man. Ya'll have come a long way together and are stronger for it! (06.05.2011 09:22pm)
8) Casey: LOVE this post... made me laugh & cry. Happy SIXTH anniversary to you both! (06.05.2011 09:23pm)
9) Rheannon: Aw, that made me cry. (My roommate thinks something horrible happened.) Congratulations. I hope someday I can find my own "Chris". You are such a beautiful family. I know there are many happy anniversaries in your future. (06.05.2011 09:24pm)
10) Keshet Shenkar: Happy anniversary and love this post! (06.05.2011 09:35pm)
11) Alaina: I love this post! You have had quite the year - so many ups and downs, and you've come out strong and even more blessed. You two are truly an inspiration - happy anniversary to you! (06.05.2011 09:37pm)
12) tessabella76: Happy Anniversary! Definitely one of my favorite posts. We'll celebrate 2 years in September. The first year flew by and was easy peasy. This second year has thrown us some curve balls. I totally agree with you that marriage is all about perception. Here's to many more years! (06.05.2011 09:38pm)
13) Kristen: Aww, congratulations Katie and Chris! Our one year anniversary is a week from today! (06.05.2011 09:40pm)
14) Janie: Happy Anniversary! (06.05.2011 09:45pm)
15) Rachel: Great post! Happy Anniversary. My high school sweetheart & I have been together 23 years, married almost 19... it's crazy, wonderful, & awesome. He's my best friend, but he can really drive me up a wall sometimes! =) (06.05.2011 09:48pm)
16) Jennifer: Congrats on 6 yrs Katie & Chris. Happy anniversary! (06.05.2011 09:50pm)
17) Rebecca @ The Reluctant Housewife: Well, first...congratulations on 6 years down, the rest of your life to go! Second, what a year! When you put it in a list like that...it's pretty incredible. I mean, it's incredible anyways, but reading it like that got me all emotional. I should stop reading blogs today...I was already sobbing at the pioneer woman's blog earlier today. Happy Anniversary! (06.05.2011 09:56pm)
18) Jenna: Tears! Just awesome. Happy anniversary to you both! (06.05.2011 10:00pm)
19) Amanda H: That gave me chills as I read it. I appreciate your honesty in sharing not only the good parts of marriage but also the hard parts. (06.05.2011 10:06pm)
20) Amy Deschamp: love this post, we are approaching our third anniversary and have had a tough year. I might "borrow" your style to celebrate ours if that is OK. (06.05.2011 10:10pm)
21) jend: Awesome post! So glad that you seemed to find youself again!!!! (06.05.2011 10:16pm)
22) Niki: Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones surging through me, but your list made me cry! Congrats! (06.05.2011 10:16pm)
23) Mindee@ourfrontdoor: Amazing writing today Katie. A summary and also a complete story and such a creative way to tell it. Also? Happy Anniversary. :) (06.05.2011 10:21pm)
24) Lori @ I Can Grow People: Excellent post! Happy Anniversary (a day late!) Aaron and I married the year after you and Chris, though we haven't been together in general as long as the two of you. This year will be eight years together, five years married. And I feel like we haven't had much of a rest since we got engaged in 2005. Do you also feel like since you got married life has been in "whirlwind" mode? (06.05.2011 10:27pm)
25) AliG: Happy, happy anniversary!! We are about to celebrate 3 and I gotta say I love the honesty in your post! (06.05.2011 10:27pm)
26) Kimberly @ The Sparks Life: Such a sweet post! (06.05.2011 10:44pm)
27) Kimberly: Congratulations and Happy Anniversary! What a sweet post... And so very true! (06.05.2011 10:44pm)
28) Rachel @ Linesacrossmyface: Happy anniversary. You two are such a cute couple! (06.05.2011 11:12pm)
29) laurenbtrain: Happy Anniversary to you and your hubby! (06.05.2011 11:30pm)
30) Lindsey: You're the bomb - loved this post! Happy Anniversary you two! (06.06.2011 12:17am)
31) Rachel @ The Ongoing Planner: You make me so excited to get married! I have less than a month to go and I am so excited for the day of, the first year and the rest of our lives :) I think you are right on that perception is key! (06.06.2011 01:37am)
32) Monique: Happy Anniversary, Katie! We're celebrating our 23rd anniversary this week, and although I'm not as gifted a writer as you, we're still very happy to be married to each other as well! If we can do it, I'm sure you two will be able to as well. (06.06.2011 01:57am)
33) Ella: Beautfiul post! Happy Anniversary to you both! (06.06.2011 02:05am)
34) Marie @ It's a Kind of Normal: Happy 6th Anniversary guys! This is such a beautiful post! (06.06.2011 05:27am)
35) Erin Browne of Brownie Bites: Happy anniversary! Funny enough, my husband and I celebrated our 6th just a week before yours, on May 28th! (06.06.2011 07:53am)
36) Jen @ Caved In: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!! It has been such a crazy year for you two, so happy it ended up so wonderfully. Hugs!! (06.06.2011 08:02am)
37) Amy: Happy anniversary, Katie & Chris! Lovely post as always, Katie :) I have been married almost two years now, and when I look at you two I find inspiration & encouragement.... it doesn't have to be always be perfect, as long as there is love :) Here's to 50(+) more wonderful years! (06.06.2011 08:06am)
38) Ashley @ A Recipe for Sanity: I got goosebumps reading this! Happy anniversary and congratulations to the both of you. I think sometimes we wind up loving each other so much more after we go through those experiences, because it's at those times that we know how much someone really loves us and what lengths they will go to on our behalf. (06.06.2011 08:07am)
39) Jennifer: Congrats on your anniversary. This was a beautiful post! It also happens that Saturday was me and my husbands 6th anniversary as well :) Here's to many more! (06.06.2011 08:27am)
40) Britt@knewlywifed: Beautiful post, and SO VERY TRUE. Marriage is what you make of it! (06.06.2011 08:33am)
41) Stephanie @ Our Marriage Adventure: Happy Anniversary! Y'all really inspire me and my relationship with my husband. (06.06.2011 08:50am)
42) Jenna: Happy Anniversary! I love this post. My husband and I are approaching one year, and I feel like I love him more every single day. It's the best feeling in the world :) (06.06.2011 08:58am)
43) Tressa: LOVE THIS!! Happy six years to you both!! Chris is right, you're a beautiful redhead!! Beautiful bride ;-) (06.06.2011 09:26am)
44) Kat @ Living Like the Kings: Happy 6th anniversary lovebirds! This is an amazing post. (06.06.2011 09:48am)
45) Christina: Happy anniversary Katie and Chris! My husband and I just celebrated our 1st anniversary this weekend and I can already feel us moving out of the "honeymoon stage". With our first child due in December, our relationship has already changed drastically. But in a good way I think. I hope that five years down the road we are just as happy as you and Chris are. (06.06.2011 09:56am)
46) Lindsay (Young Married Mom): Congratulations and happy anniversary! And way to give me goosebumps and bring me to tears on a Monday morning :) (06.06.2011 10:16am)
47) Grandma Barnes: There you go, again, makign me cry! I am so privileged to witness the happiness you and Chris. Thanks for two beautiful great-grandchildren (06.06.2011 11:05am)
48) Kay@bluespeckledpup: Happy anniversary! What a lovely, sentimental look at the past year of your life together. (06.06.2011 12:52pm)
49) Sarah: your post brought tears of happiness and hope to my eyes. happiness to read about such a strong marriage and hope for mine. I've only been married for 3 months and i hope we can be just a little bit as happy and whole as you guys are 6 years in. :) congrats on your anniversary. (06.06.2011 12:52pm)
50) colleen: I love this post. LOVE LOVE it. You are really beautiful and I love when you write like this. Happy Anniversary (06.06.2011 01:20pm)
51) Becky: Very. Very. Sweet. Happy Anniversary to you both. You are among the very lucky to have found that "one" someone with whom you are meant to spend the rest of your life. Congrats! (06.06.2011 02:09pm)
52) Sara: Congratulations on your anniversary! Ours is one day after yours--June 5. Your post made me teary-eyed :) (06.06.2011 02:35pm)
53) Jess: You make me cry everytime, Katie! Congratulations! (06.06.2011 02:43pm)
54) Meggie: Happy Anniversary! We share the exact same anniversary... June 4, 2005. =) (06.06.2011 03:49pm)
55) Jess (In My Healthy Opinion): Happy Anniversary to you two! This post made me tear up - it's so beautiful. Wishing you many, many more years of happiness together! :) (06.06.2011 03:57pm)
56) Mrs. Pickins @ theslimpickins.com: The "he said/she said" portion brought tears to my eyes. Excellent work. (06.06.2011 04:07pm)
57) April: Wow....This post gave me chills. I love your relationship. (06.06.2011 06:50pm)
58) Halcuri: My hubs and I also were married on June 4th, 2005! Yay for June brides! We went out to dinner and enjoyed some couple time, minus our three year old and her 15 month old brother who were hanging out at home with a friend of ours. Here's to a lifetime of love and laughter! (06.06.2011 07:34pm)
59) Cindy In Owensboro, KY: Happy anniversary! It was my 5th anniversary on Friday. You looked so beautiful in your wedding photos!!! (06.06.2011 08:39pm)
60) Ashley @ According to Ashley: Happy anniversary guys!!! Here's to many more years together! (06.06.2011 08:53pm)
61) tabitha @ From Single to Married: Awww... so sweet, happy anniversary! And I LOVE your wedding dress - it's gorgeous! (06.06.2011 09:22pm)
62) Meg: I just want to say how excited I am about you being back to yourself. Congratulations on re-finding your faith and on your anniversary! (06.06.2011 09:32pm)
63) a: You have such a gift. This was so touching. (06.06.2011 11:33pm)
64) Rachel P.: This was such a sweet post. Each "He said. I said" was perfect. It made me recall all the wonderful post you have taken us through over the past year. Happy Anniversary to you two! (06.07.2011 02:28pm)
65) Rachel B: Oh you! YOOOOU! There you go again: making me all sniffly and teary...at work no less! What a wonderful post. Happy Anniversary to you and Chris! And thank you for being you :) (06.07.2011 04:50pm)
66) Megan: oh gah, I'm all choked up now. That was so sweet! I've really enjoyed getting to read your blog over the past few months. I really appreciate that you write about your life so candidly and honestly. Hope y'all enjoy the next year with each other! (06.08.2011 12:33pm)