10 Years

10 years ago today I waved goodbye to the single life and became a married woman. I won't mention any names, but I know there were some people who thought that I might never say "I do." I'm pretty sure there was more than one sigh of relief breathed on my behalf that day. I wasn't very old according to the world's standards, but in our LDS culture I was certainly getting up there in years.

I thought I was finally ready to take the plunge. I had traveled. I had worked. I had lived away from home and survived all kinds of "interesting" roommates. I had experienced college life. (I married Adam just a few days after I finished my last college class.) I knew what I was looking for. I had dated and I had learned from my mistakes. I had been through painful break-ups and broken hearts - sometimes mine, sometimes not. I had seen close friends marry - and in some cases divorce. But I was ready! In my mind, I was mature, experienced, and prepared. And even more importantly I was in love.

I honestly thought I knew what I was getting into, but looking back now it's almost laughable how naive I really was.

The truth is that the last 10 years haven't exactly been the textbook definition of marital bliss. Don't get me wrong, there has been plenty of happiness and fulfillment along the way, but there has also been enough frustration and discouragement mixed in to keep us grounded. When we got married, Adam still had 3 years of school ahead of him. Children didn't come as easily or abundantly as we would have liked. Our marriage has survived job frustrations, miscommunications, relocations, church callings, financial struggles, construction projects, and major impulse purchases that weren't always discussed or agreed upon beforehand. And after 10 years of marriage we still don't always see eye to eye on issues like finances, parenting, adoption, and mountain biking, but we're getting closer.

It hasn't always been easy, but marriage has also brought me more happiness that I could have imagined 10 years ago. I mean how could I have known then how it would feel to see my husband finally graduate and get his first "real" job? Or to move into our first home? Or to hold my newborn babies for the first time? Or to see those babies grow up and play bucking bronco on the trampoline or make dangerously long bicycle trains with their daddy? Or to watch firsthand as they start to gain a testimony? I had no idea life could be this good!

And I can honestly say that if I could turn back time...I'd do it all over again.