This week marks a special time for my husband Jason and me with the celebration of our wedding anniversary.
Nine years...and I haven’t pulled my or his hair out yet!
What began as classmates in a college journalism class has developed into a career, three children, a mortgage and a life almost a decade later. It’s funny how the ride of life turns out as you grip the wheel with both uncertainty and happiness.
But it’s well worth all the bumps in the road for the smooth sailing at the end of the day.
When I was a little girl, I had the dream prince, marriage and life planned out. We would life happily ever after with a white picket fence and well behaved children. We would travel to the Hamptons during vacation. We’d drive brand new cars complete with leather seats and designer wheels. We would wear the latest fashion trends and own the newest gadgets.
It was all mapped out for me.
But all that changed when I met a brown-eyed country boy from Yazoo County. With his deep Southern drawl and contagious laughter, I was hooked.
The designer living and suburban future went out the window.
But I didn’t “settle” by any means.
My Yazoo good old boy made and still does make me feel like a queen. I surely don’t want anybody messing with the deal I’ve got.
Jason makes me laugh daily from the time I wake up until I shut my eyes for the night. His main goal in life seems to be to make me happy, smile and laugh with every moment.
Even when I have had the worst day or feel that I don’t look my best, one word from him makes it all better.
We may not have the most well behaved three children, but that would be boring. Their wild, free-spirits and curious personalities make them ours. Our son James is a thinker with enough grit in him to take on a small army. Our daughter Elsie is a firecracker who loves everyone and defends her family and friends with such a big heart. Our baby son Jase is a bulldog-walking, sweet mini-man who can melt a heart with his smile but cause concern with his pouty lip.
We may not have the white picket fence...yet. We have dreams as large as the heavens about what we want to do with our home, but it is a work in progress. There is Play-Do stuck on the ceiling and Hot Wheels clogging the toilet. There are fruit punch stains on the carpet and crayon on the walls. But we’ve learned that good memories are much more valuable than perfect order.
We drive used cars with Skittles in the floorboard and baseball equipment in the back.
We don’t vacation in the Hamptons. We set up a campground in our backyard with plastic pools and water guns.
There are no designer names in our house. We make it with what we can on a modest paycheck, and we work hard to get that. And we don’t worry about what we don’t have, only what we need.
It’s the life my husband of nine years has provided for me. And I couldn’t ask for more.
Maybe I could have pursued that prince and got the gold and the glamour. But I wouldn’t have been happy.
I wake up every morning knowing that my husband and my family love me. We may battle it out sometimes, but we suit up for war if anything comes against us. There are bumps along the way, but we’re buckled in.
I know there are plenty of women out there who live the same kind of hectic, busy and unpredictable life as I do. But if you’re lucky enough to do it with your best friend by your side, it’s all an adventure.
Happy anniversary Jason!
Thank you for a life that leaves me laughing and smiling everyday. It beats any glamorous fairy tale.
