What I've Been Up To ...

Seven years ago I moved to Florida. It's been a wild ride:

I got a dog, got married, and got pregnant. I was the top editor at a newspaper and the lowest secretary at a school. I bought my first place at rock-bottom prices only to have the bottom fall out. I traveled to the countries of Romania, Yemen, Jordan, and Texas. I lost my mother and father, a job, three men who weren’t marriable, and the hearing in my right ear. I was employed by a mega church and a megalomaniac. I maintained terrific long-distance friendships and made a few new friends. I learned that family is one of God’s greatest gifts. I learned that every loss, every bump, and every bruise was all part of the Plan. I became a fan of Spanish steak, white rice, black beans, and big puffy clouds. I discovered I’m more comfortable with diversity when I’m still part of the majority. I learned that being lonely and alone is a lot better than being lonely in a crowd. I became a blogger, a business owner, a wife, and a mother.

All in all, I wouldn’t trade the past seven years for anything.

Wuv, Twue Wuv

I'm no expert on love.  But in the past 373 days of marriage, I have learned a lot on the subject, especially in the past few weeks.

Valentine's Day fell on the same day we brought our newborn home from the hospital. And our first anniversary fell just six days later--and we were utterly exhausted and in no condition to celebrate. Plus, our house was littered with flowers and sweets to celebrate Jack's birth, so there was no need to add those sorts of traditional things to our collection.

So instead, we made a date to celebrate our anniversary and Valentine's day in March, and in the meantime we practiced "wuv, twue wuv," as it was so eloquently put it in The Princess Bride.

For us, true love looks like this:

• Sitting on the couch together, sharing a giant Twix bar
• Volunteering to change the messy diaper
• Giving each other a couple extra naps and/or hours of sleep in the morning
• Reminding one another that our love is for keeps, even when the going gets tough
• Emptying the dishwasher voluntarily
• Helping each other make the bed each morning (a much easier task when shared by two people!)
• Walking the dog when neither of us feels like it

So this is love. Or at least this is our love. What does your love look like?