5 years

5 years ago today I married the man of my dreams!  I really thought we were in love then, but it's so amazing what time and a healthy marriage will do.  We are so much more in love than those 25-year-olds saying their vows.  We've had so many great adventures: living in Uptown (it's an adventure if you ask me), living in Europe, moving home with nothing to our names, buying a house, two cars on the same day, having KNOX!  The list goes on and on.  Most importantly, we have chosen to love each other through them all.  Hand in hand.  Right next to each other.  And I can't imagine doing life with anyone else.

Notice his sweet shoe?

We had so much fun at our wedding.  We danced until we were dripping with sweat, we laughed and loved on everyone that came to share the day with us.  And we spent an amazing week following the wedding in Jamaica.  We were truly blessed, but we're even more blessed now.  I've never felt more love and admiration for another person as I do for Stephen.  I can't wait to celebrate 60 more!!

We always do the traditional gifts for our anniversaries.  The first year, paper, was pretty straightforward.  Cotton, year two, was a bit tricky.  Leather (3) and Flowers (4) were also pretty self-explanatory.  Then comes the 5th.  Wood.  

We could go easy and get a piece of furniture, but we can't fit another thing in this house.  I recently won a giveway and got to purchase some subway art from a very talented girl...which got me thinking.  I can do this!  So, for our 5th anniversary present, I made a wooden subway art piece to hang in our living room.  Each address listed is a place we've lived together during these first 5 years of marriage.  

Like most projects, I think if I were to do another one it would turn out MUCH better.  I love it, though.  It's meaningful, handmade, and cheap (the best present for Stephen).  Most people that do subway art use a machine to make the negative vinyl to paint through...I don't have one, so I painted three layers, putting sticky letters on the second layer and then peeled them off when the third layer dried.  Then, I simply distressed it and put a coat of poly over the top so it wouldn't fade.  Pretty easy!

The Lord has blessed Stephen and I, and I couldn't be more thankful!