made it without a scratch!

I've heard it said that in marraige...4 years is the new 7 year itch...Well if that's the case, I'm proud to announce that Brad and I have slid by unscathed as today we celebrate 5 YEARS of love and happiness and a heck of a lot of work.

I know many of you who read this have been married much longer...but I STILL think its a day to celebrate...in fact I can't wipe the grin of my face- why? It's just an another day on the calendar (some might say.) But the truth for me is, that I'm more in love today- I have a deeper bond, our life is becoming a beautiful thing to me. It's not perfect, but its perfect for me. Dreams are becoming reality, relationships blossoming, and life is good. It really is.

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Story of Us. It tells the story of real love, real life in a real and very touching way. At the end of the movie, when the Michelle Pfiefer and Bruce Willis reconciles she gives one of the best monologues I've heard, I usually watch through my tears but today I want to share it with you:

That's not why I'm saying Chow Fun's. I'm saying Chow Fun's because we're an "us". There's a history and histories don't happen overnight. In Mesopotamia or Ancient Troy or somewhere back there, there were cities built on top of other cities, but I don't want to build another city. I like this city. I know where we keep the Bactine, and what kind of mood you're in when you wake up by which eyebrow is higher. And you always know that I'm a little quiet in the morning and compensate accordingly. That's a dance you perfect over time. And it's hard, it's much harder than I thought it would be, but there's more good than bad. And you don't just give up. And it's not for the sake of the children, but they're great kids aren't they? And we made them - I mean think about that - there were no people there and then there were people - two of them. And they grew. And I won't be able to say to some stranger, "Josh has your hands" or "Remember how Erin threw up at the Lincoln Memorial?"

And I'll try to relax. And let's face it, anybody is going to have traits that get on your nerves, why shouldn't it be your annoying traits? I'm no day at the beach, but I do have a good sense of direction so at least I can find the beach, but that's not a criticism of you, it's just a strength of mine. And you're a good friend and good friends are hard to find. Charlotte in "Charlotte's Web" said that and I love the way you read that to Erin - when you take on the voice of Wilbur the pig with such commitment even when you're bone tired. It speaks volumes about character. And ultimately isn't that what it comes down to? What a person's made of at the end of the day? Because that pith helmet girl is still in here - "BEE-BOO, BEE-BOO!" And I didn't even know she existed until I met you. And if you leave, I may never see her again - even though I said at times you beat her out of me - Isn't that the paradox? Haven't we hit the essential paradox? Give and take, push and pull, yin and yang, the best of times, the worst of times. I think Dickens said it best. It's the Jack Sprat of it, he could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean, but that doesn't really apply here. Does it? I mean I guess what I'm trying to say is - I'm saying Chow Fun's because I love you.