8 years together!

8 years, 8…my favorite number!

here’s a look at what ryan got me…I LOVE IT!!!!

i love these birds from artist and husband wife team jim and tori mullen. each one they create is totally unique, and has the most amazing detail and character.  i have to really fall in love with each individually before i can buy it.  this one really jumped out at me, i feel like it totally represents our new baby paisley.  yes…i have not seen her, but i already know her.   we were in the downtown gallery a few weeks ago, where i have seen plenty of this team’s work, but i just could not stop gazing at this particular piece, it spoke to me!  ryan was so sweet to remember and get it for me.

ryan bought me this one a few years ago…

i feel like this somehow represents a future me, the women that i strive to be, and that even in ten years or 30 years,  i will be striving to be.  it seems like a sage version of myself, something i am not, but am constantly working towards.

today i was also thinking about another artist i love, and i piece i bought that totally explains how i feel about ryan.

brian andreas with the story people.

totally amazing!!!  i love his work.  his writing seems to perfectly organize what is in the part of my mind that i typically keep tucked away from the rest of t he world, and his art style is simply phenomenal!  it really speaks to me!

we took ryan a special dinner to the station tonight, and hung out with him from a bit, and i showed him his present…take a look at what i did for him…

here.

this was actually hard to do because i had to go and search through old photos, re-shoot them , and color correct them (that is the reason why so many of them are really fuzzy and old school looking.) our girls will be like, cool vintage photos mom!  fact: we did not  go digital as soon as we should have, but we are all up to speed now.

my favorite spots along the way…

travel (london, ireland, south africa, british virgin islands and the coast)

when he came home from iraq and caught a commercial flight to meet me for just a couple days before he had to report in again.

when he became a firefighter

and of course, nothing beats having our babies!!!

and for you ryan…i can not believe it has been 8 years together!  i really do love you babe!  wow, it is quite amazing to think of everything we have been through together, the business, your deployment, job changes, travel, kids, life…victories, and plenty of defeats…

with our share of laughter, sweet moments, full hearts, the unthinkable, tears, some suffering, and let’s not forget late nights…talking, fighting, loving, and being…you wanting to sleep, and me just getting started.

you are the best for me!

what sticks out the most…?  that’s easy, the sheer amount of faith you have in me and my vision(or grand scheme if you will)…i mean seriously, you really don’t just tolerate my daily drive and passion, you embrace it and encourage it!   you trust what you don’t even know.  i love you for that!