My Life at Eight Years of Marriage.

I cannot even begin to explain the trials and triumphs during my marriage. There are always happy and sad, laughter and tears, and highs and lows throughout every year. This past year, our seventh in marriage, I'd say has brought me the most happiness. I've seen Andrew and my relationship grow more through this last year than any other year. Being part of a church community that values the commitment of marriage has provided us with strong faith-walking people who also strive to make the love of God present in their own marriage. For that I am truly grateful. It's one thing to know what makes a marriage work...it's another to see it in practice in other Godly marriages.
It's a given our marriage isn't perfect. Let's just be honest. We all fall short. We all make mistakes. Sometimes the blogger and social media world can seem so peachy keen, filled with people putting on a facade to conceal the less pleasant reality beneath. Besides, who wants to hear all that mess. I'm here to say marriage simply isn't pleasant all the time. You can be married to the love of your life and still feel like throwing a phone at them every now and again (don't ask). What I've learned every marriage needs is a whole lotta grace and mercy. A marriage can't even exist without it or I wouldn't know how it could. God has given us so much to learn from within these eight years. We've grown up so much.

August 3rd, 2004

Even after the eight years there's so much to be grateful for. I'm grateful for my husband's sense of humor, his willingness to work hard for his family, his supreme athleticism (that one's for you, Andrew!), his hands that can do the drilling and sawing on my DIY projects (think pallets), his thoughtful food suggestions (most the time they turn out great, excluding Ramen Noodle Special), and the comfort of his presence. That last one is something I truly missed on my last vacation to St. George Island. After a week of being gone from him, I only wished to return to the place of being with him again. I also cannot forget the best part of him and I being together...what we've created.

Here's to my husband of eight long, hard, fun, beautiful years. And here's to the rest of our lives.
I love you, Andrew O'Leary.