Two Down....

Last year for our anniversary, I was pregnant. Pregnant and pretty tired, I think...I don't remember much. We went to ate at a local Mediterranean restaurant, had a good time - probably got home before 9pm and went to bed! I think I wore the sapphires Mr. O gave me for our first Valentine's Day (I adore those earrings and necklace). 

This year has been wonderful. 

I was so excited to get my hair done I could barely concentrate on studying! Last weekend, my eldest sister Kim and her daughter Maddie came down to visit (I looove having visitors - especially my gals!) and we went shopping. I found a $4.88 skirt at LOFT! Whoop! So I knew I was going to wear my lovely swishy pink skirt, but I was dreading my hair so I made an appointment...and chopped it all off! 

Not pictured: the other pictures where I'm making really dumb faces in an attempt to look cute. 

It's really amazing what a new haircut and some makeup can do to a gal. Within twenty feet of the salon, I had two compliments (very over-exaggerated, I'm sure) but it was so nice to look pretty again. Jen was so generous - she took the babe for the entire second half of the day! We had hours and hours to spend together!! What to do?? 

Well, we kept it simple. We took a nap (hooray!) and just hung out in bed, chatting, like old times. We went to dinner - just the two of us! I got to drink and eat the whole meal - not taking it in a to-go box, or  scarfing it down in a hurry so I could tend to Zuzu. We got silly and made lots of dumb jokes, talked about what we had been reading, caught up on our inner lives...and reflected on life with our wonderful daughter. What a joy it was to be able to sit back and talk about her - compare reflections, tender moments, hopes and dreams. Last year young love, this year young parents.

So although we did basically the same thing we did last year (we were back before 8pm!), it was gloriously different. Love really only multiplies; it cannot divide. We were so richly savoring our time together, but we missed her - truly missed her. She is our biggest bond yet, a great band of love that wraps us two together. She forms such a huge part of our common experience now...I wonder what we ever did without her. 

Naked mornings...a Zuzu tradition.

These two years have been so wonderful. I am aware that as of yet, I am still at the very beginning of our married life. I have a great deal to learn - but the thing is, I can really SEE that I'm learning. I've figured out to leave Mr. O alone when he's upset (because talking won't make him feel better), I'm getting better at confronting him when I'm upset (b/c talking does make me feel better!), and we're both still working on being better at communicating - our schedules, our desires, our expectations, and especially our joy in each other.

 Just today, Mr. O said to me, "I love you - you're just a really good person." I can't express how much that moved me, utterly slayed me in that moment. I'm a good person? I can't recall anyone ever telling me that I'm a good person. It's such a simple compliment, but it spoke volumes to me. I wish I had known that earlier. I need to hear those things from him! It encourages me to persevere in my efforts in holiness. It gives me a sentiment to hold onto when we're fighting or annoyed, snippy and frustrated. 

Two years out and I'm grateful I took the plunge, tied the knot, jumped the broom and gave him my yes.