Happy 9th Anniversary to My Husband (and me)...A.K.A. "Then and Now"

Bobby and I are celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary today.  Later this month (on Halloween, to be exact) we will celebrate the 11th anniversary of being a couple.  I have known him for 12 years.  Do the math -- I fought fate for about a year before completely giving in to his charming ways.  So, in honor of the one I love, I decided to do a little "Then and Now" comparison of our life.

Then:  We used to lie awake all night long talking about mindless happy thoughts, smooching, and dreaming of the future.

Now: We lie awake all night long listening to Caroline talk in her sleep and for sleepwalker Rob to come downstairs, smooching on the sleepless infant, and daydreaming (night dreaming?) of a full 8-hours' rest someday in the future.

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Then: We couldn't keep our hands off of each other!  We were so affectionate and passionate in our love for one another.

Now: All that affection and passion has filled our house with three very blessed and busy children.  We are still affectionate and passionate towards each other, but even more so towards our own pillows when we crash into much-desired sleep!

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Then: We used to decide at the last minute if we wanted to vacation somewhere, go out to the nightlife, or stay in and adore each other quietly at home.

Now: We decide at the last minute if we can leave the house depending on if all our children are being babysat.  Nightlife?  See above.  But we adore this family and love our loving home.

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Then: If we heard of a great movie we would go see it at the theatre and enjoy popcorn and Reece's Pieces.

Now: Take children to the movie theatre?  Yeah, right.  Instead, we watch Scooby Doo and Dora The Explorer on DVD and sweep up popcorn kernels from under the sofa.

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Then: We had our favorite restaurants that we frequented.  Bobby would have a beer or two and I would enjoy a nice glass of wine.  We would share bites of each other's entrees and play guess-the-tab for fun.

Now: We have our standby, go-to recipes that ensure a nice dinner without whine.  We accept shared bites of our kids' food and play "Mad, Sad, Glad" to foster family discussion.

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Then:

Our engagement photo...

Doing the "threshold carry" the morning after our wedding...

Now:

Enjoying a rare, kid-free, dinner date (I was pregnant with William in this photo)...

Travelin' with the Tide...on our way to see BAMA play...

Sure, things have changed over the years, but I'd rather call them evolving.  It's been a great journey so far, but nine years is merely the beginning of our lifetime together.  I love you, Bobby!