8 long years...

just kidding! the last 8 years have actually seemed to go by so quickly! And I just want to say Happy Anniversary to my Benni-boo! 9 years ago today, he kissed me for the first time. (after 3 months of dating exclusively, sheesh!) and 8 years ago today, we got married in Provo. We met in the fall of 2001 at his apartment. I used to hang out with his roommates, and we met briefly a few times, but didn't really talk until halloween. And we've been together ever since. I just realized a few days ago, that by the end of the year, it will have been 10 years since we met. We'll also both be 30 by the end of the year. so We'll have spent 1/3 of our lives together. Seems kinda strange when I can remember the night we met like it was yesterday. In honor of our anniversary, I want to think of what we have done, or what has happened to us these past 8 years. This is off the top of my head, so sorry, Ben, if I forget something significant.
2003- We got married, moved to salt lake, I got a job working at wal-mart with Ben, I totalled my first car and broke my pelvis in a car wreck, we totalled our other car a month later, our apartment was burned down by our neighbor, we moved across town to holladay.
2004- Ben quit working at wal-mart, and went to work with Prudential Financial, I got a promotion at work when I transferred to the new holladay store, Ben gave me a cat, Daisy, when he had to go on a business trip and didn't want to leave me alone, We discovered Ben had eosinophilic esophagitis because he kept getting food stuck in his throat, and he had his first surgery to enlarge his throat.
2005- We bought our first house, and moved to West Valley, I got invisalign, we decided to stop birth control at the end of february, and hope for a pregnancy by the end of the year, on may 20 we discovered I was 5 weeks pregnant. I was scared to tell Ben because I thought he'd be mad that it happened so fast, as I'd told him it'd probably take 6 months to a year to concieve. He wasn't anything but happy, though! Ben changed jobs again, and went to work with Fidelity investments at their phone site, I bought a crappy car and painted it pink.
2006- Karalee was born jan 24, one week before our 3 year anniversary, I transferred back to the west Jordan Wal-mart to sell cell phones, and then I quit working at wal-mart, and went to work for data 2 logistics processing shipping invoices, we bought a new buick for me to replace the crappy, pink nissan I was driving, Ben got promoted at Fidelity to the non profit investments group.
2007- Ben got a promotion to the Seattle branch with Fidelity, and we moved to Seattle, we quickly sold our house in Utah and bought a new house in spanaway, Wa, Kara and I moved into our new house while Ben was in Florida for training, I became a stay at home mom, in may we decided to stop birth control again, july 13 we found out I was 4 weeks pregnant with our 2nd baby, I finished up with invisalign, and had to get braces, yuck!
2008- Kiersten was born march 12, I got my braces off, yay! We went to Reno and to ocean shores, Kara got a pet fish named Bubbles, We had a big snow storm here in Washington. Ben missed several days of work, and we were snowed in our house for a few days.
2009-We wrecked and totalled our beloved buick, and replaced it with an SUV of all things, definitely a family car, Ben transferred to the Tukwila branch, which really shortened his commute time every day, we went to Disneyland with the kids and Ben's dad, Karalee took ballet lessons, and then she started preschool, in may we decided to stop birth control again, and in july we found out I was pregnant with our thrid child. sadly, the baby died at 8 weeks, and I had to have a d&c on sept. 2. much to my surprise, I found out I was pregnant again on nov 5. I was really nervous, but felt better after my first dr. appointment when I got to see and hear her heartbeat.
2010-Evangeline was born, and had her first road trip at 2 weeks old to attend Grandpa Howard's funeral in utah, Kara was in a ballet performance in Tacoma, and started her 2nd year of preschool, Ben finally got to see the KC Chiefs play live in Seattle.

I obviously left out plenty of things that have happened in the past 8 years, but those are the things that stand out, good and bad. Being together has made the happy times even better, and the sad times easier. I can't imagine that there is anyone out there who loves someone as much as I love Ben! Happy Anniversary!