Anniversary
Five years ago (well, almost - June 7, 2002) I was driving down to Bakersfield from San Diego to visit Ashley and Jenna for the weekend. After 2 short days, I’d decided I was going to move here and live with the girls. It was spur of the moment, (it was crazy actually) but I knew I needed to be in a new environment. I had been living with my parents for six months after leaving my ex-husband. I needed a new start and I figured living in Bakersfield for a year or so would be a good transition into a bigger city and a new life. I moved into apartment 32 just two weeks later.
Two years ago today, Daniel and I were in San Antonio getting married in front of our friends and family. We’d been together since January 2003 and life had gradually led us to me walking down the aisle to him. We were partners embarking on a new chapter in our lives and I was filled with excitement, pride and gratitude that I got to be married to this beautiful person. On that day, I was the happiest I’d ever been in my life.
I imagine if someone had told me five years ago that I would meet my best friend and future husband in Bakersfield, I would have laughed. This city was supposed to be just a resting spot. I was going to be single for the rest of my days. Marriage wasn’t for me. And then Daniel… well, we were just going to be friends. Within weeks he was so much more than that. Quickly, my preconceptions for what the future would be crumbled away. When I looked at Daniel I saw limitless possibilities and the life I didn’t think I wanted and/or never thought I’d have.
One year ago today, Daniel and I were in Ashland, Oregon celebrating our first year of marriage. We had honeymooned there and had promised each other we would try to come back every year. We were both a little sick that weekend, but we had an amazing time. We saw three shows, ate great food, watched a Benson marathon, walked a lot, and took tons of pictures.
The day before we left for Ashland, we’d met with a nurse practitioner in Bakersfield to discuss trying to conceive. I wasn’t ovulating so she scheduled some tests for me and talked to us at length about what our options were. Two weeks later we were talking to a specialist in Thousand Oaks (that the NP had referred us to) who had no doubt I would be pregnant soon. Three months later, Zoe was on the way.
So here we are. Today is our two-year anniversary. Time has flown by! It feels like we’ve lived a lifetime in the past two years. The wedding. The honeymoon. My health problems. Bringing Max into the family. Nana’s cancer. Losing Nana. Fertility specialists. Theatre. Vacations. Pregnancy. Losing Grandpa. Welcoming Zoe into our family. There are days when I cannot believe that such a short or long time has gone by.
Daniel went back to work today after being out for almost 2 weeks. Obviously, we didn’t get to Oregon this year – instead, we got a new addition to our family. Zoe is our present to each other. She is the sum of both of us and nearly 5 years (in January) together. She is our hopes and our future and already she has changed our lives immensely.
So far today, Daniel and I have sent e-cards and messages back and forth wishing each other happy anniversary. He came home for a bit and I made turkey sandwiches for us. We sat and had a quiet lunch, (almost whispering) as Zoe slept in her playpen. He brought me home a gorgeous vase full of red roses that remind me of the Antique Rose Emporium (where we got married). He’ll be home again in just a few hours and I can’t wait to see him walk through our front door. We’ll have a nice dinner at home, relax, hold our little one and each other and hope for more sleep than the night before.
If someone had told me five years ago that I would be living in Bakersfield, married to my best friend and a mother to a precious little baby all before my 31st birthday… I probably would have told them they were crazy. And I would have been wrong.
No. I would have been right. This is all crazy. Crazy, wonderful.
Happy Anniversary, Daniel. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
Two years ago today, Daniel and I were in San Antonio getting married in front of our friends and family. We’d been together since January 2003 and life had gradually led us to me walking down the aisle to him. We were partners embarking on a new chapter in our lives and I was filled with excitement, pride and gratitude that I got to be married to this beautiful person. On that day, I was the happiest I’d ever been in my life.
I imagine if someone had told me five years ago that I would meet my best friend and future husband in Bakersfield, I would have laughed. This city was supposed to be just a resting spot. I was going to be single for the rest of my days. Marriage wasn’t for me. And then Daniel… well, we were just going to be friends. Within weeks he was so much more than that. Quickly, my preconceptions for what the future would be crumbled away. When I looked at Daniel I saw limitless possibilities and the life I didn’t think I wanted and/or never thought I’d have.
One year ago today, Daniel and I were in Ashland, Oregon celebrating our first year of marriage. We had honeymooned there and had promised each other we would try to come back every year. We were both a little sick that weekend, but we had an amazing time. We saw three shows, ate great food, watched a Benson marathon, walked a lot, and took tons of pictures.
The day before we left for Ashland, we’d met with a nurse practitioner in Bakersfield to discuss trying to conceive. I wasn’t ovulating so she scheduled some tests for me and talked to us at length about what our options were. Two weeks later we were talking to a specialist in Thousand Oaks (that the NP had referred us to) who had no doubt I would be pregnant soon. Three months later, Zoe was on the way.
So here we are. Today is our two-year anniversary. Time has flown by! It feels like we’ve lived a lifetime in the past two years. The wedding. The honeymoon. My health problems. Bringing Max into the family. Nana’s cancer. Losing Nana. Fertility specialists. Theatre. Vacations. Pregnancy. Losing Grandpa. Welcoming Zoe into our family. There are days when I cannot believe that such a short or long time has gone by.
Daniel went back to work today after being out for almost 2 weeks. Obviously, we didn’t get to Oregon this year – instead, we got a new addition to our family. Zoe is our present to each other. She is the sum of both of us and nearly 5 years (in January) together. She is our hopes and our future and already she has changed our lives immensely.
So far today, Daniel and I have sent e-cards and messages back and forth wishing each other happy anniversary. He came home for a bit and I made turkey sandwiches for us. We sat and had a quiet lunch, (almost whispering) as Zoe slept in her playpen. He brought me home a gorgeous vase full of red roses that remind me of the Antique Rose Emporium (where we got married). He’ll be home again in just a few hours and I can’t wait to see him walk through our front door. We’ll have a nice dinner at home, relax, hold our little one and each other and hope for more sleep than the night before.
If someone had told me five years ago that I would be living in Bakersfield, married to my best friend and a mother to a precious little baby all before my 31st birthday… I probably would have told them they were crazy. And I would have been wrong.
No. I would have been right. This is all crazy. Crazy, wonderful.
Happy Anniversary, Daniel. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
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