Today is Kyle and mine's third anniversary. Our relationship has been tried by fire a bit more than some others have been at such an early point, and we're doing OK. Since we've known each other, he has stuck by me through emergency surgery, a few ER visits, and brain surgery. He has been with me through the deaths of two of my grandmas. He was the person I could cry on when I knew someplace deep inside that my Dad was NOT going to get better, even if the doctor hadn't told Dad that yet. He was with me through the hardest week of my life, when we took care of Dad while he was dying and didn't know who we were any more. There were so many times that he could have left. But he didn't. We got married a few months later, went on a wonderful honeymoon to our special treehouse, and came back and went to church camp. Since then, we have had a few challenges come up, but the one thing I have never, ever had to worry about is whether he loved me. He's a sap, and I love him for it. A little over a year into our marriage, we found out that we were going to have a baby. Now we have Noah and I get to watch Kyle with him, and it is the greatest gift I could ever, ever receive.

This isn't to say it's been all roses. We are both very independent, very strong-willed (read: stubborn and pig-headed), and very, well, stereotypically Irish in some ways. Dad always told me that we would have the most spectacular fights. I remember very clearly being at a youth group area wide the weekend before our wedding. It was held at the state capitol building, so of course I went. We got into one of those "so-mad-I'm-walking-away-from-you" fights. ABOUT EDUCATION POLICY. Seriously. Then I went to the bathroom and came back and told him that the toilets were made by the "Church Toilet company" and shouldn't we argue about the "separation of church and state" instead and we laughed and made up. Then we laughed about the fact that we got into an argument over something so silly.

Now if we have a spat, we play with the munchkin (who can be annoyed when you're doing THAT?), watch an episode of House Hunters, or grab some caffeine and kill pixelated mobs together. It seems to work pretty well. Although Kyle says that gardening is his therapy, and my yard looks absolutely gorgeous. Maybe I'm missing something...

I am so blessed to have a husband that I know is a man of honor, who will protect me, encourage me, and help me to be a better woman.

Staying in the mushy vein, here are a few wedding pictures to share. Love and hugs to all of the friends and family who have been such a source of support to get us through the first few years of marriage. Y'all might want to stick around for a while- we need all the help we can get!