Eight Years of Togetherness (Updated)

I've already posted The Story of Us, so I won't retell the whole story again, but eight years ago tonight, I was having supper with my future husband-to-be. And I knew he would be mine before the bill even arrived. After eight years, we still say "Thank you" for everything, we still kiss each other good night (even if we're not in the same city), we still hold hands everywhere we go and we still say "I love you" every chance we get. There are a few things that are undeniably "Mike & J": storm chasing, drinking an unhealthy amount of coffee, consistently referring to each other as "Babe", napping and spontaneous road trips. One of the things I love most about our relationship is bed time. When we climb in, one of us asks, "Who's way?" and we pick someone's side of the bed to face. After fifteen or twenty minutes, the other person asks, "Ready to roll?" and in one synchronized movement, we roll over to face the other way. It is one fluid motion of arms, legs and blankets all shifting at the same time. And our bodies fit perfectly together, no matter which way we go.

And the idea of fitting together no matter what is symbolic of our relationship on a grander scale. We've had our highs and lows like every one else. We have faced issues where it seemed as though we weren't going to come out together on the other side. But we've also faced issues where the only reason we came out the other side was because we faced them together. And in eight years, I have learned more about myself, about what I'm capable of doing, where to set my limits and when to reach a little higher, all because I have Mike to stand next to me. And for that, I am so very, very grateful.

So, happy anniversary, Babe! Here's to eight (maybe nine?) more wonderful years!

Update: Tonight, after the boys went to bed, we made tea and curled up in the living room. I sat on the couch and Mike sat on the chair across from me. We shared the ottoman between us and stretched our legs out next to one another. And we listened to a story from our new Stuart McLean CD. The house was totally silent except for Stuart's voice and the occassional chuckle from Mike or myself. And I think that's a pretty perfect way to end the day.