A Dozen

MAY 18th............

How does that even HAPPEN!?!? 

Part of it feels like we've been together FOREVER and another part doesn't feel like I'm OLD enough to be married for 12 years.

I thought it would be kinda fun to post one picture from each year of our marriage w/ the 2 of us in it.

It proved to be QUITE a task because

1) we've lost SO many pictures after computers crashing/losing stuff, etc.

2) we're NEVER in pictures together. It's either me taking of him, 

vice versa or w/ the kids or just of the kids. You get the idea....

3) Brooks is NOT a camera person. So it's not like we'll be walking along and he'll say, "Hey, can you take a picture of me and my most awesome wife"?! It doesn't happen.

Either way, I was puuuuuuuuuuushing it to find the following. Sure was fun though.

2002

(I had no idea I was pregnant w/ Bronson at the time. Our 1st anniversary trip to Nashville)

2003

(in this WHOLE year we had TWO pictures where both of us were in it, yikes!)

2004

(1st day of medical school in Johnson City, TN, Camden was born)

2005

(Dominican Republic)

2006

(only pic salvaged from that year where both of us where in it)

2007

(Utah trip. Prego w/ Aleeya. Brooks always grows out facial hair before we fly home because his dad HATES it and he does it for a rise out of his dad. He gets it too.......and for memory-sake Brooks had one of those growth things on his face when we first met. Sick, I know)

2008

(Halloween costumes.....announcing pregnancy w/ #5. I was a pregnancy stick)

2009

(D.C. temple. I believe Emerson was asleep in his peed-pants in this picture)

2010

(Ask me how mad I am that all my New York trip w/ Brooks pics are gone. Oh well. Here we are in Florida for his brother's wedding)

2011

(Outer Banks, NC)

2012

(Brazil.....can we say "I married a hottie?!?!!?")

2013

Go ahead.........LAUGH! But this is the ONLY picture we have of the 5 months this year that we are both in it. But it's a personal fav because I DID beat him in this jellybean race.

As I was going over the years of pictures I started noticing that I was either pregnant or w/ a new baby it seemed. Time passes so fast when you just try to capture one picture for the WHOLE YEAR!

So Brooks and I started thinking this morning......of the 12 years we've been married:

-lived in 8 different homes

-I've been nursing for 67 months

- been pregnant for 65 months 

(before you think that's an announcement, there's a miscarriage counted in there)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand there's about 12 months TOTAL  that I was NOT pregnant or nursing.

But it doesn't feel like that. It just feels like it's me and Brooks starting and continuing this awesome life together. I remember during our first 3 months of marriage we looked at each other and basically were thinking/saying, "WHAT WERE WE THINKING?!?!" It took a TON of work and investment and most of all the giving up of selfishness for the betterment of the other. Man, am I glad we pushed through that first part. (we always tease that we got all our problems and "issues" out in the first 3 months so we could not have any more after that). 

After 12 years, it's scary how he knows me better then I know myself (like those times he says, "Melissa, go! Go out, get out of the house, you NEED it". I'll fight back and say, "No, I'm fine" and then he knows I'm about to lose it and he kicks me out the door. Then as I'm driving away I sigh and think, "Wow, I needed this.".) And when he's gone working nights (eh-hem, like this week), I miss my best buddy, tag-team partner, confidant and grounding influence. Didn't think I would NEED someone so much to keep me glued together,    happy and complete.

Who knew I was getting ALL OF THAT when I was dating Brooks and my mom asked me:

"Why do you want to marry him?"

and the only thing I answered was, "Because he makes me laugh"

Thankfully, I was right about that one too.