15 Years and Counting ..... Down? Up?

Better late than never I suppose.

On September 6th, 2011 -- Thomas Robert Dale and I (whatever name I go by) were married for 15 years.

15.

I'm still shocked by that number. I feel like its only been five years. I know that's not possible because ... well ... I can still do math ... most of the time.

Obviously, the first bit of math is the glaring one ... my baby girl is 14 years old.

The second is that I'm nearing upon the age of Forty-Freaking-Nine years old. WTH?! When did this happen?? When did I turn my mom's age?

So, if we do The Math .... 2 + 2 = Yeah. We've been married 15 whole years.

Have they all been lovey-dovey and romantic and roses? Nope, Nope and Nope. Honestly, the first few were shaky to say the least. Even though we started popping out babies right away, it was still weak.

Things got better once we moved to St. George and found ourselves depending on each rather than family or friends; that can be more hindrance than help at times.

Then we moved to Washington and found that we can be really good friends with each other. In fact, he's now my closest friend. As it should be.

We've never not had kids with us; from day one, there has always been a child in our couple-dom.

How will it be in four and six years when Felix and Robee are off on their own adventures in college and we'll actually be all alone with just each other?

I predict that it will be ................


A-FREAKING-MAZING!!!

I, for one, cannot wait to sail out on our own adventure, just the two of us, being friends. By then, most of the animals will be dead and gone and we can be a little less tied down to do some things we really want to do.

Until then, however, I'm going to continue being the Mom-taxi for the kids, the go-to babysitter for the grand kids, and zoo-keeper for the mini-farm.

Here's to 15 more years with Thomas. As we age together, we begin another adventure with silver hair, wrinkles, poochy stomachs, creaking joints, and laugh lines.