Fear in Writing: Eight Years

Today in Literary History

Today in Literary History...December 14, 1907: Rudyard Kipling receives the Nobel prize for literature, the first English-language writer to do so.ud

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Eight Years

Eight years.  It sounds like a lot, but it sounds like nothing.

What have we done in eight years?  We have moved from Nashville to Phoenix to Raleigh.  We have worked for the US Air Force, Toshiba, three news stations, and Ameriprise Financial.  We have birthed and raised to ages 2 and 4 two children--two very different children.  We have survived childhood scares like heart surgery, pneumonia, aspiration, two hospital trips for stitches (one on our 7-year anniversary), and overnight hospital stays.  We have seen economic boom and economic scare.  We have seen moments of boredom and more-than moments of complete satisfaction.  We have seen the Grand Canyon, flown on a seaplane to Victoria, camped in the back of our Xterra after an all-night trip from Arizona to Colorado, visited Tombstone, Arizona, moved across the country at eight months pregnant, changed jobs (careers) at nine months pregnant, and cherished our family for what they are: the most important thing in the whole wide world.

Today is our eighth anniversary.  Eight years ago today we had our wedding at the most beatiful church--my childhood church--First Presbyterian in Nashville, TN.  Our reception was in the Club at the Titans Coliseum.  Here is the room, with its view of the city:

We have celebrated every anniversary in a different city in this order:
Nashville
Las Vegas
Phoenix
Raleigh
Wilmington
Chapel Hill
Atlanta
(Durham)

It wasn't intentional...At least not at first.  After the fifth anniversary, we realized we had to keep up the streak.  Five happenstances are pretty cool--we had to keep it going!

So today I say Happy Anniversary to my husband.

31 comments:

  1. so where are you today! I'm coming up on my eighth anniversary - June 24th. We celebrate our first date as we aren't married. We try to have a party on that day - it is John Baptiste Day here in Canada and that is holiday too. We have what we call 'Love Revolution Celebration' and all the daylilies are showing their faces...Eight years have flown by with step-kids and my kids and grand-kids and trips here and there - not as many as you though. We're older and like to paddle canoes in the bay with the whales...
    Congratulations you two!

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  2. Wow! You've done a lot in 8 years! I'll have my 8 year anniversary in August, so I know how fast it's gone by. And how fantastic to spend your anniversary someplace different every year! I think we've completely forgotten a few of ours.

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  3. Congratulations Michele,

    Wow, you've made it beyond the seven-year itch. I don't know exactly what that means but, it seems, I'm still experiencing it after twenty three years. I'm just thankful that my wife still puts up with me as I transition through mid-life.

    Best of luck to you in the future. It's always a struggle but alwayse worth it.

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  4. Happy Anniversary and may the best be yet to come!

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  5. Happy Anniversary to both of you!

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  6. Michele - Congratulations and Happy Anniversary. Good for the both of you to be there for each other, weather the storms, savor the good moments, and enjoy life with each other. May you see many, many more anniversaries together.

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  7. Happy Anniversary to you both - and you've certainly had an eventful first 8 years! May every year to come be happier than the year before.

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  8. Happy Anniversary! And many many more to come!!!

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  9. Jan- That sounds like a fantastic way to celebrate. We've talked about going whitewater rafting for one of our anniversaries, but have to wait till we have the grandparents out to watch the kids for the whole weekend! I wish we had whales in Raleigh. :) Happy 8 years to you!

    Natalie- 8 years can really fly, you're right! Congratulations to you! And thanks.

    JL- I just thought about that itch thing the other day. I was happy to see that we both made it through. 23 years is quite an accomplishment!!

    Maribeth- Thank you!

    Cheryl- Thank you, friend!

    Margot- I hope so, and it has been an interesting ride. Thanks.

    Elspeth- It's been an adventure, and it will continue to be one! Thank you.

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  10. Congratulations!! Time flies and things change and stay the same. We will be celebrating 14 years in Sept. Now we are all grown up with kids and responsiblities. Ugh. Can't imagine it any other way. Celebrate and Love!

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  11. That is wonderful! I wish you many more happy years together.

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  12. Congrats and happy day! We'll be celebrating the big 2-0 in October. Like you said, a long time but where has it all gone?

    btw, gorgeous wedding dress!

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  13. Awwww....congratulations to you both!!! Love the photos!

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  14. You've done a lot in eight years and it's sounds wonderful. COngrats and Happy Anniversary!

    CD

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  15. Congrats & Happy Anniversary! You must be exhausted after all that. Bet you're glad you waited to have kids :)

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  16. Congratulations and Happy Anniversary. May you have many, many more years together.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  17. That is wonderful! Many more, Michele.

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  18. oh, so you really got married very young? Congrats to you and your mister :)

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  19. Happy anniversary, Michele!! Wish I could say we celebrated 19 years in a different town every time...

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  20. Happy Anniversary to both of you!

    You make a gorgeous couple :)

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  21. Congratulations. Happy anniversary to you both. Next month my wife and I celebrate year number 20. Now you have put me under pressure to do something big!
    That's okay. I think I'm up to the challenge!
    Congrats again.

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  22. Congratulations, and all the best for the future. The cake looks nice, btw.

    Cold As Heaven

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  23. A wonderful achievement and so wonderfully expressed.

    You talk of marital stability against a backdrop of geographical and other life changes.

    It sounds exciting

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  24. Happy Anniversary to you both!!!

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  25. Congrats!! you have done a lot in those 8 years :) Hope there are many, many more :)

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  26. Happy anniversary! You're a few months ahead of us. We're 8 in September.
    Beautiful wedding photo!! :)

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  27. Congratulations.
    You have done a lot together in eight years, but the best thing is that you have had fun doing it. Can anything be better than that?
    Lots more!

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  28. Congratulations! Denis and I have been married eight years as well. :)

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  29. Wow...29 comments on such a personal post means a lot! I don't know how to go back and respond to you each, though I should...so let me just say a big THANK YOU!

    We went to a wonderful restaurant in Durham last night called Nana's--ate next to a couple who have been married for 66 years! 66 YEARS!!! I'll have to post this since I know most you won't get the chance to come back and read it...

    We did marry young--at 22. But we waited about four years to have kids, so we were pretty established and we were happy. We ARE happy!

    Thank you for all the compliments on the dress and the cake. It was a wonderful wedding, but it has been an even better life.

    Congrats to all of you with big anniversaries coming up--16, 20, 8, my goodness--it's a lot of work, isn't it?

    Michele

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  30. Congratulations!
    I've been catching up on blog reading, so missed this on the day. Hope you had a wonderful time!

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