I Still Do
18 Jun 2013
Two years ago today, my Daddy walked me down the aisle, and I sobbed the whole way, out of joy and gratitude. When I was a little girl, I didn’t dream of my wedding, but I did dream of love: romance and flowers and that butterfly feeling in my stomach. And this love, it definitely hasn’t disappointed in that arena. There have been, and continue to be, all kinds of romantic surprises, and I still get pretty giddy every day when Eric comes home from work. When he’s away from home, my eyes fall on a scrap of paper with his handwriting on it, and I can’t help but smile and clutch it close to my heart. I feel that way about every single little thing about him: I love them all so much.
But the greatest thing about this love is not that it fits the bill of the romance I imagined as a little girl. The greatest thing is that it is so much more. It’s the peace I feel every time we make a decision together for our family–we are such a good team. It’s the deliberations over plane tickets and car repairs and what to make for dinner. It’s the million and one ways Eric makes me laugh in any given week. It’s the private language we share, that only the two of us understand. It’s the deep knowledge that I am known and loved more deeply and intimately than I could ever have imagined. It’s the comfort of always being with your best friend, someone who has your back to the very end, someone who finds as much magic in you as you find in him. When we are together, everything is fun, and everything is funny. And the things that are not fun, and not funny, they are okay too, as long as he is by my side.
In my favorite pictures of Eric, he is looking away from the camera and smiling at something in the distance. Something about that makes my heart overflow every time I see it. It’s such a perfect image of the man I love: happy, hopeful, sweet, loving, compassionate. I love to tell him how much I love him. The trust and respect between us is something that I’m not sure I ever I thought I’d experience, not even in my wildest dreams. It’s an embarrassment of riches over here, and I am so thankful for it every single day, from the first morning smile to the sleepy good nights before bed.
To say that these two years, and the five years that we have been together, have been the happiest of my life would be the understatement of the century, akin to saying that maybe chocolate is a little tasty sometimes. Eric reminds me all the time, with his endless support of my work and play, with his gentle compassion, with his bright enthusiasm for life and learning, that he is more than wonderful, more than marvelous, more than amazing. Thank you for two incredible years, baby. I still do. And I always will.

Jun 18, 2013 @ 06:41:56
What a beautiful essay on the life and love that the two of you share. Happy Anniversary to both of you!
Jun 20, 2013 @ 19:52:04
Thank you so much! I am still pinching myself every day that I get to be married to Eric;) Thanks for him!
Jun 18, 2013 @ 07:46:33
May I be the first to cry over this lovely post? You are each so blessed in finding one another! I just can’t believe two years have gone by since your wedding, but if you say it is true then it must be. Here’s to thousands more individual moments of fun, frustration, and fascination!
Jun 20, 2013 @ 19:52:59
Thank you so much! We are incredibly blessed, it’s true! I feel so proud of how we’ve grown in love and experience in these past two years, and I’m looking forward to many more!
Jun 18, 2013 @ 12:29:02
This makes a momma’s heart sing, Cameron. 🙂 My wish is that on each June 18th to come you might be able to re-read this and know that it remains true. Our love and congratulations to both of you for doing the work that makes posts like this possible.
Jun 19, 2013 @ 04:27:28
You nailed it, Peaceful One!
Jun 20, 2013 @ 20:10:58
🙂
Jun 19, 2013 @ 16:56:32
Amen, mom! Love and marriage are hard work–and worth it all, every minute of every day!
Jun 20, 2013 @ 20:23:55
So true, so true!
Jun 20, 2013 @ 19:54:55
Thank you so much! I have all the cards Eric has ever given me, and I find that the things we have said to each other over these years have just grown more and more true. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s easy to do the work when you’re married to someone who makes it feel like fun! Thank you for your sweet card too! 😉
Jun 18, 2013 @ 12:52:12
That walk down the aisle is one one of my most treasured moments and remembering my own tears from that day moistens my eyes still as I am sure it always will. They were certainly tears of joy but also of pride in what an amazing woman you had grown in to. I am blessed to have witnessed at least some of the magical time the two of you have had together over these years and I look forward to the glee of your future precious moments.
Jun 20, 2013 @ 19:58:06
Thank you so much, Daddy! Having you there made that day so special, and in all the months before our wedding, it was the thought of you walking me down the aisle that really made me cry. I am so proud to be your daughter, and I will always be your little girl:) I love you!
Jun 18, 2013 @ 15:11:07
Wow. Happy anniversary! You are so amazing and lovely, these words are so beautiful and I am so happy to have been able to read this. Thank you for sharing. You are a wonderful wife and I am so happy you two have made so many beautiful memories in these 2 years. I’ve really enjoyed reading about the love you have for your husband, and the fun things you do together. It has inspired me to be more vocal about how much I love and appreciate mine. You two were made for each other and are so adorable. I hope you guys do something awesome to celebrate.
Also, your parents comments made me cry! 🙂
Jun 20, 2013 @ 20:02:20
Oh Kendra, you are so sweet! I think you are an amazing wife and mom too, and you constantly inspire me! Also, you and Ben have so many years on us–you are pros! Thank you so much for your kind words and for reading and commenting. I am so grateful that we found each other in this big internet! I love living vicariously through your northern adventures and always look forward to seeing light and beautiful smiles in your pictures:)
Jun 18, 2013 @ 18:16:17
I’m so happy for you and Eric! Your words are a beautiful way to capture your love for him — for the big things and the little things. Congratulations on two years of a marriage that started wonderfully and gets even better with time.
Jun 20, 2013 @ 20:04:03
Thank you so much! I could never find enough words to tell him how much I love him, but I guess some things in this life are beyond words. It’s wonderful to wake up every morning and feel like you’re more blessed than you could have ever imagined, before your feet even hit the floor;) I know the same is true for you, and I am so happy about it:)
Jun 19, 2013 @ 03:11:33
Such a lovely post-may you have decades of happy marriage bliss ahead of you-laughter is the key!
Jun 20, 2013 @ 20:08:04
Thank you so much! There is a lot of laughter over here indeed:)
Jun 19, 2013 @ 11:22:18
Happy belated anniversary, friend! This is such a lovely post and I wish you both many more magical and happy years! xoxo
Jun 20, 2013 @ 20:11:36
Thank you so much! I remember having dinner with you at the castle right before we got engaged:) And so many other happy dinners and teas before then…I miss you, BFF!
Jun 19, 2013 @ 16:55:29
Who put those onions in here?! All kidding aside, what a beautiful essay! I feel the same way about my hubs…he’s the greatest! 3rd anniversary coming in September…couldn’t be more excited. I wish you both many many more years of deepening love and bliss.
Jun 20, 2013 @ 20:23:18
Aw, I wish you the same! I am so happy you found such a wonderful man. And have such a precious child!
Jun 19, 2013 @ 23:26:13
So beautiful!!! Happy Belated Anniversary!!!
Jun 20, 2013 @ 20:24:07
Thank you so much! 🙂
Jun 20, 2013 @ 05:47:51
Congratulations to you both! xxx
Jun 20, 2013 @ 20:30:04
Thank you so much! XOXO
Jun 20, 2013 @ 09:58:24
Happy (belated) anniversary! I wish you both many more magical, wonderful years together.
Jun 20, 2013 @ 20:33:13
Thank you so much! We feel super grateful that we found each other! 🙂