Here's a picture of Lucy holding our engagement picture. This is the one we chose. It was taken in a tree. We were barefoot.
Things that have changed in ten years for us:
We now call each other "Mom," and "Dad," or "Mommy," and "Daddy" more than Brian or Val. I never thought we'd do that. In fact, we used to poke fun (very gentle fun) at people who did that sort of thing.
Ten years ago, Brian had about a thousand potted plants. He didn't have a green thumb; he was green all the way up past his elbow. Those things thrived. I am now in charge of plants in our house. We have seven left, and they are not in good shape. Brian is in charge of the forest we are planting in our yard.
Ten years ago, Brian drove a very big, very tough Bronco that got 7 miles to the gallon of gas. Talk about a luxury vehicle. We thought it was expensive to drive then! Brian now drives a very big, very tough Dodge, a work truck that's a little bit tricked out.
Like this, only the best shade of blue you can imagine...and with much bigger tires.Ten years ago, Brian could be found behind the counter in LW's gas station in Logan, baking cookies, making egg salad sandwiches and doing crossword puzzles to kill the time when his regulars weren't in to fill up their mason jars of Mountain Dew. This is where Brian learned that people sometimes sound silly when they preface their purchase of Camels with this admission, "I have gas." The secret? You can say, "I've got fuel" just as easily. Same number of syllables, even!
Ten years ago, Brian and I had a king sized bed crammed into our little basement apartment bedroom with inches on all sides. Our big furniture purchase was a little table/butcher block thingy from k-mart. It doubled our counter space in our apartment and served as our table. Now, we're homeowners, subject to every joy, pain and expense homeowners are heir to.
Ten years ago, I planted tomatoes in the little strip of flowerbed alloted us from our landlord. Today I have four tomato plants in three pots on our deck. I have been warned that the deer that wander around, adding a bucolic flavor to our neighborhood, well--they eat tomatoes.
Ten years ago, I loved Brian because he was authentic and bright and good and good to me. Today I love him even more. Today, I love him because he is authentic and bright and good and good to me and because he is painfully, heartachingly sweet with Lucy. I love him because he is adventurous and dedicated and because he is strong.
Lots of things have changed in ten years.
Ten years ago, I said, "yes."
I still do.
