Twenty Years!

Last Wednesday, June 23, 2010, Brian and I had our 20 year wedding anniversary.
20 YEARS!
That is so huge! Who stays together for 20 years?

After much deliberation (and MUCH is the keyword)... we decided to renew our vows.
I wanted Vegas but Brian said he couldn't handle it.
So,...
We hiked up to a really pretty spot in Snow Canyon and with our 5 boys. (We missed Ali so much)!

We had both written our vows and I went first.

As I read them, I had so many conflicting emotions.

I don't even know what the deal was, but every time I looked over at Brayden, he was wearing these uber short shorts from the DI, and then I'd look at Brian and get serious and then I'd look at Matt, who was stifling a laugh. Teenage boys are so immature. Anyway, I ended up crying and laughing through the whole thing. Like I said,....conflicted.

But in the end, it was special.
It really WAS a moment.

I am so glad that we did it, and it was a beautiful experience for BOTH of us.

Like I said in my vows: There is no one in this world that I would rather share this journey with.

I love that man!

Here's to another 20.

Letting Her Go

Ali graduated from Hillcrest on June 2, 2010.
She graduated with honors and was radiant and beautiful.
Both mom and dad and Rog and Carole came.
It was a long, but really fun night.

It was a night of reminiscing and remembering the past High School years.

But today is a new day. Today we are looking ahead.

On Thursday morning Ali is going to leave us.
She will fly away to Europe for 6 weeks.

The longest we have EVER been apart was for 4 days at Cheer Camp and 4 days at Girls Camp.

Neither experience went well....for either of us.

But we are 2 years older and more experienced now(!), and Ali is ready to go.

I know I have to let her go.

Even now, as I sit at my computer, she is downstairs fighting and laughing....laughing HARD with (or at) Bray and Matt. It is a typical Sunday evening.

My irrational mind worries too much and I have to fight to remember that this is NORMAL. Our kids leave.

But why did it have to happen so soon?

Where did the time go?

We have to let her go.