5 years ago...

We got married.

Five years ago at about this moment in the morning, the big party was just about ending. Our friends helped us set up an after-party in the crappy hotel that shared a lot with the reception hall, and it was about this time- 4:30 or 4:45 in the morning that I remember kind of "waking up" at the end of the party and finally being alone with Katy. I looked across the room at the queen sized bed. Two of our bridesmaids were fishing bobbi pins out of her "up-do" slowly, methodically, lovingly releasing her long, curly locks as she fell asleep on one of their laps. Thru my drunk-ish, hazy gaze, I sighed. It was one of those moments of beauty you just don't expect. I was consumed by love. My love of this pretty woman. And these other women who stayed with us the entire day. And all the people that celebrated with us (their empty cups dotted the room) It was just the four of us. And it hadn't been that quiet since I woke up the previous morning. And they tucked us in and we slept...

In a crappy motel room suite... but as if in a fairy tale.

September is a busy month:

Sept 13 2000 - our first date. We had known each other for a year, so it wasn't really a clear cut "date". We had planned to go away together for the weekend as friends, and we came back as more. Sept 13th, we shared a kiss and always considered that our "anniversary" until we got married on Sept 18, 2004.

Then JB was born on Sept 28, 2007.

And now ML on Sept 14, 2009.

We will likely never get that many chances to go away to celebrate our anniversary with these kids' birthdays falling 14 days apart on either side (and don't forget cousin Cam's birthday is 14 days after JB's) but I guess that's a small price to pay...

September will always be the month we celebrate.
Celebrate until our heads and wallets and hearts hurt...
Celebrate the anniversary of our family's birth.