Three years of love

"I love you, dear, more today than yesterday, but not as much as I’ll love you in a year. I am so thankful to have you as my wedded, life-long partner in crime. With you, I am a better person. You speed up my heart and slow down my anxious tendencies. You, my love, are an amazing example of a loving husband – always patient, always kind, always smiling. I look forward to living through the years with you." - Me

Gorgeous photo taken by Zach Nash, photographer extraordinaire.

The messy part, one...

Source: apair-andaspare.blogspot.com via Keisha on Pinterest

The first time I heard the word Endometriosis, I was 23 years old, a college graduate living the high life of bar hopping and summer nights filled with spontaneous outings. My wild red hair matched my sporty Camaro and my budding career introduced me to shopping sprees and high heels, my two natural loves. Endometriosis - I didn’t give much thought to it considering the numerous tests I’d already been through. Upper GI, lower GI, pelvic exams, x-rays for this, scans for that – you name it, I’d had it during the summer of 2000.

To my general doctor’s surprise, nothing came back with anything that could cause the considerable gut pains that I’d been experiencing. Nothing but high medical bills to show that I had a “clean bill of health” with a stomach ache to boot.

During my annual exam that August, my lady-parts doctor noticed the lengthy list of recent medical visits I had listed to the question, “Have you been seen by a doctor in the last year? If so, by what?” After discussing it briefly, you could clearly see that she had a hunch. She probed and pushed around on my lower abdomen/pelvic area and said the magic word – endometriosis. Within a week, I was scheduled for a laproscopy surgery. I honestly didn’t know what it was, nor did I mind. I’d had surgeries before and if my parents were on board, I knew it was safe. That’s the great thing about parents and youth, everything is safe and comforting.

After surgery, she informed me that she’d removed my appendix, which was corkscrewed to half its size (the cause of the gut pain), 13 ovarian cysts and the endometriosis tissue. I thought, “great, sounds good, see you next year,” with little thought given to that e word. I went about my business healing as needed and didn’t think about it until a friend of mine asked about my recent absence.

The first thing out of her mouth was, “You know you can’t have kids past 28 with that, right?” No, I didn’t. Besides, who cared? I was 23 with my first job at a local newspaper enjoying the high life of being in the wonderful world of advertising. Kids were a thing of my future and I was living in the carefree now. I’d worry about that later in life, a life that seemed ages away.

Part 2: The mess continues

Separated at birth

Source: None via Lindsay Alexandra on Pinterest

We fell in love with each other and New York City in the same year, at the same progression.

Our love affair started with two strangers sitting side-by-side, day-in day-out, dreaming over bigger things yet to come. It was our personal escape from the doldrums, mundane daily work of our jobs.

I’d look for apartments, he’d look for images. We’d share them with each other until finally, strangers became friends who became each other’s crushes who became lovers-for-life.

New York City is the defining item (and our love for it) that brought us together – so much so that we married in New York City, far away from our Midwestern lives and extended families.

This weekend, we watched (probably too much) 9/11 coverage and our hearts ached for the city that feels so much a part of us – to our very core. We are proud of it like a grown, younger sibling in its rebirth and renaissance. We ache for it like a lost friend we are separated from.

What’d I do with all of this ache? Booked a winter trip to visit our long lost friend, the city that never sleeps, of course.

If I close my eyes now and focus really hard, I can hear the city sounds. Can you?

Back to Dirty D

Source: google.com.au via Natalie on Pinterest

We're on our way back to Raleigh-Durham soon to look for our new home. I'm not sure if we're more excited about that or seeing Micah and Liz. Wish us luck!

Source: flickr.com via Natalie on Pinterest