Getting married to Jonathan was a very easy decision. I knew I loved him. I knew he was a good man and I never had ‘cold feet’.

Marriage isn’t easy though. It is hard work of sacrifice and devotion and loyalty through the good but I think more importantly the hard times. Why do I think it’s worth all of that? I think it because I believe you can only feel the depths of love and happiness if you have been through the equal depths of pain and sorrow and heartache together and worked so hard to build a foundation that is unbreakable.

I am not sure if we are at an unbreakable point. I do know that we are headed there because we both want to be. We both love each other, and are fiercely loyal.

We have strengths that compliment each other, we revel in them. We also have weaknesses that are not good for each other, we are trying to figure our own out so we can work on them and become the spouse we each want and need.

I remember the guy that performed our sealing in the temple, on our leaving the building that cold eve of 18th Dec 2004, he said ‘be happy, that’s all you can be, happy, so be happy’.

That’s all we all want.

If I’ve learnt anything from the last ten years, it’s that I want, I need, at least another ten because time goes too quick. Time is all we have and I’ve wasted some important time being angry when I need to be happy.

But I don’t want this to be a gloomy post. I have had some great moments with Jonathan. We bought a car together, a house, have supported each other in studies, and new jobs. We had a beautiful baby girl together. We have faced battles through her life together and been a formidable team. We have enjoyed some travel and the simple pleasures of life together. We have some great family that we love and some friends who are as close as family that we couldn’t be without. I have laughed so hard my stomach has hurt, Jonathan makes me happy. He also annoys me, A LOT! But I love him, so I’ll keep him and let him carry on!!

It’s hard to give my whole self to Jonathan, I feel like my strength is taken away with everything I have to be and do for Lauren, like there’s not enough room to give anything else. However, room needs to be made and our goal is to make sure we love each other like we should and become even stronger and even more formidable and more in love than I ever imagined possible (pass the bucket?-well I mean it so keep it close for the future hahaha!!)

After all that though…getting married in December wasn’t the smartest idea, sure at the time it was lovely and romantic. Every year since it’s been a pain in the tush figuring out gifts and a little celebration. It wasn’t totally difficult, you know, until we thought why don’t we have a kid in Dec too???!!!!!! NUMPTIES!!!!!!!

Regardless of that though – Happy tenth anniversary Jonathan, may we conquer many more of life’s battles together and enjoy all of life’s victories side by side. xxx