Celebrating Life and Love

She turned 1 and We turned 9.

We didn't throw a fancy birthday party (anyone who knows me, also knows that's I'm the last person to do it. I did manage to throw together a gluten-free rhubarb cobbler, if that counts). We just did our best to smile, laugh, and provide unlimited amounts of love for the little person who didn't even suspect she just turned one. I stayed up late enough to be awake during the exact time when Ivy entered this world, read her birth story and shed a few tears of joy. Joy is her middle name, and she's living up to it every single day, even when she spends a good deal of her time clinging to my leg and wiping her nose on my freshly laundered clothes.

from this:

to this:

Anya was sharing her imaginary cookie, Ivy enjoyed every single bite of it

Then, just 3 days later, Mark and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. NINE years. Really? We are one of THOSE couples who've been married, for like, forever and now has a house full of kids? I used to think families like ours looked so 'grown-up', and now we are one of those families, and I still don't feel like 'them'. It's been a fun ride so far, with it's ups and downs, but in the end, absolutely worth it. We've been growing together, laughing together, discovering who we are in our daily lives. It's hard work, and I am constantly filled with gratitude knowing that I get to do it all with Mark, my friend, love and eternal companion.

We've been enjoying hiking all these years, before we got married, after, and even while having little babies in our midst. So it was only natural that we decided to go on a hike/trail run for our anniversary date. It was raining. In other words, it was perfect.