A Good Start

Awwww! Look at those two crazy kids! That is a picture taken of me and Cort three years ago today on our wedding day. Never would we imagine that the next three years would be so hard and so wonderful all at the same time. Even though we don't give gifts on our anniversary, Cortney showed up for lunch with a bunch of flowers for me. What a guy!
This evening, we went out to dinner to Alpen Rose, a tradition we started on our first anniversary, partly out of laziness--we don't really like to think too hard about what we are going to do or where we are going to go--and party because we LOVE the food there! As usual, it was delicious and the service was great! We will definitely continue our tradition next year.
For the past couple years, Cortney and I have also gone to the movies after dinner. We don't get to the movie theater very often, so it is a fun treat. This year, however, we were just too full and not too impressed with the selection of movies to choose from, so we opted to go to Best Buy and get a movie to watch at home. We chose Thank You For Smoking, which was VERY good--although probably not recommened to our parents or anyone offended by swearing, although the plot WAS good despite that.
In the end, we were Ok with spending the evening at home. We have come to find out that although many people might think it's lame, our favorite hangout is right here at home with each other. Cort and I agree that the decision to marry our best friend was the best decision both of us have ever made. Like I said, we've been through an awful lot in the past three years, more than many couples experience in 30 years of marriage, but because we can make each other laugh, and be there when we need to cry, we have weathered it pretty well. In fact, I think our relationship is stronger because we have both had to learn not just to communicate with each other and live together, but we have learned to have to lean on each other when the going gets tough. We've lived out all our vows: For richer or poorer (ok...mostly the second part), for better or worse, in sickness and in health...we've seen them all and lived through it!


Before we got married, lots of people would say things like, "oh you just wait...that will change once you are married," implying that it's all down hill once you say "I do." I am quite happy to be proving those people wrong. I believe Cort and I laugh more, share more, and just have more fun all around than before we were married. If anything, things HAVE changed since we got married...for the better! As my Grandma Riemersma said to me today, we "are off to a pretty good start!"