8 years Yesterday Gary and I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary. Thank you for the comments and messages and phone calls! I'm very blessed to have Gary in my life. He's a wonderful man!!! He loves me completely good times and bad, challenges me to grow in my faith, as a wife and mother, and as a woman and friend. He encourages me and supports me and let's me be hormonal and psychotic and knows me better than anyone else. In our 8 years I've graduated from college, he's achieved his masters degree, he's held 3 jobs, me 3 as well, we've lived in 5 different homes (one we purchased and can't seem to GIVE away), attended 3 churches and had two beautiful children. Together and separately we've made wonderful friends, sadly losing touch with some. I've lost 2 grandfathers and we've survived my brother being in the military and my parents divorce. His brother has graduated college, met Lia (!), graduated law school and is about to pass his bar exam. His parents have moved to a new house, purchased the "cabbage", changed churches and helped start the current one. We've done our best to support and love and stand by our families and friends as they've lost and had babies, sought out adoption, found and married or lost loves, moved, changed jobs, lost members of their own families and experienced the trials of life as well as God's Love, Grace and Forgiveness. Last night we talked a bit about where we'd be in another 8 years. Where will we live? The kids will be 11 and 9. Where will they go to school? Will they be interested in the arts or sports? Neither? Will I be working? Most of all I pondered who might be in my life now that won't be then... and how many new opportunities God might bring - not to fill the holes- but to help in the healing. Gary and I are blessed beyond measure. When we've been faithful to Him and followed His path for our lives we've seen him work absolute miracles. When we've gone our own ways we've seen him patiently wait for us to return, repent and move forward. Gary- the past almost 11 years of knowing you and being your best friend, and having you as mine, have been all I ever prayed for and more. Thank you for being the man God has called you to be. Thank you for your love and sacrifices you make for not only me but our children too. Thank you for being an example to them of what a good man is, a good husband, a good friend and a hard worker. Thank you for the ways you challenge all of us be better and make a difference for Christ. We have our faults, we have our trials, we have our differences and struggles too... but all in all when you look at eternity, and the mist that is our lives, I hope you'll look at the Bush's as full of faith, hope and love.