Guys, we turned FOUR on Thursday! That’s like the age of a preschooler. That’s probably about how much we know about marriage/the world as well. A preschooler’s amount.

But, somehow that’s still enough to leave me full to the brim. I’m sure we’ll look back on these four years later in life and they’ll be small in our rearview mirror. Right now, they’re our everything. They’re our history. They’re coming from May 26th, 2012, four times around the sun, and signaling enough time passing that we’ve turned into a family. From one dog to a new puppy to an adorable sweet baby that I don’t know if I ever pictured us with. A whirlwind. It means over four years dedicated to a ministry that we love and three years into a business we’re passionate about. Four years of trying to have a life well lived.

Really this is what it comes down to: four years of ice water left on my end table at night, four years of Netflix and ice cream dates on our couch, four years of forgetting we needed to cook dinner and eating pizza instead, four years of going to bed a little too late each night, and four years of riding to work together. Countless miles put on the Prius, countless goodnight kisses, countless Sunday afternoon naps. And then there’s the occasional arguments, occasional times that I walked the dogs instead of David, and occasional weekends in our sleepy little town, rather than out of it. Four years of coffee shops and book stores and Target trips. Four years of him doing the dishes, rubbing my back before bed, and always driving on road trips. Four years of him falling asleep during movies, letting me have the best bite of a shared dessert, and taking care of me at every opportunity.

I love our life together. And I’m sure I’ll continue to love it more and more as the years pile on. But right now, as I sit in the passenger seat and David drives us on yet another trip, car packed to capacity, Ollie snoozing in the backseat, singing along to a perfected Spotify playlist…it’s hard to imagine my heart being able to hold any more. I’m full to the brim.

((I make David take portraits with me every anniversary. Here’s the proof :]))

Year one. Self timer/shutter remote and tripod aka all US in Abingdon, VA.

Year two. Taken by my sister at our wedding venue.

Year three. By Live View Studios in Raleigh.

And Year Four. Abandoned tracks in Christiansburg, VA. Taken by us/tripod/self timer. And ironically, the first time David left a self portrait session saying “I actually had fun that time.”

My favorite <3

And because we’re dorks.

Happy Four Years, Jobin.