Two years ago today, J and I said “I do” in front of 236 of our closest friends and family.

In those two years, we have never taken a vacation together (with the exception of our honeymoon). I stopped working full-time. J got laid off and remained unemployed for three, financially tumultuous months. We lost a family member. We gained a new one in our dog Comang. We conceived, and lost a baby. We conceived another baby after four months of trying, and I am now 16 weeks pregnant with who will hopefully become our first live child.

Having been together for so long before marriage, I don’t think J and I ever had a “honeymoon period.” In fact, our marriage started off a bit rocky and unstable. I even experienced a minor stroke from the stress of my new life.

Our pastor, who headed our pre-marital counseling sessions, once told us that he doesn’t believe in a honeymoon period. He asked, “What does that say about your marriage if the first months/year of your marriage were the best years?” And I wholeheartedly agree.

These two years have certainly not been the easiest.

Do I have regrets? I most certainly do. But I thank God for these trials, and for allowing me to make these mistakes, because I can now confidently say that J and I have never been happier, or closer to each other.

Happy two years. I love you more than words can say. And I’ll try my best to make each anniversary better than the last.