38 Years

Happy wedding anniversary to my in-laws! My mother-in-law, Ruth, posted the above photo on instagram this morning and I had to repost it there and share here. Love them, this picture, and their legacy. Forever grateful to be officially related to this family.

My husband and I have a unique situation in that we've known each other since we were 5 years old. (You can read more about our dating story here.) We grew up in different states, but when I came to college in Washington, Daniel's parents became my "Seattle parents", and we would use this exact phrase and joke about it. They would come to my award ceremonies, take me out for dinner every quarter, be invested in my life, and allow me to host parties at their house. We laugh now that they are officially my parents in-law and sometimes I can't believe the fairy-tale-ness of it all myself. 

I feel like I hit the in-law jackpot, big time. I could not imagine anyone else to be related to and I love the history and depth of relationship that we have. I could cry just thinking about how grateful I am for them. I know this isn't always the case with in-laws which makes me even more thankful, and I treasure the gift that they are to me.

Thinking about 38 years together is hard to imagine. My husband and I are about to celebrate our first anniversary in a few weeks, and I wonder what life will be like after 5, 10, 15, 38+ years of marriage. So many milestones and life events to celebrate, and as much as life will change, I'm know our relationship and our marriage will too. From babies, to toddlers, to teenagers, to retirees, our lives have many changes ahead of them and I am excited to see how our marriage grows along with us.

Happy 38th, Dave and Ruth. Love you, love being related, and am so thankful for your legacy.