that's what you get for waking up in vegas

Nine years ago we went to Las Vegas. And got married. In a car. At the drive-thru chapel ... and then didn't tell people for like 4 months. Look how long my hair is! Sorry, I digress. Try not to be overwhelmed by the romance of at all. I know. It's difficult. But give it a shot.

This year we got each other matching wireless headphones for our anniversary. Again, romance abounds in the Chunglund household. But matching headphones are, as one (that one being me) would say, nauseatingly cute.

Anyway, we appear to have hit that sweet spot in our marriage where Gus drives off to work without me ... while I'm standing on the curb ... with my hand on the car door handle. Or I give the kids his lunch for the next day because I'm too tired to make dinner.

Gus is the guy that won't buy you a birthday card, but will surprise you with diamond earrings because it's a Wednesday. I'm OK with that.

All in all, we've had a good year. New career challenges, many blessings, and lots of fun times with our little associates.

We managed to get away for a long weekend and head to Sonoma in early November. To get that to happen, I had to cry (probably more than once, let's be honest)---but I've got no shame in that game, if it means a mini vacation. We wined, dined, spa-ed, and shopped. Pretty much all of our favorite things.

Who knew that the cocky 19 year old, who wanted to talk about his ex-girlfriends, ad naseaum (who were,by the way, all named some derivative of Katherine, and used to send him mixed tapes on the regular) would one day 10+ years (and several interim relationships) later turn out to be my forever?

Yet here we are. Making it work. And having some fun while doing so.

This is real. It's life. It's hard. It isn't perfect. It's messy. Anyone who knows us, knows we aren't some quote on a Hallmark card. It wasn't love at first sight---because really, I was only hanging out with him because I liked his friend. He isn't the last thing I think about before falling asleep. That thought is usually reserved for something along the lines of ... YESSS! J2 IS ASLEEP!

But the fact that we can survive the mundane is what defines us. That through the noise of all the real life BS, he is in my heart. Always. Forever. He isn't the one I waited for. But somehow we found our way back to each other. Swoon, cue the soundtrack ... but full disclosure, it was MySpace. He wasn't my first. But he is my last. It is what it is. We are what we are. And quite frankly, I wouldn't want it any other way.

All kidding aside, Gus is the one who catches me before I fall, who believes in me when I don't even believe in myself, and who knows I can when I think I can't. He is everything I never want to be without. I couldn't ask for more than what we have, what we are, and what we are yet to become, as long as we always do it together. I love him, and even more than that I love us. We have been unstoppable these last nine years, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

Cheers to 9 years of Chunglunds! 

Matching pajamas. See! Nauseatingly cute.
Sorry about your man card, Gus.