10 Years

Ten years ago today, I married my best friend. Cliched? Maybe. True? Absolutely. As we sat poolside at our hotel in Maui, Hawaii back in 1999- we vowed to return there for our ten year anniversary. We wanted to come back and live it up bigger and better and mentally scheduled ourselves out a decade for this 'great return'. Not so fast! Did we not think about where we might actually be in ten years? Did we skip over that giant chapter of our lives that might have involved children? Funny because Damien and I knew from very early on that we wanted to have a lot of kids. Yet somehow, the Hawaiian heat got to us and we just thought it would be no big deal to be back there in ten years.

When I look back at us, those two kids that stood on the altar and got married, I often think that they didn't know what was coming their way. We had lived an amazing twenty-three years already but what would be packed into the next ten years would be enough excitement and drama to span two more lifetimes! However, that is what you risk to start your life with someone. You don't get a manual on how to stay happily married and no one can predict your future with a crystal ball. You jump ship, hand in hand with your loved one, with your faith in God in your pocket and start that journey through life together as a married couple. And man, it is a beautiful thing.

As I write this blog, I am in my morning lounge pants. That electric blue bikini I wore poolside in Maui is long gone- probably donated to Goodwill at least eight years ago. We are not in Hawaii but instead together as a family just trying to enjoy every day with our four beautiful children. I couldn't have even imagined ten years ago that I would be where I am today. Not by a pool, but with a pool of spit-up on my shoulder from Emily's morning feed. This life we lead now far surpasses what I thought life could be like ten years ago. So much of it is more difficult but so much of it more amazing than I could have ever dreamed. I'm still hand in hand with my husband but behind us walk four brand new lives that the two of us created. Those two silly young kids poolside created a family. A 50/50 family of three girls and three boys who now have decades ahead of them to create anything and everything they want. How powerful is that? Together- Damien and I created what we wanted. We have our family of six, intact and strong, centered around God and one another.

Ten years is a great milestone for both Damien and me. So much packed into a relatively short period of time so why not document it year by year . . .

1998- Both graduate from Santa Clara University. Engaged in July!

1999- Married August 1st in Kirkland, Washington. Move into apartment on Newhall Avenue in Santa Clara. Continue jobs at Tek Systems (Lisa) and Adobe Lodge (Damien). We also buy our first car as a married couple. A 99 Black Honda Accord which until 2001- was our first baby. Sad, isn't it? Damien finishes his Master's Degree at SCU.

2000- We find out we are pregnant with Michael in November. Damien gets a new job at Cisco Systems and Lisa goes to work in Events at Santa Clara University.

2001- We plan a fantastic 15 day trip through Europe and plan to visit Rome, Florence, Venice, and Paris. Michael is born April 12th while on vacation in Paris. We live there for the next three months and then return home joyfully in July! Lisa stops working to stay home with Michael full time. Michael continues thrice weekly therapy appointments to get stronger and Damien accepts a new job at Ketchum Integration.

2002- We find out in February that we are expecting Baby #2! Wow! Kids will be 17 months apart. In May, we move up north to Washington to live with my family in case I go into early labor with Baby #2. Sure enough, we are admitted to the hospital in June with premature labor. Thankfully, we hold that off and spend the next 73 days in the hospital. September 27th we meet our daughter Claire who is just amazing. We hunker down and focus on raising essentially two babies at once! Damien starts work at Onyx Software.

2003- Damien gets a job promotion in San Francisco and we move back into an apartment in Santa Clara, CA in November. We buy our first house in December and are thrilled to have a place to really call our own!!

2004- We move in and focus on raising the kids. We travel a lot up to Washington and try and enjoy life with its more calm nature since the kids are getting bigger.

2005- Michael starts preschool. We travel with the two kids back to Paris to show Michael where he was born. We also visit Bordeaux. Damien goes to work for Pivotal Corporation.

2006- Claire starts preschool! Damien and I cruise to Mexico to experience some relaxation and peace and quiet! We find out we are pregnant with Baby #3. All travel is stopped again and Lisa goes on modified bedrest until baby arrives. In December, we take the plunge and join the minivan world with our Toyota Sienna in preparation for #3.

2007- On January 30th, Matthew joins our family! Michael starts Kindergarten! In December we buy a house in Willow Glen and are so excited to move into a house with more space and a bigger backyard!

2008- Damien and I travel ALONE to Costa Rica in February which was an unbelievable trip! In July, we travel with the three kids to England to visit Damien's brother and family. We also see Paris and Ireland during our journeys. Michael starts 1st grade and Claire starts Kindergarten. We find out on Halloween that we are pregnant with Baby #4!

2009- Miss Emily joins our family on June 12th (the first day of summer vacation). We celebrate our 10th wedding Anniversary! Michael and Claire start 2nd and 1st grade. They are now both in full-day school!

Of course there is a lot more that happened during these amazing ten years- but those are the bigger bullet points. Just writing this out makes me realize we've had a lot of big life changes in ten years! It is crazy to think what the next ten years will hold!

On this particular anniversary, we were at my Mom's house and she graciously offered to watch the kids so we could go out. Without hesitation- we took her up on her offer. We made reservations at a wonderful restaurant in Seattle near Pike Place Market. I wanted to be able to walk around after dinner so this seemed like a great choice. We had a wonderful time. I am so very lucky to have Damien as my husband. It is always so comfortable, so freeing, just so right when I am with him. On the way over to dinner, I opened the glove compartment to get something out and I saw a card in there. (How he knew I would open the glove compartment is beyond me- but I did!) It was seriously the most beautiful card I have ever read. The words read as follows:

"Someday, many years from now, we'll look back on this crazy time in our life together and wonder how we did it all ... and then, those ordinary, everyday moments that we often take for granted will shimmer like starts as we recount them ... I'll sit close beside you, you'll take my hand in yours. We'll look at each other and say: "I'd do it all again ... and I wouldn't change a thing."

I had just finished putting on my make up but out of nowhere- I just started crying. Those words couldn't have been more true. We made it to our ten year anniversary just as we added our fourth child to our family. All of this wonder mixed together provides us with many chaotic moments. But I know one day I will look back at the craziness, the noise, the insanity, the hustle and bustle and miss it. Without Damien, I wouldn't have Michael, Claire, Matthew and Emily. They make my world so wonderfully perfect. When I think back to the first night I met Damien, I can still see him wearing that red flannel and those black Adidas shoes. I can't believe that it was Damien I would marry and with him- make this beautiful family. I am so content these days and our anniversary was a wonderful way to put it all in perspective.

Thank you Damien for ten wonderfully fantastic years of marriage. And thank you to all of our family and friends who have added such vibrant color to our bright, bright lives.