5 year anniversary

Our 5 year wedding anniversary is this Friday!!!  Every year, Daniel and I, do the traditional wedding gifts for each other. 
1st year - Paper - I got Daniel tickets to a Redskins game, he got me a card and diamond earrings (which also was my push present for having Elli).
2nd year - Cotton - I gave Daniel a cotton Redskins hat and a jersey, Daniel got me a Lacoste shirt that only fit after I lost all the weight last year.
3rd year - Leather - I got Daniel leather slippers and a wallet, I can't remember what he got me, he might have skipped this year and gotten me a gift card (which I will gladly accept any day of the year:)
4th year - Fruit and Flowers - I got Daniel a candied apple (he loves these) and a dozen Georgetown cupcakes (they come with fondant flowers on top of them, so I thought I was clever).  Daniel got me flowers and I don't remember if anything else.  It is really the thought that counts in these gifts, and the time spent...I know that Daniel isn't into it as much as I am.
5th year - Wood - I have been thinking about what to get Daniel for a while.  I try and keep the gifts reasonably priced and I hope he will like what I got him...we'll see.  I keep reminding him how many days left he has to shop - he is totally a last minute shopper and usually just gets a gift card. 

So, reflecting back on our 5 years of wedded bliss - I have been more happy than sad, more pregnant than not, and more in love now than I was 5 years ago.  We have danced so much in our kitchen with the kids.  Our house, although we have lived here for almost 3 years still needs a lot of work, but we are so happy.  I am so grateful that I met Daniel.  I truly believe that God brought him to me and I couldn't imagine my life without him. 

Daniel and I met on February 6, 2004.  I had just moved back to the East Coast in December and started my shore duty at USNA in January.  It was a rainy Friday night, I was flying out of BWI to Tampa to visit Emily for Gasparilla.  I DO NOT LIKE TO FLY - is the understatement of the century.  I am truly afraid of the plane plummeting into the ground or even worse into the water.  So, when I got to the airport, I headed straight to the Southwest bar.  It was an L-shaped bar, I sat on the corner and Daniel was a seat away from me.  I started talking to an older man and Daniel will say that he tried to chime into our conversation, but I don't remember that.  Once the old man left a younger guy took his seat and I started talking to Daniel and this other guy, I decided to buy shots.  Daniel asked for Tuaca...but we are at an airport bar, he got Tequilla.  We were on the same flight to Tampa.  He was going to Gasparilla too to meet up with some friends.  It was time to board our flight.  We both were in the same seating area, I asked him if he would carry my bag and he gave me a smart ass comment like, "well, if they ask me if I packed your bag, I'm not going to say so."  I told him to just tell them that you are my boyfriend;)  He was cute. 

Little did I know at the time that this was going to be the best flight of my life! 

We sat together, he paid the flight attendants to keep the beers coming.  Somehow we exchanged numbers on the plane and THANK GOODNESS we did!   I don't remember a lot of the plane ride - especially getting off the plane, but luckily Emily picked me up.  I, apparently, met Shireen and Micki that night...which sadly I don't remember.  Emily took me straight home because her, Kristen and I had to be on a boat at 7am.  Daniel went out and tried to call me that night, so I gave him the same courtesy and called him at 6:30 in the morning:)  Neither of us answered our phones.  We both did different events on Saturday, mostly involving beads, drinks, boats and floats!  Somehow later in the day, I got a message from him that said they were going to Jared's or something like that.  I left Emily and braved the hike, by myself, to find Daniel.  It was fate, because I found him.  I saw him and the first thing he did was pick me up, and then we kissed.  Then he said, "you want to dance?"  I had found my dream man, and his dancing abilities only made him so much more attractive.  I was in love!  We spent the rest of the night talking, walking, making out...I spent the night at his hotel...Emily picked me up in the morning and I think I told her that I met the one! 

Daniel flew back to MD on Sunday, and I didn't fly back until Monday morning.  We spoke on the phone after we left each other on Sunday and agreed to have a date on Monday night.  I was going to cook for him and we would just hang out.  Needless to say, we haven't spent that much time apart since.  I am so thankful for him.  He makes me want to be a better wife, mother and partner everyday. 

I wish I liked being pregnant because we would have more kids...4 is good for now, right???  Maybe I'll consider 5...maybe...

So, that is our story...I love it!!!