Anniversary...part 9

 Nine Years!  Can you believe it??  I know some of you out there can't, considering we only knew each other about 4 months when we got engaged and then only another 2 until we were married.  But, ALAS here we are, 3 kids, 4 cities,  and a few gray hairs (wade  not me) later! :)  

I'm not gonna lie, it's been a hard year for us!  Just getting through unemployment, moving across the country and back again, only to be homeless for about 2 1/2 month until our house close (stupid, awful mortgage company)!  I'm a just now starting to realize the stress Wade was under as a provider, father, and husband.  We survived it, though!!  I remember people saying to me, while we were in the thick of it, "How are you doing it?"  My reply was that, "I don't know, I just am!"  Now I look back and think I don't know how I survived that.  I don't even think I realized the stress I was under.  I think I may have cried more in those few months than I have in the past few years.  Just anything and everything made me cry.  But, I can honestly say that I am a better person for it.  You really do grow strength through your trials.  And I feel that Wade and I are learning to be a stronger couple through our trials of this year, as well!  It's amazing how much you take for granted when live is just sailing along!  now that the dust is settled and were forming a life here in our new city, I believe with no doubt that GOD does have a plan for our marriage, our family, and our lives!!  It feels good to know that...once again!

Through it all, there's one thing for sure!!  Next year on our "BIG 10" year anniversary, there will be a Caribbean Island on the agenda!

Anyway, I met Wade for lunch on our Anniversary.  It was this little cafe in Griffin, GA and it was seriously the yummiest food I have EVER eaten!!

I mean, look at it...YUMMY!!!! Oh, I can't wait to go there again!!!

That night the girls and Wade cooked me dinner.  I knew they were planning on doing that, what I didn't know was that they created a restaurant setting for me.  They called it "ROMANCE"  The girls drew a menu for me and set the table.  My FAV part of the menu was the Mormon wine aka Welches sparkling grape juice...LOVE it! :)

Us at dinner.  Picture courtesy of a certain 7 year old!

The food...it was delicious! :)

My waitress!!  We had to tell her what we needed and then she went and told Nora (who was in the kitchen) and Nora got it for us.  TOO cute! :) Notice the cutie in the background.  Her seat in the kitchen wasn't good enough, apparently.  She had to join us on our date.

Our head waitress!!!

During the weekend we went to a nice little local restaurant.  The girls had a babysitter and we had some time alone.  Along with a waiter who didn't drink from my cup or pull up a chair and even left us alone to talk!  haha! ;)

I didn't take any pics of Wade and I or the restaurant, but I did take some pics of the AWESOME curls I rocked!! Seriously, in 20 years when I look back, what's gonna be more important?  How my hubby and I looked on our 9th anniversary or how awesome my hair looked?  The hair, right?  Ok, maybe not, I'll do better next year. :)

Don't I look incredible in bad lighting and a pixelated image.  OUTSTANDING!!! ;)