four year anniversary

Since last October 23rd, we've made some big changes. Pursuing dream careers, landing dream jobs, spending four months apart (& surviving), squeezing our life into a teeny DC apartment, seemingly constant travel, & getting to know a new city -- We've been hoping for this year for a long time. The Jared & Kelsey in the picture above would be ecstatic & probably really overwhelmed if they knew what sort of tomorrows they had ahead of them.

Sitting down to write this post is always easy. It is so easy to talk about the million different ways  & reasons that I love this man, because I can think back an hour in my life & see love. Love was him getting up an hour earlier than me to go to a job that provides for us, even if he only gets one day off-ish a week. Love was him brewing coffee even though he didn't have time to drink a cup himself. Love was a kiss on the cheek (because morning breath) & a "I love you so much" before I had even opened my eyes. Little things.

I can't believe that our next anniversary will be our fifth, or that in May we'll have been together for 9 whole years... Mostly, because this reality is still such a dream. We spent 4.5 years as boyfriend and girlfriend, dreaming of marriage. Sometimes, when it's 11pm & we're just sitting down to eat a bowl of bad-decision pasta because neither of us wanted to cook, I realize that these are the moments I hoped for back in 2009 when I was driving back to my apartment. Never having to leave. 11pm pasta. Little things... The dream.

Jared Stedman,

We have had some serious adventures this year.

I'm so happy to be by your side & continually navigating adulthood with you.

You make me whole.

I love you, my handsome.

Love, 

yoursallyours