Seven

We have now been married for seven years.
Which is weird when you think about it, that is as long as middle and high school took.  Those seemed like they took a painful eternity, while seven years of marriage has gone by in a blink of an eye. I use to wonder how anyone could choose to get married, how would you know you wanted to spend an eternity with anyone?!  A few months later I knew I was going to marry Brent, thinking I would regret it forever if I ever lost him.  Now I realize an eternity won't be long enough with Brent.

Let me tell you about our grand anniversary plans.  Oh wait we don't have any.
Its five days after christmas, and a day before news years, let me assure you we have no grand plans.
Our tradition has been to go out to dinner or a movie with whatever gift certificate we got for christmas, while we have free babysitting.  Oh it was a dream really, but seriously I know of no one who has grand anniversary plans if they were married at christmas time. (I actually really appreciate all those gift cards, because there were a few years we literally were too poor to afford a date.  Many years where we spent a total of $20 on christmas presents on our child, and after going in on group presents for parents, and me making presents for siblings, we literally had nothing left in the bank account that wasn't going to our tuition in a few weeks.)
Now that we actually have babysitters, go out here, and cash, I thought we need something more this year.  Yeah it was pathetic but ok in previous years because it was one of like seriously four dates the whole year, including going to the temple together (we don't always go together). Plus no money. This year was going to be different, so I started brainstorming ideas.  Some of my siblings have family anniversary parties, as in a party with their kids of when the family started.  I thought that's a good idea maybe we should do that, but then I realized the last thing I was going to do is throw another party five days after christmas.
Then I was back to just Brent and I ideas.  A friend who's anniversary was three days ago, said she wants to start celebrating when they got engaged instead because they don't even go out to eat on their anniversary.  When I thought about it, that was a no go.  We got engaged on my birthday, I love my husband, I love our marriage, but I'm not giving up MY birthday for us.
I don't remember when we actually started dating, so that is a no go.
We never had a DYR talk, so we can't celebrate when we were officially dating.
Although we did have a define your date talk.  I was positive Brent and I were just friends, so we were friends hanging out, he assured me dinner and movie is a date.  I didn't believe him, but I don't remember the calendar date of that.
But I do remember we finally kissed fourth of july weekend.  I thought we could celebrate then.  But once again that is a holiday, and clearly my anniversary is the lowest common denominator in holidays.
We don't even do anything special for Valentine's day.  Its my husband's birthday, then my son's two days later.
Yes, Happy Anniversary me and hubby.
Congrats to us because we can't find the time in the year to ever go on a special date.
That being said, neither of us are romantics, my husband doesn't like big celebrations, and if you knew the story of how we got engaged you wouldn't expect anything different then what we are doing for our Seventh Wedding anniversary.


Actually, what to know how I'm planning to spend it?
Buying a new handmixer, after 7 years I burned out the motor in one of the wedding presents we use the most.
I'm also shopping for a new iron, so apparently 7 years is when your wedding presents wear out.

Here are my real anniversary plans.  Forcing my husband to write me a love letter.  I recently read in Martha or somewhere about how a couple exchanges love letters because that is really the only thing you can give that no one else can give.  When I told him of my plans he said what?  I said we use to write love letters... ok maybe texts.  Then I thought about it I remembered a few love notes he had given me that didn't occur on a cell phone.  So I know he can do it.  This is actually a tradition for holidays, forcing him to made me cards.