Stayin' Alive - The Power of 5

Little old lady that I am, my sciatica has been acting up something fierce (following an all-too-brief reprieve when I started running). I finally bit the bullet, followed the advice of Dr. Allie, and made an appointment with an Osteopath to get some OMM (which, I have learned, stands for "osteopathic manipulative medicine"). In the mean time, I'm going to get an appointment with a massage therapist and see if I can get some relief besides Ibeuprofen. Because the amount of Motrin I have consumed lately has probably left my liver nicely pickled. And, really? I can think of better ways to pickle a liver.

Speaking of my liver, the amount of bile in my life has significantly been reduced now that The Man is HOME. The boys and I hauled our tushies to the airport yesterday to retrieve Big Daddy. (I think that's T's new name. Big Daddy. It has a much nicer ring to it.)

So Big Daddy arrived with arms full of gifts from the wilds of Germany and Austria (he got to go see Salzburg while he was across the pond this time. I'm not jealous. Not at all. Really. Why are you looking at me like that??)

Okay, so I'm a little jealous, but I was easily soothed with a box of fancy German Chocolates. And, of course, my anniversary gift.

Today? It's our fifth wedding anniversary. Five glorious years, 2 beautiful boys, and piles of memories. Apparently, the fifth anniversary is the wood anniversary. And Big Daddy used a little ingenuity to figure that - Trees? They are made of wood. And since tree sap comes from trees, and since Amber is just petrified tree sap.... well, thus I somehow scored a pair of beautiful amber earrings. Which are glowing in my earlobes at this very moment and, yes, they are lovely, aren't they? And thank you for noticing....

Being the much less creative sort than my hub cap, I managed to find a small wooden basket to hold his symbolic-but-not-nearly-as-cool gift. Which he will get later tonight, so I won't spoil the surprise here.

Five years ago, at about this time, I was running around like an escaped lunatic. I was registering for nursing courses, attempting to shuttle back and forth across town, and hoping to make it to the ceremony on time.

My wedding day was easily the most stressful day of my life. In fact, it's the first and only time I have ever actually hyperventilated. (Thank goodness future-Doctor-Allie was there, paper bag at the ready...) The funny thing is, though, that none of the stress came from the actual "getting married" part. Marrying Big Daddy T? That was easily the least stressful decision of my life. He is the yang to my yin... the PB to my J. He's my bestest bud, an amazing father to the boys, and unconditionally patient and loving to his neurotic and unpredictable wife.

Plus? He's really, really great in bed. (Hi Mom!)

I'm a lucky, lucky girl. Thanks, babe. 8 years together, 5 years of marriage... and it's still you and me - 'till the wheels fall off.

Happy Anniversary.