With our wedding anniversary today, I thought it was fitting to talk about this next phase of our life.  After 18 years, we have definitely been through a lot together.  From navigating the early years as newlyweds and trying to focus on our careers at the same time, to parenthood and living off little sleep and finding ourselves clueless half the time as we just try to survive one day to the next.  As most parents do, we become consumed with our kids’ schedules and balancing work life with home life.  As we all do, we always try to find some time for dates whenever possible and in the back of our minds know that we never do it as much as we should.

This past weekend, we got a glimpse into the next phase of our life and it was so strange.  The timing of it with our anniversary just a week away was so ironic.  Our son went to his first high school dance and our daughter was at an event.  While we made our own dinner plans with friends, we had this moment in the evening where we had a few minutes to sit down and reflect on the fact that this was a sneak peek at our lives in the coming years.  As we head into these teenage years and our kids start to enjoy spending time with their friends more than us (insert tears here), I feel like this time is partly meant to prepare us for the next phase where they leave home and we start over with just the two of us.

I’ve heard people say that once their kids left home, they looked at their spouse and realized they really didn’t know each other anymore.  I think we have always done a good job of staying connected but, like any exhausted parents, putting in the effort all the time is difficult.  As we get valuable time back, it’s important to find a balance between taking time for ourselves while enjoying the precious time we have left with our kids, and let’s not forget, trying desperately to survive with two teens in the house.

As we look ahead to these next five years, I foresee more nights sitting on the couch with just the two of us combined with crazy nights with our kids.  Looking back at everything we have done together in the last 18 years, I know that no matter what comes our way, we will work through it and, of course, enjoy every moment.  Happy Anniversary babe!