honestly

i guess i should be upfront and honest about my blogging today.

i was going to blog about the fact that i babysat my niece and nephew last night..... fun!
or that my mom & dad are coming home today...... yay (is that lame?)
or that 2 of my brothers came over for supper yesterday ..... fun?

but in essence, that is not what is on my mind.
you see - i have become more engaged in the "blogging world" so to speak. i have started fllowing a couple of people's blogs (complete strangers -who are just writing about things that make me laugh, or just random things i like). Some are about fashion, one an old DG lader, one mom who has had an incredible journey of adoption and loss (and is freakin' hilarious i might add).

anyway, the problem is - i have also been reading some blogs that have made me feel discouraged.
here's the thing: a lot of the blog posts that i have been reading of late are from women my own age.
women who: met the man of thier dreams at 19, got married in 6 months of less, and had a baby shortly thereafter. their relationship was a whirlwind of love and adventure and they can't wait to travel the world together and for some reason.... i hope they're exaggerating.

take a look at my 'love story' (i even hate that they call them that - are we living a Taylor Swift song or what?)
5 years, 7 months, 27 days
i was turning 15 - he 18
neither of us dropped out of college to 'be together'
it wasn't a whirlwind romance
and while it was wonderful - it wasn't easy dating that long while at the same time striving to be a Christ-centred couple.
there is no soft, sun-tinted lighting in our pictures or a romantic song playing in the background of our coming-up-on-7-years-together and for some reason i was feeling discouraged..... like i had missed something
and then i realized

this is life
this is everyday joy

our relationship wasn't one of 'love at first sight' and i knew from the moment i met you we were meant to be
it was one that spanned
5 years
2 post secondary experiences
2 highschool, 1 college, and 1 university graduation
numerous jobs
numerous changes and lots of growing

and i mean lots of growing.

who looks back on themselves at 21 and thinks, "man i am the exact same as i was at 15 (thank goodness i don't)

and while a whirlwind romance is romantic, beautiful, and something to be treasured so is a long relationship

we know eachother
we grew together
and almost every memory in the last 6ish years... involves eachother

i don't think it's a story for the history books, and no one is going to look at it and wish it was thier love story

we can't remember our first kiss. heck, we can't remember the day we started dating, and we can't remember the first time we met (hello church nursery)

but it's our life and our boring predictable story and we love it

and hey - in 10 years we can pull out the prom pictures (from 2 proms i might add) - and have zero ackward conversations about, who's that guy?