He had me at...candy corn

I have taken quite the summer hiatus from my blog, but promise to update soon with summertime pics and happenings! All has been good with our family!!

I wanted to take a few minutes to blog about one of the most special dates of the summer--celebrating 10 years of marriage with Ben on July 14th. Our budding romance began with the picture below during our Freshman year of college at Mississippi State. Then began our mini-dates to the grocery store in which Ben won my heart with candy corn. It turns out Cupid can work his magic through a girl's sweet tooth. :)

We were thrilled to celebrate this decade-long commitment/achievement with a getaway to Isle of Palms, South Carolina this past week. Grammie traveled up from Mississippi to stay the week with Whitney. This was the first time, other than when she was in the hospital, that we had been separated from her for more than a day or two! But, we all survived!!

Oh, the long-forgotten simplicity of eating quietly at a restaurant, reading a whole magazine, watching adult programming...just relaxing. And, while utterly enjoyable, by the end of the week, we were ready to get back to the daily chaos (and joy) of life with our toddler! My mom also welcomed us back with open arms as she graciously relinquished her 24-hour tot-chasing duties! :) Ha! Gotta love the energy of an almost-3-year-old to keep you young!!

When I think back on the last 10+ years, there is no one I would rather have had by my side than Ben. For better or for worse, he has been my rock. He still irritates me, at times, more than any person on the planet. And, I can assure you, the feeling is mutual. We have different personalitites, but can read each other like the back of our respective hands. Ben helps subdue my worry-wart tendencies and I keep him on his toes with constant reminders and "honey-do's"! Some (such as my husband) might call that nagging, but it is only in response to a condition that most men have called selective hearing in which certain details, or complete conversations, are simply not heard. :)

We have grown personally, professionally, and spiritually. And, our most rewarding growth came after year 7 of marriage when our family literally grew with the long-awaited, and sooner-than-anticipated, addition of our precious Whitney. We look forward to the next decade of growth, in whatever form it comes, and more memories that we can continue to build on!

Ready for an evening out in Charleston!

Enjoying our last night in S.C.!