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Stephanie Howell

reading, organizing, shopping, momming too close to the sun. Home is wherever the Army sends us.

nine.

Wedding
today makes nine years.

nine years of wearing his ring.

of missing him.

of loving him,of worrying about him.

nine years of thinking he is the most handsome man alive

nine years of putting away his boots and pts (physical training clothes) while holding my nose.

four babies

four (about to be five!) states

seven homes

eight deployments.

nine years of knowing his social security number better than mine.

nine years of knowing a zillion acronyms that i never knew before.

nine years worth of fights over how i get mad and stew and when he asks "what's wrong?" i say "NOTHING.".

nine years of disagreements over how when i finally tell him what is wrong, he tries to fix it. i don't want him to fix it. i want him to listen and say he's sorry! 🙂

nine years of laughing at him until i fall on the floor with tears streaming.

nine years worth of movies while we snuggle on the couch.

nine years of my trying to cook something and then messing it up horribly.

nine years of him saying "oh babe this is GOOD!" with a grimace, and nine years of knowing that he's the cook in the family.

five years of being together

four years of being halfway across the world from each other.

nine years of him making that mortified face when i dance.

six years of being parents to one.

four years of being parents to two.

one year of being parents to four.

nine years of happiness,love,respect,friendship and knowing that no matter what the apart/together numbers might look like…it's worth it.

jimmy,if you are reading this i love you so much. i respect you so much. i am so proud of you and what you represent. you are my best friend and the love of my life. thank you for asking me to marry you and for giving me four beautiful little girls.I miss you! happy anniversary!

s

Comments

  4. Love all your ‘numbers’!!! Happy happy anniversary S and J! Many many happy returns!

  5. Happy, happy anniversary to you and J. Thank you for all the glimpses into your lives and your heart. I wish you both many, many years of wedded bliss, love and laughter.

  6. Tears in my eyes beautiful! May God bless and watch over all of you. Happy Anniversary!

  12. A very Happy Anniversary to both of you. You are a blessed couple to have each other and four beautiful, healthy daughters. God bless you with many more years (I’ve had 53 years!)

  14. Happy anniversay sweet friend! The love the two of you have for each other & your beautiful little girls is so evident on both your faces. May the next year be safe & happy for you both.

  15. Happy Anniversary, Stephanie and Jimmy…wishing you another 50+ years of joy and love!

  19. happy anniversary, steph & jimmy! i absolutely love that your smiles are reflected in the sunroof of the limo in that picture!
    (and i am SO with you on the acronyms!!!)

  21. Happy anniversary! I have to admit that at first glance of “four (about to be five) states” I was thinking that you were pregnant again!! LOL!!! Whooooa!

  22. Happy Anniversary!! It’s so hard sometimes to face those numbers the ones that add the time apart and how it mostly out numbers the time together. It just makes you cherish the time you have together even more and I know you do you can tell from the absolute love and joy when you express you feelings for him and the other numbers that add up to so much happiness and so much joy. Those anniversaries alone can be tough I hope you take some time for yourself to spoil yourself you deserve it!!

  24. Happy Anniversary Stephanie and Jimmy. Steph I love how you are able to express your true heart so elequently (worts and all). Hugs Ann

  26. There go my tears again. Girlfriend, you kill me with your words. ((HUGS)) Happy, Happy Anniversary….from one Military wife to another! I hope your day is amazing.

  34. Happy Happy Anniversary!!
    I will be married for 15 years this summer…I would love to borrow your idea with the years!! LOVE it!! We are not military, but have moved A LOT!!
    Love reading what you have to write!! You are an inspiration!

  41. Happy Anniversary! I had to LOL at this as I’m learning this right now – it’s my husband’s first duty station 🙂 “Nine years of knowing his social security number better than mine”

  48. Another’s heart is a rare and fragile gift
    Hold it gently and with both hands.
    May you always be each other’s greatest gift.
    Happy Ninth Anniversary!

  49. Beautifully written & as always, so truthfully put. I wish you Happy Anniversary & many, many more loving years together. Love the wedding pic.

  54. Happy Anniversary!! You two got married 2 days before my younger son was born!! Congrats!

  56. Stephanie! Happy Anniversary to Jimmy and you! Today is also my wedding anniversary! My husband and I have been married for 4 years 🙂
    It’s a good day! 🙂

  58. Happy Anniversary, Steph and Jimmy!!!! Wishing you many many more!!! (I remembered when I saw the title to this in my email inbox. Remembered from last year and because my middle’s bday is today. 🙂 )

  61. Stephanie, I receive your updates through email and usually read them and go ‘awwww’ or tear up at your cute girls, without commenting. I just felt a NEED to come and wish you and your husband a very happy anniversary – so hard when you are apart. Your writing is phenomenal, you bare your soul so eloquently and willingly. Thank you for letting me share in your world!

  62. Happy Anniversary to the sweetest, loving, happy in love couple I know !!! This was fun to read, love the way you write!!

  70. Oh.My.Gosh. I feel like such a snoop for reading that, but thank you for sharing it with us. I’m completely crying right now, because I’m so happy that you guys have each other and love each other THAT much.
    Happy Anniversary ♥