Today is an incredibly special day.

It is? You ask.

It is a Thursday.

Yeah, and?

It is November 6th.

So, what?

It is mine and Daryl's 1-year anniversary.

What?

You're probably asking yourself right now---Wait a gosh darn second, didn't you just get married May 17th, 2008?

I'm letting you guys in on a secret. A secret that only our Mom's, my brother, and a small handful of friends IRL have known. Legally, my Big D and I have been married since November 6, 2007. Yep. You read that correctly. A year.

Sneaky, eh?

We decided to do this for a very unromantic reason, I admit. My crappy health insurance at the time was jacking way up in cost....I was paying for just myself (and we're talking only basic medical, no dental or vision) more than double than what we could have been paying for both myself and Daryl under his awesome health care plan (which included medical, dental AND vision.). Let's just say, as someone who had not been to the dentist in four years, I found the idea very appealing. To some, it may not have seemed like a big deal. But to us, it was. We were trying to save and pay for a wedding all on our own, AND pay our mortgage and normal, everyday bills and yet put food on our dinner table. I was sweating it. Big time.

(Quick note!! This picture we took right after Daryl proposed to me in our living room, Christmas morning, with Daryl in his boxers and me in my totally sexy flannel nightgown. Ha! Blissfully happy. See that picture on the wall over my shoulder? That's my Dad! I never noticed this before, but doesn't it look like he is peering and smiling down on us, the newly engaged couple?)

I had mentioned to Big D one night how my aunt's cousin and his wife's wedding was coming up, yet they were already married. I joked that they were smart and why hadn't we thought of that. I didn't expect Daryl to seriously suggest that we do that. At first, I internally fought the idea. Our May 17th wedding was in the works and only about six months away. I wanted that day to be special. I was afraid being married already would take away from it. Daryl told me there was no way we would let that happen. No matter what, May 17th would still be "our day", the day we exchanged rings and our vows. The day we pledged our love in front of our friends and family. I worried about what people would say, about people judging us for our actions. Daryl reminded me that this was about US. Him and I. It didn't matter what anyone else thought, but if it would help, we'd mostly keep it to ourselves.

Then I started to get excited. The idea of being married to my Big D, six months earlier than planned and somewhat secretly, I found enthralling. It was our special secret together. We went to the town hall to get our marriage license. We giggled nervously at the counter like 12-year-olds as we each filled out our own sections. I smiled to myself as I listened to another man at the counter pay for his turkey hunting permit, while here we were getting our a marriage license. MARRIAGE LICENSE. In that crazy moment, it became real that we really and truly were getting married. Whether it be November '07 or May '08, I was ready to pledge my love and my life to this man. In that moment of heightened awareness for both of us, Daryl forgot his father's middle name, incorrectly wrote his mother's old last name (when she was married to her ex) instead of her new married name and I wrote that I was born December 12, 2007. Um, yeah. We giggled again while Daryl explained sheepishly to the lady, "Hey, it's not like we've ever done this before." We left the town hall, with the receipt clutched tightly in my trembling fingers.

"I love you." I told my future husband in the cool darkness of the truck as we smiled eagerly at each other.

"Love you too, honey."

So yes...today is technically our 1-year anniversary. Our wedding, May 17th, will always be a beautiful special day in my memory. A day we shared with all those we love and who love us. A day that will live on in my memories for years and years to come.

And November 6th was just like any other day. With one little exception. It was the day I became a wife and Daryl became my husband.

I love you, my husband.

When you're not in bed, I miss the warmth of your body beside me. When my hand feels empty, I unconciously seek out your fingers to twine among my own. When I cry or I am in pain, you are the only one--the only one--who can make me feel safe, physically, emotionally, mentally.

You are, by far, the best kisser. You have an incredibly sexy voice that can send my pulse racing, even as you talk about something as mundane as grocery shopping or changing the oil on the truck. Your sweet, homemade cards professing your love continue to tickle me each and every time you make one. You show your love for me every single day in the way your eyes follow me as I walk through a room, the simple way you selflessly prepare dinner when you know I've had an especially long and stressful day, the way you always cuddle up to me on the couch when we watch TV at night. You are my knight in shining armor, my prince on the white horse in the fairy tale, my rough and tumble--yet sensitive--manly man, my toasted marshmallow...all wrapped up in one fabulous husband.

And I look forward to loving you even more than I do today, which is way more than I loved you a year ago. My love will continue to grow for you, day by day, Beav...till death do us part.