::8 Years and Counting:: A Marriage Reflection

For many of you who know us, you should know that Ricardo and I have grown-up together. We were teens when we met. 15 years later and after 8 years of marriage, 2 toddlers, and a lots of good and bad we are still here. Together. In love. In our own way. My Hubby is not your typical romantic who remembers the small things the way I do. For a long time, I really disliked him for it. But, then I slowly began to realize who he is...

He is above all a thoughtful and determined provider for his family, organized and mindful of what we can and cannot afford.

He is a happy father who LOVES his children unconditionally.

He loves me and cares for me.

He tries every day to be better person.

He brings me flowers when I am mad. It counts. A lot.

He accepts me and my crazy ideas but he doesn't always agree with me.

He is my Husband, a Father, a Brother, a Son, a Brother-in-Law and a Son-in-Law as well as a friend to many.

He is an intelligent man with his own plan, trying to focus on his goals.

His laugh is contagious.

He is the love of my life. My one and only. My always and forever. NO matter how much we argue and say things...we are still together. Making it through the struggles of everyday.

Marriage is not easy. Living with another person for years and years is not easy. It's work. Everyday a new day. Everyday a new challenge. We work at our marriage, some days are good, some are bad and others are great. On the worse days we give each other space, we hear each other out but we never run away.

Marriage has been a blessing, a life changing experience and a life time commitment. I don't plan on giving up and I am sure and blessed that he will not give up either.

People will see us and judge us, as individuals for what we are not or what we don't do, or what we lack or what they think we are. But, in the end Him and I know each other, what we have been through and where we are going. Nothing else matters. Ever.

The goal is to make it and make it good. Our vision are two children. They will see us, they will follow us, they will know what and who we are, they are watching us and for them, we will do our best to be great. For them, for us and for each other as individuals.

I say it all the time. Our lives are not perfect, nor do we claim it or pretend to be that way. Our lives are together and together we make it work. Some days we are happy, others we are sad and some days we are very, very mad but always together.

We try every day to make the best of what we have. We don’t have it all. We might not have the best but we have love…every day.

Ricardo, I love you. I don’t tell you enough how much I appreciate you and admire you, for your strength, your courage and your determination. I love you…..until death do us part. Happy 8th year wedding anniversary, and happy 15 year anniversary of being together.

::August:: #morethanamonth

::August::

It's  not only the month I met my Husband in 1999, even then he wasn't just some guy who wanted to date me and called me every other day from a payphone, he was different. Could I tell you that he would now be the same man who I married and had dos children with? No. Probably not. At 18 life for me was uncertain. My immediate family wasn't as stable as a family would want, to think that one day my dad could walk me down the aisle and that he would later be around to see me give birth to his grandchildren. It was complicated.

It's also the month that 6 years later in 2005, my Hubby would  propose to me on the same day we met August 13th...only after I was being nosy, as usual and found my engagement ring in the glove compartment of his 2000-something Jetta. It was still a special moment 6 years in the making. 

A year later in 2006, on a rainy Houston day we got married. August 19th.

3 years after that, in August of 2009, we were a month a away from having our first child. A son born September 16th. We thought then we were complete... 

Imagine our surprise when almost a year later, once more in August, while we were away on an Internship trip with my Hubby I would find  out I was pregnant again, this time  with my daughter, Camila. She was born in March of 2011. Now we feel complete but we have no idea what more the universe has in store for us. 

And, we are waiting and ready for whatever that may be.....

Oh yeah, did I mention that it is also my Hubby's Birthday month, this year the big 3-5!! 

 

Without even thinking about it, August has so much significance in our lives. It continues to bring blessings and positive outcomes for our little family of 4.  

What  month, is more than just a month for you? 

{Date Night} ♥ Anniversary Edition

It's been 13 years; the Hubby and I, know each other....pretty well. We started off as "my cousins friend" and the "cousin who just moved here from the valley". Although my Husband says it started way earlier than the college years... He was my Cousin's Best Friend still is {we are Compadres to this day}... I was the cousin who would visit Houston from the Valley...South Texas to be exact... Mission. When I was about 15, Ricardo was about 17 my cousins, my siblings and myself went to the apartments Ricardo lived in with his family to swim, they had the "better pool". I maybe, glanced at him and said Hello. I was 15. I was really a whatever kind of girl, much like now. 3 years later I came to Houston to start college, I was 18; Ricardo was about to be 20.  

His family and friends called him "Flaco", he was a good ol' Mexican kid from the Southwest side of Houston, 19 years old and pretty cute. All I wanted to do was study and have no life, I wasn't too keen on guys and whatever it was their idea of fun was. My Momma taught me to keep in line and walk the path.... or else...she'd warned me about boys like Ricardo..... I listened to her and then followed my heart....

13 years later here we are. Married. College Graduates. With DOS {two} amazing little Blessings from up above.

We love. We work hard. And, we've learned to listen, care and respect one another very much. Yes, we argue. Some days A LOT. No we are NOT perfect by any means. I love him and he loves me. We tell each other things that we don't mean and then we forgive one another and remember that God has brought us to this very place on earth in our lives. We pray. We praise and we Thank God every day for all the little Blessings and the big struggles that have made us the individuals and family that we are today.

These days our family has a busy schedule, most days very busy. We lead some pretty busy lives. It's not exactly how we planned it but at the end of the day it's where we had planned to be with a little bit of faith and hard work. Together.

We have been a bit well busy lately. Still, I constantly speak of non-existent date nights. My Husband will say to the kids; "Momma and Daddy need some alone time." To which Camila smiles and nods and Santiago says; "no" and then laughs nervously.

With our busy schedules and our beautiful kids who deserve all of our undivided attention we rarely make time for us. The week of Ricardo's graduation was a rare one we got TWO nights to ourselves...with friends. It was nice. Really nice.  I do think though that a night out on the town...ALONE was long overdue.

Just to catch up and refresh. It's always nice.

So, what kind of a date night did we dream up.....

Dinner and some fancy drinks....the grown up kind! Then a Rock'en' Español concert.... Cafe Tacuba to be exact.... "Eres...." On this night the possibilities were endless...and bedtime was right around the corner. By 9pm we wanted to go home and when 3am hit we were, well exhausted and a bit delirious. To be out so late who does that kind of thing....oh wait...we used to...a  long time ago... when we were young and had no little ones to run after and be responsible for. It was amazing fun and a great night spent, laughing with friends, dancing and just having some genuine grown up fun! We celebrated and we conquered! We were parents and then we crashed out at my Momma's house...

We were determined. We accomplished a date night. Alone. For our 6th year Wedding Anniversary {13th year together-versary!}.

Happy Anniversary to the man that I can't live with and I would not know how to live without. It's been a lifetime and an amazing ride... it's been a Blessed time and happy love. I couldn't have asked for a better person to spend the good, the bad and the ugly with for the rest of the days that God has planned for us.

Team Gomez in the making....