Eight years, what I would (and wouldn't) change

As of about 4:00 this afternoon, Dan and I have been married for eight years.

Eight Years.
Eight Years of goodnight kisses, morning coffee, and dirty dishes.
Eight Years of I Love Yous, inside jokes, and back rubs.
Eight Years.

In those eight years, some lessons have been learned, and some choices looked back on with bewilderment. We'd definitely do some things differently had we known better, and some things we'd never, ever change.

*Fiesta Ware.
I knew as soon as we hit Macy's with scanner-in-hand to make our wedding registry that these were MY DISHES. And eight years later, they're still exactly what I would pick. I love the durability, shape, and size, and the color is still perfect.

*Fancy Fruit Bowl.
At the same time we were registering for the above Fiesta Ware, we also scanned a beautiful, artistic silver-plated fruit bowl. It was amazing and ridiculously expensive, and someone bought it for us. However, it needs to be displayed as art, not used to hold a week's worth of bananas.

*DVR
When I'm asked to give advice to newlyweds, I always tell them if they have TV, get a DVR. They think I'm joking and silently wait for the punchline, but I am absolutely serious. Dan and I have never once had a fight about what to watch. An argument about Downton Abbey vs. Sunday Night Football has never occurred in our home. I can record all the cheesy Hallmark movies I want, and he can record his myriad of Discovery Channel shows.

*Kids
These two. Oh these two.
If we had to go back and pick out our kids, these are who we'd choose.
Every. Single. Time.
Oh these two.

*Real Christmas Trees.
After years of insisting that only fresh-cut, real Christmas trees would ever be in our house, we broke down and bought a gorgeous fake tree. Now we're kicking ourselves for not doing it sooner. It's perfectly shaped, drops no needles, requires no watering, and is certainly less of a fire hazard than the real thing. We can switch the lighting scheme based on our whims, and we know it will fit every year.

*Inside Jokes.
I love that Dan and I have certain phrases, words, or even sounds that bring on laughter. Of course they make no sense to anyone else, but when timed properly, can bring one or both of us to our knees laughing. These inside jokes are used to diffuse potentially awkward situations, or just to embarrass the other in the aisle of the grocery store.

*I Do.
Just two words, but they've certainly made all the difference. Saying yes to Dan, yes to marriage, and yes to this life we've built together are all decisions I'd absolutely make again.

Happy Anniversary Dan! I love you!