What I know after 9 years

First of all, I love the totally stiff, rigid and basic uncomfortable feel this picture gives. Totally sums up my wedding day. Not to self: get less posed shots at major life events.
This weekend we will be celebrating 9 years married. We are so old school right?
In celebration of this occasion, I thought I would sum up the last 8 anniversaries.
2000 - year 1- sat at home and stared at our 4 week old baby.
2001 - year 2- dinner and a movie
2002- year 3 - pregnant and sick
2003- year 4 - dinner and a movie
2004- year 5 - Vegas baby! (lots of exciting things to do in Vegas when you don't drink and gamble. There is the Ripley's Believe it or Not museum...pure fascination there; and there is always the "cheap impersonating celebrities show" where you are crammed in like sardines next to random drunk strangers.
2005- year 6 - dinner and a stroll around walmart
2006- year 7 - a stroll around walmart
2007- year 8 - dinner
Year 9? That will most likely be dinner and oh I don't know... a movie?
Yes, we know how to celebrate.

I would also like to mention that nine years of marriage adds up to a lot of years of learning. Some things we have worked on and gotten them down pretty well. Other leave much to be desired. The following are a couple of lists that further illustrate my point...

Top 9 things we have pretty much figured out:
1. Getting a family of five ready on time for nine am church... a major accomplishment!
2. The makings of a perfect road trip...minus the children.
3. Disciplining our children... not that we ever need to. (insert sarcasm here)
4. The night time ritual... me do stories, teeth brushing and tucking of the older 2. He does the littlest one and the getting of the giant ice waters.
5. How to read each other. (knowing when we need to ignore one another for a little bit, when we need to pay more attention to the other for a little bit)
6. How to get Saturday chores done. (It's all about the rock music blasting)
7. How to play a mean game of catch when we are deep in conversation.
8. How to politely tell a hard truth to one another.
9. How to stay happy through all the curve balls of life. (although he does a bit better at this, I must say)

So warm and fuzzy, right? Just to balance things out, here is my list for
Things I would like to spend the next 9 years working on:

1. My husband's ability to multitask (he is the reason they have to no cell phone while driving law; very scary, people)
2. Our anti-social behaviors (especially with the ward)
3. Making more time for dates. Like one a month would be nice...
4. My husbands sleep disorder. (He can miraculously sleep through babies crying and his own snoring.)
5. Reforming my husband's new found urge to listen to country. (This hurts my ears and my heart.)
6. Allowing/making time for my husband to have more one on one time with his guitar. (Believe me, I never thought I would need or want to do this.)
7. Converting my husband to some of my liberal, hippie thoughts. (this is likely to not happen, seeing as he listens to Rush.)
8. Lowering the level of sarcasm in our home and to each other. (I totally for see this happening) 9. My husband's hoarding issues. ( it's not just his closet anymore, but now the text books are beginning to flood the bookshelves)

This list may appear a little one sided; like my husband is the only one that has anything to work on. But the way I see it is this is my blog and I can slant things the way I like!

Happy anniversary, husband. As you know already, you have a nearly perfect wife.