happy birthday Joshua.

As I said yesterday, my husband Josh turned 28 on May 19.

This birthday was the 8th we have celebrated together, and I feel so blessed that God put such an amazing man in my life back in 2005.

second birthday we ever celebrated together, his 22nd.

When I first started dating Josh I fought how much I loved him. Here I was falling in love with someone from Edgecombe County when I was about to go to UNC-Wilmington, I didn't want to be "tied down" when I went to college. I wanted to have that whole college experience, not be in a relationship with a guy from home.

But, Josh was exactly what I needed (and wanted). Not only did he keep me grounded (and probably save me from what was sure to be a not-so-good, wild freshman year), but he also made me realize there were things I wanted that I didn't even know about.

Josh came from a family almost just like mine. It was understood that Sunday mornings were spent at church and Sunday evenings were spent at his grandma's house for dinner (just like my family spends Sunday lunch at my Mema's). He brought me into his life in Temperance Hall with his huge family that I absolutely adore, and who accepted me with open arms (granted, my mother is most of them's pharmacist, so they kinda already knew me) and Josh appreciated our small-town life just like I do.

the Edmondson/Worsley side of the fam 

While we were dating we suffered through many losses, we both lost a grandparents and great-uncles that we were very close to and we held onto each other and helped keep our focus on all the good things in our life, not the bad. I can honestly say that I don't know where I would be without him.

So on Sunday I was happy to celebrate an amazing husband, father and person - my wonderful husband, Joshua.