Monday, January 4, 2016

My partner in crime

I'd like to take a moment and talk about my husband.

On August 26th 2015 Dustin Slate asked me to be his girlfriend. I was a little nervous as I said yes. Wary to say the least. Since my divorce each guy I'd been with had stuck around for either exactly 2 weeks to the day or drastically less. So saying yes to Dustin was a bit nerve wracking. What if he only stuck around for 2 weeks as well? What if I fell in love with him and he didn't return the feeling? I was so worried.

But something in me knew I wanted to be with him.

He moved into my tiny cabin almost immediately. Still keeping most of his things at the barracks, but coming home to me every night. The moment he walked through the doors it was like nothing in the world mattered except for his arms. We began to build a home together. Talked about a future together. Dreamed dreams of a lifetime.

As soon as 2 weeks had come and gone I knew he was here to stay. We were both in this relationship for the long run. We both knew we wanted to build an entire life together. I mean, this man understands me on a level I have never known. I can be as obnoxious, annoying, hormonal, happy, loud, and crazy as I truly am and he still loves me. I'm not an easy person to love. Yet for some reason he still sighs every time he hugs me, like all the weight of the world falls off his shoulders.

November 14th 2015 we were married. Coming up on 2 months now. But it feels like we've been married for so much longer. It feels like we have had so much more time together. Sometimes we have to sit back and realize that we are still so early in our journey.

How can I even begin to describe the way I feel about this man?

Imagine spending your entire life fighting an invisible monster. A huge, angry, 5 armed monster. You can't see it coming and when it hits you it feels like a losing battle. You've been fighting this monster completely alone your whole life. There is nobody to protect your backside, so your constantly whipping back and forth trying to protect yourself.

Now my monster has always been depression and anxiety. And Dustin protects by back. The way I see it, we are protecting each other's backs. We both struggle with anxiety and depression, and when the monsters come to break us down we are more than equipped to protect each other.

Dustin is my teammate, my partner, my best friend. He is an amazing husband and I know he will be just as good of a father. He is kind and loving. He is thoughtful and sincere.

And together we can conquer anything.

Friday, January 1, 2016

Afton LaRue Slate

The first day of 2016 has come and gone, and it went really well. This year is looking bright and there are a ton of things I'm looking forward to. I'm also looking back on 2015, as hard of a year as it was there were still many things that went well.

Things I loved about 2015-
• Moved to Fairbanks
• Signed my very first lease (for a beautiful dry cabin in the woods)
• Met my soul mate
• Married my soul mate

Things I'm looking forward to in 2016-
• I get to be a mommy for the first time
• I get to build a home with my best friend
• Hopefully gonna get a new car
• Road trips to see my family in Wasilla
• The continuing progression of my testimony

But let's be honest. I think the thing I'm most excited about is welcoming our little Afton into this world. I'm building a family with the man of my dreams. Everyday I fall more in love with my husband and I truly cannot wait to see him holding our little girl.

This pregnancy has taught me a lot about myself. I've learned a lot more patience and love. For myself and those around me. I've been able to see myself in a more eternal perspective. For goodness sakes, I'm growing a person. The miracle of feeling her kick is more than I ever could have imagined.

I can't wait to meet this little girl in 13 weeks.