T E N

Brad,

You and I were married ten years ago. T E N.

I remember so many small details with vivid clarity from our wedding day, which makes it feel like it was so recent. But the calendar says otherwise. And really, when I think over all the life we have lived in the intervening decade, I can *see* that ten years in its fullness. (See also: the four children we've added mean our house is also QUITE full now)

You aren't one for public sentiment, but I couldn't let this anniversary pass without some meaningful commemoration (and to be fair, not too many people will read this anyway, so the "public" part is limited). So, much like Billy Joel in "We Didn't Start the Fire" (but without his genius and flair), I'm just going to list things that have happened, things that we've done, and snippets of this life we've been working hard to build together. 

Ready?

Year 1: lived in Jackson, worked at Union, spent Mondays at JCrib, loved our time at Christ Community, started pizza Fridays, went to Europe (Spain, Germany, Ukraine, and Hungary) for a work trip, applied for graduate programs, and found out you got a SWEET deal at Boston College.

June 4, 2011

Can't tell from this picture, but I was very heavily medicated for the migraine that started 20 minutes before the ceremony...

In Ukraine. Even jetlagged, we look more rested than we do now.

Your first trip to Harry Potter World with the Brassarts. You absolutely cannot tell from this picture, but we were in the castle and SO HAPPY to be in the air conditioning. Orlando is so hot. Like, unreasonably hot.

Celebrating the news about Boston College

Year 2: found out we were expecting our first baby!, moved to Boston, I was so sick for most of my pregnancy, joined Church of the Cross, you experienced your first blizzard (#nemo), WE HAD A BABY, experienced the Boston Marathon Bombing, and ended up falling hard for New England.

Meeting John and Sherry from Young House Love while on their book tour (during our first nor'easter, no less)

Not Nemo, but one of your first big snows.

Meeting Claire!

First Sunday back at church...I want to say it was Easter. Look at how TIRED we were!

At the Boston Marathon, a few blocks from our apartment, an hour or so before the 2013 bombing.

Year 3: Ph.D. applications, travels around New England (Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont), celebrated Claire's first birthday, I found out that baseball doesn't have to be miserable (Go Red Sox!), you graduated from Boston College with his Master of Theological Studies, we found out you were admitted to Duke to begin your doctorate!

Cape Cod

Cape Cod

Martha's Vineyard

Headed out to our second Boston Marathon

You mastered theology and its studies.

Claire's first birthday! There was TONS of snow on the ground outside our apartment.

Last Red Sox game before moving to Durham!

You got me, Erin Brassart Boswell, to kayak the Charles River through Boston, and I LOVED IT. Who knew?

And then...you all but had to pry me away from my beloved Boston to move to North Carolina.

Year 4: we moved to Durham, Nastia was able to visit from Ukraine, you began doctoral studies at Duke and started the Lilly Graduate Fellows program, we worked to find a new normal, couldn't find a church, you took me back to Boston for a visit, I turned 30, we went to Universal with the Brassarts, and we just worked really hard through big first-year-at-Duke-and-Durham struggles.

Farewell to Boston

On to Duke!

And Durham

Nastia visited

Snagged a picture of us at Christmas

Saw Wicked at the DPAC

Claire turned 2, and it snowed- in Durham!- on her birthday!

A visit to Boston was good for my heart.

Trip to Universal!

Sometimes we remember to get pictures together

Year 5: you started your second year at Duke, we found out we were expecting Lily!, chose Blacknall as our church, finally had friends in Durham, you continued Lilly and dug in hard to the Dante reading group at Duke, I had diabetes for the first time, Claire kept us in stitches most of the time, we began finding our footing in Durham, and Lily was born.

Topsail 2015

Claire's 3rd birthday

Last picture as a family of 3

Lily was born!

Mother's Day 2015

Year 6: right after our anniversary, THREE families of friends moved away from Durham, my Grammy passed away, you began preparing for your prelims, we began adjusting to a new rhythm of work and home, you ran your first half-marathon, you and I took on the task of creating the Boswell Family Christmas Party trivia game, and we began planning for a summer full of travel.

Orange Beach

Rapunzel, Pascal, and Flynn Rider

Half-marathon

Boswell family Christmas party: Home Alone. Featured here are Kevin and a sheep from the church nativity.

Family picture

Lily's first birthday

Hanging before our summer travels

Year 7: you and I went to Europe again! (thanks, Lilly Graduate Fellows! Krakow, Copenhagen, and Prague), you spent a month in Greece, we found out we were expecting Brynna!, you spent a year teaching/reading/translating Greek around-the-clock, Claire completed preschool, and Brynna was born.

Krakow

6th anniversary, celebrating with a dragon behind us in Krakow

Krakow

Copenhagen

Copenhagen...with Sweden in the background

Prague

Prague

Another sister!

Brynna was born!

First picture as a family-of-five. I think we nailed it.

The best daddy.

Year 8: you ran your second half-marathon (no injuries this time), you got your first taste of Dumbarton Oaks and made it a goal to get us all back there, Claire started Kindergarten and dance, you turned 30 and started writing your dissertation, you and I got away to the OBX for a quick trip, we celebrated Brynna's first birthday, and you put out so many applications for all kinds of grad-school-6th-year-experiences.

Half-marathon with one SUPER enthusiastic cheerleader.

You reprised your roll as Flynn Rider for Halloween.

I was a cat. I'm almost always a cat.

The Messiah at Duke Chapel

Kitty Hawk

Brynna's first birthday

Kindergarten graduation

Year 9: we got to go to Europe together for the third time! (Thanks, Patristics Scholars of the world! Scotland, London, and Oxford), we packed up and moved to Washington D.C. for a semester at Dumbarton Oaks (and had the most magical semester ever!), I started homeschooling Claire, we got to Universal with the Brassarts for Christmas, we found out about a SURPRISE baby on the way!, Claire was baptized!, a pandemic set in, I had my first kidney stone and lost years off my life, I turned 35, and you finished your dissertation!

8th anniversary

Topsail

En route to Scotland!

Edinburgh (Iloveitsomuchtakemeback)

London

The Globe

The Queen

Tea!

The top of St. Paul's. We always seem to be climbing churches in European cities...

Fish and chips with Jack

2021 Q St.

First day at Dumbarton

Thanksgiving in the District

Iron Bowl victory

Family picture from the Dumbarton Christmas party. The photographer said, "lovely family." Uh huh.

Family pictures at Universal

Little did we know that Lily, Brynnie, and I were about 48 hours out from having the flu, and we were all about 3 weeks out from finding out about Hallie.

Christmas Eve family picture after service

After Claire's baptism, the day before the pandemic set in all around us

Baby announcement!

May the Fourth be with you...she'll be with us in September!

(Although, she came in August)

Year 10: Hallie was born!, the country pandemic-ed hard, you earned the Liebmann fellowship, I homeschooled Claire again, you defended your dissertation, we made the very best memories we could during our pandemic year at home, and you graduated with your Ph.D. from Duke.

9th anniversary, headed to the urologist

Hallie was born! She even came early.

Our only child whose name has Name Story.

Our Little Women. Or, our Penderwicks. Depends on who you ask.

Matryoshky

Successful defense!

Valentine's Day

First Sunday back at church in over a year!

My favorite

Brad Boswell, Ph.D.

We close out our tenth year by celebrating the marriage of some of our Durham friends. Seems fitting.

So many more words I could add (and SO many more pictures!), but I've run out of time. 

Earlier this week, the girls told Goodie that we were coming up on our tenth anniversary, and she said, "That doesn't happen by accident." I love that so much. I think that it appropriately sums up our life together: where we choose each other and work together to keep building this life. 

I'm so thankful for you. The list of reasons why is long and detailed, but I think it starts and ends with you choosing me all the days of the past 10 years. It's been such a ride, and I'm so happy to do it with you.

;;;

Erin