Six Wonderful Years.

Six years ago today, Grant plucked up the courage to ask me out, and to mark the occasion I thought I'd dig through our photo archives and share a little year-by-year insight into our relationship. Without getting too mushy, Grant is my best friend, and I honestly don't know what I'd do without him. I love our little family of two, and looking back at how much has changed over the past six years has only made me more excited to see what the future holds for us....

2008- The year it all began. We were fifteen, and I'd just come out of another relationship. Grant and I were good friends, and he was there for me more than anyone else. We'd talk everyday, and came to realise that we had feelings for one another. Eventually he asked me if I'd like to 'make something of it' over MSN, just ten days after I'd broken things off with my ex (eep! But so is the nature of teenage relationships...)! We had our first kiss a few days later on the school field, and he let 'I love you' slip out one afternoon when dropping me off at a lesson. Looking back, it was a good year, if only for how young and innocent we were. Grant was in a band, and I spent lots of time at his rehearsals and gigs. We spent the summer having camp outs and house parties with our friends, and we started our last year of secondary school. I was made a prefect, and Grant was made Head Boy; we were a fabulously dorky couple, and that much hasn't changed!

2009- In the summer we finished our GCSEs and made the transition to a local sixth form college. Like any secondary school couple leaving the bubble of compulsory education, we had to ask the question, 'do we want to continue this?'. Without even really thinking about it, we knew we did. Our relationship had become a big part of our identities; we bonded over bands we both loved, and we discovered our joint love of photography. We spent the summer running around my parent's garden and local beaches taking photos with our newly occupied DSLRs, and we relaxed into a certain pace as a couple that we've maintained to this day. College wasn't always easy, but we were happy.

2010- This was the first year that someone said to us, 'you two aren't like other couples - I never feel like a third wheel around you', something we've been hearing ever since! For a couple our age, we'd been together a while, and we weren't ones for public displays of affection (unless in the form of photos like the one above!). We'd become more than boyfriend and girlfriend - we were now best friends. The only challenge we faced was applying for university. Despite wanting to keep our relationship going, we decided to apply for different universities. Aside from the slight anxiety this caused, it was a fun year. We started having nights out with friends, and we both got involved in our college production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe; Grant was the sound engineer, and I played the White Witch.

2011- This was probably one of our toughest years, but because of that, it was also the one where did the most growing up. We finished our A Levels and went to university; Grant in Cardiff, and me in Bath. We'd expected it to be hard, but we could never have anticipated how tiring it would become having to say 'goodbye' so often. As fate would have it, Grant wasn't enjoying his course in Cardiff, and he fell in love with Bath whilst visiting me. In the end he applied for a course at my university, which he absolutely loves. We saved up for our first proper holiday together, deciding on five days at Disneyland Paris over my birthday. On the morning of my birthday, he dragged me down to the castle and popped a certain question! I never would have expected it, but saying yes felt natural as breathing.

2012- This was arguably our best year. We moved into the flat that we've spent the past two years making our home, and we started planning our wedding. Grant took to his new course like a fish to water, and living in Bath together suited us perfectly. We spent our weekends wandering around local shops and markets, and simply reveling in the new-found freedom that properly living together had brought us. We spent lots of time at my dad's flat in London, exploring and really finding our feet in the city. We made new friends, snatched up every opportunity that came our way, and finished the year off with another trip to Disneyland Paris for my twentieth birthday.

2013- This was a truly bittersweet year. Our wedding was, unarguably, the best day of our lives, however the rest of the year was far from smooth sailing. Amongst other hurdles, I really began struggling with my mental health again. Whilst planning the wedding I was forced to address my anxiety when it began giving me constant pains in my chest, and whilst Grant was an absolute angel, I know it can't have been easy for him. Despite that, the summer leading up to the wedding was lovely. We spent many lazy days on the beach with family, and working on DIY projects outside in the sun was hardly the most unpleasant thing in the world! Our wedding was magical, as was our Disney honeymoon. Unfortunately our first few months of marriage were tricky, as I deteriorated and began having regular panic attacks, but Grant held my hand every step of the way, and helped me start addressing it. If nothing else, we'd never felt more like a family.

2014- It's too soon in the year to say much, but so far things are looking pretty positive! I'm still struggling with my mental health, but Grant is helping me make all the steps in the right direction. He has a dozen creative projects lined up, and I couldn't be prouder of him; he's so hard working, and he inspires me everyday. We've strengthened friendships with some truly fantastic people, and we're planning on getting ourselves a little mini McMinn (just a rabbit - don't get too excited, kids!). There's no way of telling what the future holds, but we're quietly optimistic. Our little family has only got stronger, and we're looking forward to seeing what the future holds.