Katie Holmes & Tom Cruise
Katie Holmes says marriage to Tom Cruise hasn't changed her.
"With everything that's happened, I still feel the same," she tells Parade magazine in its Dec. 23 issue. "I'm really happy being a mom, being a wife."
The 29-year-old "Dawson's Creek" alum has seen her profile rise since Cruise publicly declared his love for her on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in May 2005.
Holmes says she understands the curiosity about her life with Cruise, 45, an Oscar nominee for his roles in "Born on the Fourth of July," "Jerry Maguire" and "Magnolia."
"I appreciate the man that I'm with and my family and my work. I feel very lucky to be able to say that. I mean, what we do in a week is extraordinary," she says.
"I have done things I never thought I would do, like climbing mountains and flying in the P-51 (a World War II fighter)," says Holmes. "That's what is so inspiring about being with him — constant thrills and joy."
Holmes and Cruise were married in November 2006, seven months after the birth of their daughter, Suri, who tags along on their travels.
"We don't like to be away from her," Holmes says. "She's very aware. We take her to the park in each city and walk around. This summer, when Tom was working in Germany, she'd wake up and say, `Hello, Berlin.'"
Holmes, who co-stars with Diane Keaton and Queen Latifah in the upcoming comedy "Mad Money," says she's looking forward to spending the holidays in Telluride, Colo., with Cruise and their relatives.
"We always make a lot of sugar cookies with decorating and sprinkles," she says. "Suri will be in the dough everywhere."