Katie Holmes says she was swept off her feet “in an instant” by Tom Cruise, but that was just the beginning of a family life that she says grows richer by the day.

“It happened quickly, but I was certain it was what I wanted,” the actress tells In Style in its January issue. “I never felt overwhelmed. I thought, Okay, good. Here we go.”

Holmes, who will be 29 on Dec. 18, may not have been overwhelmed by Cruise, 43, but she was certainly thrown for a loop. “It happened in an instant,” she says of the first blush of love. “I still get like that, ‘Whew.’ When you fall in love, it’s as though time stops. It’s all-encompassing.”

That love only blossomed during the next two years, she says – through the birth of daughter Suri in April 2006, the lavish wedding in Italy that November, and the everyday moments of family life since then.

“I try every day to let him know how much I love him,” Holmes says of her husband. “It gets better and better. It has made my life.”

Holmes admits she’d love to have another child. “But I’m in no particular rush,” she adds – perhaps because she already has her hands full with Suri.

“She loves coloring and creating,” Holmes says. “She’s a great mimic and dancer. She came to the photo shoot yesterday and was into all the shoes. I’m mostly shocked at how quickly she grows.”

After taking a break professionally, Holmes is also returning to movie acting, starring in the upcoming Mad Money. But as befits a working wife and mother, she’s looking at life now through a wider lens.

“I want to go to sleep knowing I made my family happy, I made myself happy, and I worked hard in all aspects of life,” she says. “It’s really pretty simple.”

Cover: TomKat Crazy