5 Years

It was five years ago that I said the smartest thing in my entire life, "I do."  It meant that I was now married to the most wonderful and beautiful person that I know.  I now got to take the roller coaster ride of life with my loyal partner, sexy lover, and best friend.  If life is going to be crazy then I say that is exactly who I want to share it with.

I've had a pretty wild but incredible five years.  Some of my greatest memories and most cherished moments have come from these five years.  I am happy with my life.  There are a lot of amazing gifts that have come my way over this half decade.  When I look over the time and think about the things that I hold most dear, almost all of them come from saying those two words back in 2008.

It was my wife that found the neighbourhood we live in, and without her, I wouldn't be in this sweet little home.  Emily was the one who convinced me that we needed a large dog in our house, and I was pretty hesitant until the day we got Summit.  He is now the perfect definition of "Man's Best Friend" and I've got a stronger bond with him than most humans.  Everett is the greatest treasure in my life and a constant source of joy, and well, Emily played a pretty major role in his existence.  I'm pursuing this career of writing, because my wife supports me and believes in me.  Best of all, I know I always have someone to talk, laugh, and cry with, and that is one incredible gift.

I couldn't imagine my life without Emily.  Even though I am fully capable of making decisions and functioning on my own, I attribute most of my success and positive traits to the strong woman who pushes me to be better but also hugs me when I don't feel I can be.  I'm sure my life would turn out to be just fine and dandy without Emily, but it has been magical and magnificent with her.

In the past two years there have been many things I've been anxious about such as becoming a father, focusing on a writing career, and dealing with unexpected obstacles.  Just like it took two simple words to start this amazing adventure of marriage, it also just takes a very simple look from my wife to remind me that I could handle these challenges.  One of the greatest things I love about my wife is the strong belief she has in my ability, and the fact she often knows I can achieve much more than I think.  She knows to kick me hard when it is needed, but also embrace me just as hard when I succeed (or fail).

She isn't my life coach.  I'm not married because she is a key to success.  I am married to her, because I want to share my life with her.  I want her opinion on things.  I want to hear her jokes.  I want to make her laugh.  I want to hike or bike with her.  I want to discuss and debate ideas with her.  I want to hold each other tight.  I want to encourage and cheer her up.  I want her to be the person that goes on this great adventure with me.

Emily is my best friend.  I can't believe it has been five years.  Sometimes that feels too short, because she knows everything about me.  It is kind of scary that she can guess whatever I am thinking throughout the day.  Other times it feels too long, because that wedding day is so fresh in my mind.  It was a wonderful and fun event.  At one time it was the greatest day of my life.  It is now the birth of Everett, but I also shared that day with Emily.  Every single one of my greatest days are connected to Emily in some way.

I love you, Emily.  You are and will always be the greatest thing in my life.

Happy 5th Anniversary, Beautiful.