Happy Birthday to our marriage!

Fourteen years ago, give or take, I met a guy.



Then this happened.



That was our engagement photo. How creative people are these days! We just went to a photo place and got 'er done.

Then, thirteen years ago, this happened,





and this,





and this.





I had no idea what was going to happen next. I had no idea at the time how deeply I would love the life and the people we would make together. I only knew that I wanted to spend the next day with him and saw no end to that desire.

There is still no one I'd rather spend the next day with.

I looked through our photo files to find the wedding pictures and had the experience of the last 13 years together flash before my eyes. Literally.

(Well, except for those 5 years before we had children and digital cameras. Just imagine me fat and happy and working in a depressing cubicle and you'll get a good idea. And we lived in a tiny apartment... never mind. ;) Oh, and the friends and games, always. Then I lost 35 pounds, which triggered me to finally get pregnant for some reason, which triggered the purchase of our first "nice" camera which triggered the interest in a blog to share pictures and stories with our family, which triggered this blog. Funny how those things happen! I can look back and say that those 45 pounds I gained during the first few years of our marriage are responsible for much of the happiness I have now. Thank you, fat! We'll reassess the nature of our relationship after this baby is born...)

Here's a tiny summary of the life I saw flickering before me in picture form:




















































Hey. You. The incredible man in these photos that has given me so much to adore. I love you. And I love how I know you're part of my life, like when I go to pick up the Kindergartner and I find that my seat has been pushed all the way back, and the radio and headlights pop on when I turn the key. I'd miss that if you were gone. So stay safe, okay? Okay then. Happy anniversary!