{eight is great}

It is difficult to see clearly what you need in a husband when you are still in your teens (besides the fact that I never anticipated meeting my husbnad while a teen.) I had a list. I wanted a man who was determined, loving, generous, spiritual...Hott. But I truly did not begin to recognize what characteristics I needed in a husband until I had one.I thought I knew him when we knelt accross from one another, me crying, him dried eyed & serious. I did not understand that it was the things I did not yet know about him that would see us through 6 1/2 years of parenthood, illnesses, health, disagreements, dinners out with lots of kids, chaios, the months after the biggest challenge of our marriage, medical school, his constant travels, my succeses, his many succeses, our church responsibilities, our hobbies, many firsts, holidays, dates, trips by sea, air & car--oy the car rides, family get togethers-the good, the bad & the ugly, making big descions, making small descions, late nights worrying, odd jobs, service.
I did not know that how he would respond to these situations would be in exactly the way I would need to be okay, to heal, to thrive, to be happy.
Fast forward 8 years after we walked out of the temple holding hands, me in white still crying & you in a rediculous wool tux in July in our nations humid capitol with wool socks on I might add, I feel like we have grown up together. We arent done yet, but these past 2 months in particular I see us acting more like adults. & We are doing it together. (yay us!)
You taught me to drive, & just as you taught me to drive you have taught me that I married a man who is more mature than I, funnier than me, smarter than me, more spiritualy grounded than me, more patient, more giving, more sacraficing, a better speller than me, more driven than me, better at impersanations, more christ like than me, more well rounded, better pancake flipper, more focused on eternity than me, more wonderful than me. If I had not married someone better than myself I would not be challenged, encouraged & eager to be better. Rod, you are my perfect counterpart. You give me more than I could ever return. & to think this is still just the start. I feel humbled that I am your Mrs.

Happy 8th anniversary to us my darling.
As we say-I love you forever & 3 days.

I adore you. always will.

ps: I love that you kept the wool socks so that our boys wont get "cold feet" on their big day either. nice!

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I just remembered this post & went back to read it.

what a tear jerker!