My anniversary isn’t until Wednesday, March 11th. But Jared has this weekend off and so we’re celebrating a few days early and going to St. Pete for a couple days at the beach. Alone. Together. (Thank you Adam for watching the kids. Please don’t do any permanent damage.)

I got this in my email Friday night…

Britt, I wrote to you as a blog post. You may do with it what you want. Delete it, post it, that is up to you. Just know that this is my attempt to tell you how much I care and love for you.

To my beautiful wife on our 9th anniversary:

In many ways you and I are so alike. Like are passion for music, our family and life in general. In so many other ways we are complete opposites. Like communication, romance, IQ, and sharing our deepest secrets to the world. Crazy, I know you being married to a dumb, inarticulate white boy from BFE. Somehow over the last nine years it has worked for us. That is why the night before we whisk away to a romantic weekend, I give you my anniversary present, my first blog post. (To anyone who may read this, remember Britt is the writer of the family, I am just the dumb blue collar husband trying to express to my wife how much she means to me)

I remember back to the days of 8th grade when we had our first encounter as boyfriend and girlfriend. You were the new girl in school, and I was the cool kid in school or the skinny geek (depending on who you ask). While it did not last long, it sparked a lasting friendship that lasted all through high school. Finally our senior year, love would strike again and we had an up and down relationship that would eventually end due to some unfortunate actions by an individual that will remain unnamed.

As time went by, our paths would cross once again in College. The friendship that the two of us had is really unmatched. Both you and I had friends that we are still close with today, however I believe that even if you and I had not married we would still be best friends to this day. I could always tell you anything that was going on in my life, and never once did I feel judged. It would only be a matter of time before our friendship turned into something more.

Kids, a wedding, buying a house, wow did things move along quickly. Many of these events may have not been what I envisioned for my life, but I would not change them for the world. Life was great, we both had good jobs, a nice home, and a wonderful family life that made living together wonderful. As time goes by, the regrets and stresses of everyday life set in. Enter the dark time in our marriage when neither of us knew if we would be able to carry on with our relationship. Somehow we both managed to push, pull, and cheer the other on. We stuck it out, through it all we stayed true to one another.

Then comes the biggest decision in our adult life. Sunshine here we come, goodbye everything and everyone we know. It’s just you, me and the kids. After the initial thrill wore off, it was rough. You would dive into your blog, and I threw myself into work. Somehow we both pushed on once again, and now I honestly believe that we are closer today then ever. Somehow someway, 2 kids in love all grown up living a 1000 miles away from any other family manage to find the perfect marriage. Wow, nine years I still can’t believe it.

I didn’t think it was possible, but somehow I love you more today then I did on this day nine years ago. I can’t wait to spend the weekend together with you.

Happy Anniversary!

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*sigh*

Every. single. year. for the last nine years, I have asked for one thing: a grand gesture. A public declaration. A sign written in the sky that says “I love you!” I’m not high maintenance at all.

It’s 100 times better than I imagined it to be.

And for the record, baby, you’re not dumb. At all. Please don’t ever say that. You may not be as comfortable with vocabulary as I am and I might kick your ass in Trivial Pursuit – but I mean it when I say you’re one of the smartest people I know. You get it. You get me.

I love you. Too.