Marla,
Fifteen years ago today, we were hoping that the weather would clear and our decision to have an outdoor wedding wouldn't prove to be a bad idea. Fortunately, it did and we ended up with a gorgeous wedding on the little island in Spring Lake Park. Every time we go to your parent's house I look at our wedding photo and am amazed at how beautiful you were in your dress. And what a cocky young chump I was in my tux.
It doesn't seem like so long ago, but thinking back we've been through a lot together.
I remember our first date for Black-and-Tans at Lost and Found.
I remember you carrying me on your back from Dave's apartment to the Lemming House to prove to the boys that you could do it.
I remember walking down Ontario in the rain at 7a.m. after staying up all night talking.
I remember making elaborate plans to propose to you on the beach in California on our first road trip after my college graduation and then just asking you spontaneously two weeks before we left. Maybe that should have been a red flag for you...
I remember buying that rotted out mobile home with the leaky roof and broken windows for $300 shortly after the wedding which we (with an incredible amount of help from amazing family and friends) gutted and turned into a fine little abode.
I remember you cooking all our meals on the side burner of our grill for 8 months while we remodeled the kitchen (and the rest of the place) at our first house.
I remember sleeping on the couch on our porch and being pounced on by you, laughing hysterically because the pregnancy test was positive. I also remember trying in vain to console you at the hospital after the miscarriage.
I remember us watching the sunrise from the top of Mount Haleakala and biking down through the clouds into torrential rain to sit on the beach and watch the waves roll in.
I remember watching you in the recovery room after the emergency C-section as the anesthesia wore off and knowing for the first time what it means to be powerless to help someone.
I couldn't even attempt to list a fraction of the wonderful moments we've shared with the kids.
Choosing you was and is the best decision I have ever made. You are my best friend, a fantastic mom, and hands-down the kindest person I have ever met. You have made (and continue to make) me a better person.
You know you've found the right person when your parents, siblings, and pretty much everyone else you know says "if you ever split up, we're keeping her." Not bloody likely.
Happy Anniversary Babe. I Love You.
Jeremy
