On this day five years ago, I made the best decision in my life that I possibly could have made in marrying you.  That's 60 months, or 260 weeks, or 1826 days, or 43,824 hours, or 2,629,440 minutes, or 157,766,400 seconds (give or take a few) that we've been married now.  Wow.  On some days, it seems like it's been a lot longer than that, and on other days, it seems like we're newlyweds.  In any case, we've made it this far without managing to drive each other completely crazy, how about that?

I suppose we both owe some friends of ours a big heartfelt thank you for introducing us to the Foothills Talker MUD many eons ago.  If it hadn't been for them, I suppose I wouldn't be writing this today, but with my belief in Fate, who knows?  Perhaps we would have ended up together anyway.

I really can't believe that we managed to make it through a long-distance relationship for 2 1/2 years before we were finally together for good.  Back then, when we were apart, the days seemed to pass with agonizing slowness until we got to see each other again.  And to think that we did that for 5 semesters just seems ludicrous to me now. 

But as our two thousand plus pages of email and hundreds of dollars of phone bills will testify, for what we couldn't do together, we sure made up in corresponding with each other.  I guess people can't really say that we didn't get to know each other, as that's all we did do during those 2 1/2 years. 

I'll still never forget the day that we finally got to meet face-to-face for the first time that June.  It turned out to be a good six months from when we first started chatting back in December of 1994.  It's funny, but almost immediately after we started chatting, I felt this wonderful bond between the two of us, even though we hadn't known each other that long.  You were so easy to talk to, and I was interested in everything you had to say.  We just seemed to complement each other quite well, and we still do.  Plus I think we've always looked good together as a couple.  I remember how eager I was to talk to you on the phone, and how eager we were to see how each other looked like.

It sure wasn't easy waiting those long six months to see you.  The fact that I had to postpone my trip out to see you after graduation because of my 3-week hydrology field camp made it excruciatingly worse.  We were ready to meet within that first month of chatting online, yet we had to hold out for another five months until it became a reality.  But because I lost my locker key in St. Louis, and missed my connecting flight out to see you (so you had to go through the experience of not seeing me get off of my original flight), and then how relieved I was to see you when I eventually got there - that whole day will be in my memory forever.

When I saw you for the first time with my very own eyes, it was like gazing into a well of overflowing love.  Meeting you for the first time was truly like seeing an old friend I hadn't seen for a long time.  There was no awkwardness or feeling uncomfortable.  It was like we were meant to be together.  I'll never forget how we stood in that one spot by the gate for such a long time just holding each other, looking at each other, and kissing each other.  We had waited for that moment for what seemed like an eternity, and we were just so relieved (especially since I had missed my original flight) that it was all over.

The worst part of course was having to leave each other and return to our "regular" lives after our times together.  During the first summer, it wasn't so bad since we knew we would be seeing each other within another month or so.  But the times when we had to part to go back to school, knowing that we wouldn't see each other for four months was incredibly difficult and painful.  I still don't know how we did that either.  I still remember when we parted for the last time in January of 1997, how we said that that was the last time we had to do that, because the next time we saw each other, we would be getting married and would never have to do anything like that again.

I cannot tell you enough how blessed I am to have a wife like you.  I know I've told you this before, but you are a wonderful woman and wife, a marvelous mother, and an overall good-person.  You have such a big heart and care so much about the well-being of the kiddos.  I know you've sacrificed a lot of your own interests and desires in placing their needs first.  That really says a lot about the kind of person you are.  I thank you for being patient with me, and seeing me for who I am, and not giving up on me when I was battling my own personal demons.

I know that our marriage hasn't always been full of peaches and cream.  In fact, I know that on some days, it was nearly unbearable to be together, but I'm glad that we managed to make it through those not-so-good times, and are still together today.  In fact, I think that our marriage is better today than it's ever been in the past, wouldn't you agree?  It seems like in the past few months we've really come together as a couple and a family.  And from what you told me about how it takes anywhere from 5-7 years for a blended family to really cement together, that seems true in our case.

My darling love, I love you more today than I have ever loved you before.  And that's true with each passing day.  I love how we tell each other "I love you" with our three hand squeezes.  It's like a secret code that we can send to each other whenever and wherever unbeknownst to those around us.  I love how we do so many things as a family, and how we involve the kids with just about everything we do.  I love how we often are on the same wavelength thinking the same thing - that seems to happen so frequently it's somewhat freaky. 

I'll also never forget the look on your face the day I proposed to you - how we went to Mohican State Park, one of the places we went when we were first together.  The covered bridge over the river was a nice backdrop for my proposal, don't you think?  I sure got you good when I hid your engagement ring in my handful of pebbles didn't I?  I couldn't have asked for it to work out any better.  I had asked you if you wanted to see some "cool" rocks and you taking me seriously said, "of course."  Then as you picked through the pebbles & saw the aquamarine, you asked me what that "shiny one" was.  Of course in that instant you realized it was your engagement ring, and you called me a "stinker."  Somehow, that nickname seems to crop up whenever I surprise you with something nice and unexpected.  :) 

I feel that we've finally come to a good understanding with each other, and finally have been able to accept each other's shortcomings and idiosyncracies.  We're finally more tolerant of each other's bad habits and other annoying habits.  Yet we still love each other more than ever.  That's what a marriage is about - sticking together through the good times and the bad.   Adapting to each other as we grow older and change as people.  Being committed to raise our children the best that we can.  And being unified even while disagreeing. 

Because of you my darling, I'm a better person.  I've learned to be more patient with the kids.  I've learned to be more patient and understanding with you.  Thank you for bringing out the best qualities in myself.

On this, our fifth anniversary, I want to reaffirm my love and devotion to you.  I want to promise again that I will love you and be together with you for all of time and eternity.  My beloved Jen, I will never forsake you, in good times and bad, and with only you I give my whole heart, my entire body, and the depths of my soul.  Again, I choose you and only you for always.  Here's to the next five years and beyond.  I love you!  Happy Anniversary again!

Your loving sweet cuddly man,
Devotedly yours forever and ever and ever,
Having so much love for ONLY you,
Your handsome prince,
Your True Companion, Kindred Soulmate, and BESTEST friend forever,
Your eternal companion & hubby,
Your Cwiffie