11 Years!

The observation that life moves faster the older you get has now been verified and certified as true by Your Truly. Eleven years ago today I married my dearest darling. So much has happened, so fast, so quickly, a blur, really, that I either shake my head or pinch myself – often both – to remind myself that it all hasn’t been a crazy dream.

Like today, my wedding day fell on a Saturday. A lot cooler, a little more overcast. The action happened about thirty miles northwest of where I write this. We exchanged vows in one of those newer, circular churches (not our ideal), and had the reception at a historic, dark-wood inn in the dark woods (our ideal). Everyone was on best behavior and everyone had a great time. Especially me and the wife. We did our first dance to Sinatra’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” Her family, the majority flying in from south and central US, stayed in some of the rooms on the second floor. The next morning, we packed our bags, threw them into a rental SUV, drove to the airport, and flew out to spend a week in Napa Valley.

Good times.

Since then … life. Made some money, bought a house, had a daughter, lost a lot of money, had a second daughter, spent three weeks in the hospital, lost a job, got a job, lost a job, got a better job. Fortunately the wife has had a steady incline in her career path, a positive 10 degrees were I were to graph it somehow. And despite all the headaches and hassles, late at night, when everyone’s asleep except for me, I’m glad I have these four walls and my three wonderful, beautiful girls.

Tonight a friend is going to watch the little ones while me and the wife go out for a bite. Nothing too fancy as WE’RE GOING TO PARIS NEXT MONTH! But dinner out with my honey sans children will be a godsend for our relationship. Maybe a movie to follow, maybe not. Can’t remember the last time we did it, but the last time we did dinner-and-a-movie by ourselves was the end of June. (The movie was Super 8, so I think my wife threw me a bone there.)

Anyway, Happy Anniversary my dear! I love you, and I’m still both thankful and wonderfully puzzled you Said Yes.