Four score and seven years ago...

Well it wasn't really all that long ago. It only seems like a lifetime. That is because it has been a blur. And that is a good thing.

August 6, 1994. That goes down as the greatest day in my life. On that day, I got married. Life has never been the same.

I sometimes hear that grooms are nervous, anxious, fearful and have incredible doubts. The term "Bridezilla" has certainly gained popularity. If I had been marrying a bridezilla, perhaps things would have changed, yet I was never nervous or anxious or fearful. I never had doubts. I knew this woman was amazing and I had nothing to fear.

If you are married long enough, you will probably get asked how you knew this was the person you should marry. Of all the billions of people on Earth, how did you settle on this one? There are a variety of answers to this. My answer is simple: I just knew. When we decided to date, I knew there was no one else for me. If I get even more scientific I say this: I have never seen anyone look at me the way she looks at me. In her eyes, I can see she loves me. Some days it might be her allergies, yet normally she is looking at me "with love in her eyes."

Amy is a wonderful person. She is caring, loving, kind and genuine. Basically, she is everything I am not. And yet she loves me anyway. Obviously, she is also crazy. I mean, she married me! She laughs at my jokes. (At least when I have new material.) She is a fantastic mom. She keeps me sane by letting me have hobbies. She supports me in my work. She lets me watch college football! She is awesome!
I can think back to our wedding day and I remember a few things. My groomsmen were a bit irreverent, yet supportive. The bridesmaids took their job seriously. The food was great. The music was amazing. The doors opened and there she was. I know folks say that every bride is beautiful. I have seen a few that I would not classify that way (just watch Big Fat Redneck Wedding sometime). On that day, there was no more beautiful woman in the world. She was not just smiling, she was absolutely radiant. I felt like the most fortunate man in the world. And I still feel that way now.

My lovely bride will tell you there are prettier women in the world. What I can tell you is: there is no more beautiful woman in the world. And I am the luckiest guy ever. I don't know why she agreed to marry me except for momentary lunacy on her part. And then I guess she figured she was stuck with me.

Thanks to John, Michael and Danny for inviting me to that Hawks' game. That night I met Amy, and even though she really does not remember meeting me that night, my life was changed forever. (Great story, you should ask about it.) Then it took a while, yet eventually we got together. Apparently a good number of our friends were wondering what took so long. I have never been accused of being very bright and this is another good example.

So thanks for 16 great years. I look forward to a whole bunch more if you can stand it. I love you more today than I did then. I love you more today than I did yesterday. I will love you more tomorrow than I do today. Thanks for being you. Thanks for taking a power sander to my rough edges. Thanks for loving me back. Thanks for sharing life with me. I can't wait to see what the future holds.