Today, July 26th, is our 9th Wedding Anniversary. This date is hard for me to remember sometimes because there always seems to be something going on the 26th that has nothing to do with our anniversary. Sometimes it’s family reunions, twice now it’s been a new baby. We’re often celebrating birthdays or traveling on this day. And I’m not really good with remembering numbers-that’s Rock’s forte. But I remembered today as I was looking at our wedding picture on the wall in our bedroom. It’s been a while since I’ve really looked at it. My waist is thicker than it was then. His hairline is thinner than it was then. We’re less good looking then we used to be I suppose. But I can say after nine years that I am truly happy in my marriage. And I’ve learned through talking with friends that I have the world’s best husband. He is a man who does far more for me than is the norm and he deserves some recognition. His ego is already quite large, but I will risk making it bigger just this once to tell him why I love him more now than on the day this picture was taken.

Dear Rock, I love you because….
You still, after 9 years take me on a date every weekend.
And many of them are very creative dates.
You do the dishes right after dinner even though I’m the crazy one who wants them done then.
You change dirty diapers-sometimes two a day on weekends.
You bring me flowers, still.
You do the Costco shopping every Saturday when my pregnancies make it hard on my back.
You listen to me when I need to talk, even when you’d rather be sleeping.
You run the house the first three months and the last 3 weeks of every pregnancy.
Then you run the house some more after each baby comes.
You clean the toilets.
You send me to the Seven Senses Spa at least twice a year.
You watch the boys for entire days and sometimes whole weekends to give me a break and time to recharge myself.
You take the beds and cribs apart and move them and put them back together again every time I come up with a “better” way of sleeping the kids.
You IM me from work.
You let me pick Italian food 75% of the time when we go out to eat.
You watch one more episode with me when I want to keep going even when you’re tired.
You mop the floor before company comes-just because I’d like it done.
You love me unconditionally.
You make fresh guacamole every Sunday for dinner.
You tell me I’m beautiful.
You are patient with my worrying.
You fix my computer problems and are patient with me when I want to throw it across the room.
You hold my hand.
You still like and appreciate my cooking even though you get fancy catered meals at work.
You’re planning a wonderful 10th anniversary get away to the beach a year in advance and even though you hate the beach.
You are patient and levelheaded when I’m not.
You love me in all senses of the word. Thank you for making the last 9 years so happy for me. Thank you for sharing the hardships of parenting and adulthood and life in general and making them easier for me to bear. You are the best of men and I love you.

Happy Anniversary.