Hijacking the blog- 10 year anniversary!

Hi everyone (especially Michelle)! Happy 10 year Anniversary! That being said, I thought that I would hijack your blog and write down some thoughts.

Years ago, while I was in college, I came across a list of '21 Tips For Success' by a Dr. Brown (can't remember his first name). The #1 item on this list was to "marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your success or failure in life."

Now, I know that the metrics that people use for measuring success are wide and varied- career, home size/location, clothes, cars, etc....and all of that is just fine and dandy. However, my family is what I treasure most, and that is one metric in which I feel I have accomplished something...a great majority of which can be attributed to Michelle.

Through the years, there has been a common theme of comments made by friends: how did you end up with such a beautiful and lovely wife? Perhaps I was just following the advice of others when they counseled me to "marry up" (which of course implies that my spouse "married down", which I can live with :)). Well, as much as I try to adequately answer this question to my chop-busting friends, the answer is more simple than complex: we simply just fell in love.

10 years ago, I married the love of my life. I've tried to live up to the man that she had hoped for- and there is still a lot of work to do- but I love you more than I did when we were first married because I've seen you as a mother; I've seen how you've responded and grown through adversity with grace and perseverance; I've seen your faith; I've seen you offer forgiveness where others would not; I've even seen you grow from burning our first meal together (waffles) into making fantastic gourmet meals that even impress your chef brother. :)

Life has certainly not been easy for us over the years, but I believe that we've grown and our marriage has been made stronger. I love how we can laugh together about stupid things, inside jokes, and movie quotes that have become part of our dialogue.

Michelle, to me you are wonderful, and I bow down in humble prayer every day to thank my Father in heaven that you are my wife. I think that you are fantastically awesome, and you make me a better man. Here's to many, many more years together.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Michelle....(I hope this turns out right)....

 State Fair. A yearly tradition (minus the kids).

 New mom (and a pretty lovely one at that)

 Ramsey County Fair (circa 2007)

 State Fair Sweet Martha's cookies. A must have.

 Visiting with Grandpa Marv.

 Those eyes.