At The End of 2 Years

June 9th was the date of our 2nd anniversary. Natalie was in charge of our morning activities and I was in charge of our afternoon and night activities. Natalie surprised me with breakfast at our favorite Mimi's Cafe, some time at the driving range, and a 1-hour massage. I surprised her with a night at the Hyatt Regency in Scottsdale. We checked in early, relaxed by the pool, then got ready for our dinner reservations at Alto Restaurante, which is a fine italian restaurant that is famous there at the hotel. Included after the meal, was a gondola ride through the lake that surrounds the resort. We finished off the night with a walk around the resort, talking about our years together and we enjoyed a beautiful night on the lounge chairs on our top floor balcony, overlooking the lakes and golf course. It was a great night. And yes it was nice to be at a resort, and have a nice italian dinner, and gondola rides and all of that, but the best part was being with my wife - having her by my side. I married an incredible woman and I find out more and more every day just how wonderful she truly is. This past year has come with many challenges, but all of these challenges have brought us closer together and have made me realize just how strong and how supportive she really is and just how much I love her. Through our struggles she showed me how strong she can be for me and how she can hold me up when I can't seem to do it on my own. Through everything that happened, I never really felt at peace unless she was there by my side. Whenever she was around I could feel a part of me relax, and I felt more like it was going to be ok - because she was there with me. She is my favorite person to be with and the only one that I truly am relaxed around. My love for her grows more and more all the time. The pastor that we heard last week at church talked about how your capacity for love grows over time. This has been true with her. I never knew just how much I could love another person, but my love for her continues to grow all the time. She truly is my best friend. I hope that every year doesn't challenge us in quite the same way that this one has, but I know that when these hard times arise, we'll always meet them and get through them together, and as long as we're together, everything will be alright.