13 Years

Tomorrow is our 13Th anniversary! I can't believe how time flies, but at the same
time I can't imagine life without Tony. I remember being a little girl and falling asleep and thinking about who I might marry someday. I wanted him to be tall, dark, and handsome. That was all that I knew that I wanted at the time. Later when I got older I still wanted someone tall dark and handsome, but I also wanted someone who I felt comfortable with and who I could trust my heart with. When Tony and I started dating he definitely fell into the tall dark and handsome category, but to tell you the truth he wasn't very good at communicating. He always had such a happy demeanor and just seemed to enjoy life and take pleasure in small things, like a kid. I fell in love with him and felt like he was the man I was suppossed to be with forever. Our first five years of marriage were hard, my parents got divorced, he was in school and working full time and we had two beautiful children. I remember thinking we would never make it. Tony was so spread thin, he looked exhausted all the time and there really wasn't much leftover after taking care of his school work and the kids for our relationship. He kept telling me to just wait until he was done with school and things would get better and I didn't believe it. When he finished school we moved to Sugarhouse and close to his work. He completely changed and was loving and communicative. He came home from work almost every lunch hour and ate with us. I fell in love with him all over and saw what an amazing father was. Since then we have added two more to our clan, moved, lost three parents, and gone through some really hard times, but never again have I ever doubted that he is the perfect man for me. His love and support when my mom was sick was absolutely amazing! He took care of everything and never made me feel like it was hard for him. He encouraged me to do as much as I could so I wouldn't have any regrets, and held me when I cried myself to sleep or lashed out at him for no reason except that I felt like my life was falling apart. When I got sick after she died and they put me in the same hospital room that my mom had been in he slept over every night in a chair so I wouldn't be alone there. My happiest times in life have been spent talking with him until late night. I love watching him sking and mountain biking, he is so dang sexy and he looks so happy, just like a little kid. I love it when he hugs me and my nose falls right at his collar bone and the smell of him calms me. I don't know how I would ever get through life without him and I can't wait to grow old with him. We were just kids when we got married and I can't believe that at such a young age I made such a good choice in a husband and father. I know that Heavenly Father led me to him and knew that he would be so perfect for me.
Together we have................

Had four amazingly beautiful, wonderfully talented, sweet children.

Moved 10 times.

received two Degrees.

Had five surgeries.

Had children have five surgeries.

Lost three parents, two grandmas, three aunts, one uncle, and one brother-in-law.

Had one dog.

Started a business.

Done a million do-it-yourself house projects including (but not limited to) ripping out a ceiling and putting in a loft, refinishing hardwood floors, ripping out tubs and installing a jet tub (for me!), painting the outside, painting the inside, painting, painting, painting.

Had four car seats.

Had 7 cars.

Lost over 60 lbs.

Ran, biked, skied, hiked countless miles.

Changed a million diapers! (At Least)

Cleaned up buckets of throw-up.

Watch our son get a sunflower seed impaction cleaned out of his colon. (YUCK)

Found a Nickel in our daughters throat after it had been there for a month.

Taken many vacations (none of them have been long enough).

Countless jokes, hugs, kisses, and laughs.

I can't wait to see what the next 13 years bring.