Eight years

Today is the 8th Wedding Anniversary for my wife (Teri) and I. After being 4600 miles apart the past couple of anniversaries, it's going to be wonderful just to spend the day together. Our extra bonus this year is that we are on vacation in Hawaii, and that we are with our TWO children.

We are planning to take a drive around the island of Oahu tomorrow, which is what we also did on our last anniversary we spent together. We will also probably get a little time together on the beach and then save our night out for when we get back to Lexington. There is no other way that I'd rather celebrate my anniversary with the love of my life.

Just a quick sidestep - Tomorrow will be 9 years since I proposed to Teri on the beach in Siesta Key, FL. Thanks to the assistance of my best friend Joe, that evening was one of the best of my life. (I'm sure Teri would say the same.)

Thinking back 8 years ago, I am very fond of our wedding rehearsal & dinner. Rehearsal was a breeze and lots of fun! We shared that evening with an enormous amount of family and friends. Dinner was at the church and everyone sat in a giant square. I still get goose bumps thinking about how much I enjoyed going around the room and introducing each person, one-by-one, to the entire group. We have a video (thanks to Michael Rintamaa & Steven Page) of the rehearsal evening that we get a kick out of watching each year.

Our wedding day was perfect. 60 degree weather in Lexington. I had lunch with some family & friends at Cheddars, where we watched the entire UK (#8) vs UNC (#9) basketball game that afternoon. Kentucky won of course! Then we got to the church and I had the "History of Kentucky Basketball" dvd playing in the grooms room to pass the time before the ceremony. Most of my groomsmen went to UofL with me for college, and to this day I'm grateful for them putting up with me for this.

At 5:30pm the most beautiful bride in the history of the world walked down the aisle (at the church I grew up in) and said "I do." The ceremony was beautiful. Great music, very intimate, and filled with an overwhelming amount of loved ones. Our reception followed at the Campbell House and we had an absolute blast! We surprised many by secretly taking dance lessons prior to our wedding, to make the most out of our first dance. (Tim McGraw's "My Best Friend") Teri & I even made a late-night run to McDonalds to fill our stomachs after spending much of our reception socializing with our guests. The next morning we had breakfast with our families & then took off for a week in Gatlinburg on our honeymoon.

My love for Teri continues to grow each day, and I'm so blessed to have her as my wife, best friend & soul mate. Every single day I thank God that she loves me, and that she is the mother of my children. Thank you Teri for giving me the best 8 years of my life, and I'm looking forward to the many more to come.


Tim McGraw - "My Best Friend"