I may be early, but I hope I am not too late.

Nearly 13 years ago, one day after a mini-blizzard, was a glorious, sun-shine filled day that still resonates in my mind as if it were yesterday.  There was nothing to forget and everything to remember. - family, friends, good food, excellent music and at least one beautiful lady, dressed in white.  It was a day to stand up in front of the world and God and profess something that I had known for quite some time, that I had found the individual that is my perfect, and better half.

There she was, a lady that filled the room with a smile, was friends with everyone in the room, held her own with my closest friends, adored by my family (boy were they happy I found someone that they could like better than myself), and appreciated me for who I was/am - each of these individual qualities being difficult on their own, but truly amazing as a package.

But, it was not only these attributes that convinced me that I could love no other, it was also the little things.  In honor of a few of those, I have compiled a list of 13 – a list to represent 13 happy years of marriage that are just the beginning.  It is a combination of the reasons why I love you, Amy,  and illustrations of times I knew that it was true love.

13.  The way that you will still love me even though I will lose cools points extracted from my Man card for professing my love on a Blog (hopefully I had a credit up to this point for being in a profession that wears  a uniform and jumps from airplanes; and forgive me for hacking your account)

                (13.a The way you will tell my sisters to pound sand as they pick apart my grammar on this post.)

12.  The fact that the Marching Illini CD was in your car’s CD player in college.  Love at first sounds.

11. The way that you wrote me a letter every single day of basic training, helping me through some of the sleep deprived days.

10. The way that my friends always wanted to know if you were coming too because you had become just as much a part of the group as the rest of us.

9. You still laugh at me and my friends, probably encouraging some really poor humor.

8. The way you can immerse yourself in my family events without question.  There is no question that you are a just a big of part of my extended family, as well as your own, and I can’t imagine it any other way.

7. How nothing will faze you to the point of inaction.  You may be anxious about something (moving kids in the middle of a school year, multiple deployments, constant uncertainty about where the Army needs us next, etc),  but it won’t affect your ability to act cool, calm, and collected in front of others – especially those that are leaning on you.  You can roll with the punches.

6. The way you volunteer to help others, whether at church, school, neighbors or a random act of kindness.  The world needs more of that from everyone.

5. Your understanding of my conviction to the job at hand, and your willingness to sacrifice family time and other life’s perks to support that.

4. Your same conviction to this country and the principles for which are dear to us.

3. Your ability to sustain a household that I do not always get to spend adequate time at.

2. Your dedication to our beautiful, healthy, intelligent children.  They smile every time they look at you and want you there with them in both good times and bad. They deserve the best parents and you are certainly upholding more than your part of the deal.

1. You inspire me, and you mean the world to me.

If the roles were reversed, I do not think I could accomplish what you do.  I certainly could not do it as well.  You amaze me.  You inspire me.  I fell in love with you over 13 years ago, and have only grown to love you more.

So, it may not be the 21^st of March yet.  It may be too early to remind you of how much I love you on our official anniversary.  But, I hope I am not too late to tell you the same.

Joshua