Fourteen Years

Fourteen years ago today, Susan and I had a day off together, it was a Thursday. We got up early, packed up the kids into the Sprint and went on a road trip up island, to Qualicum Beach. It was there that we had an appointment with a Justice of the Peace and were married. I'd made all of the arrangements the two previous days, after I'd asked her to marry me of course. We knew a couple who lived up there, so we contacted them to be our witnesses. We stopped in Nanaimo on the way up to buy Susan a dress and some flowers.

During the ceremony, which was at the JoP's house, Eric and Kyle stayed in the foyer, not quite sure about what was going on, and why they had to get up so early.

After the ceremony, we went to the beach to take some pictures and then for a late lunch at a pizza shop. We both had to work the next day, so back to Victoria we travelled, stopping a couple of times to tell our parents what we'd done.

It was such a happy day and one that I'll remember for the rest of my life. It was the beginning of our life journey and I wouldn't have changed a thing. Now, fourteen years later, we've never been happier. We made a choice that we were going to stay together no matter what happened. It's not been perfect and we've had some bumps and hiccups along the way but it's been the best fourteen years of my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything. The trials and challenges are what makes us stronger and teaches us what to do next time something similar arrises. We are committed to each other and to our lives together, so I'd say we have the perfect marriage. I am blessed to have such a wonderful wife and cherish every moment I have with her. The kids are a lot older now and we've started dating, something which we never could do when they were young. Maybe we did things a little backwards from what people normally do, but what is normal. We are not a normal couple and people still comment on how we always do things together, like we were a new couple. We are there for each other. We live for each other. We are soul-mates. We enjoy being together and doing things for each other. We love each other unconditionally and each of us knows the other and things we do not know, we love to discover. We are a living extention of each other. We share pain and pleasure, we participate in each other's lives and are one within the life we have built together.

I love you Susan. Thank you for agreeing to be my wife. You complete me!