Seven amazing years

Today's our seventh wedding anniversary (we'll still accept cards in case you forgot to send us one). We were married on Friday, August 6, 1999, in the St. Louis Missouri Temple on a day just about as hot as it is today (100's). Since Jenny's making us be frugal (not such a bad idea), I didn't buy her a card but thought I'd dedicate a post to her. So, I'm going to list seven of my favorite memories of our marriage. There are hundreds more where these came from, but these all are special in one way or another.

1. The Temple - yes, being married in the Temple was great, but what's far better in my books is that we made going to the Temple regularly a goal early on. We committed ourselves to go every month, and although we've missed some, we've tried really hard to do so. We are three or four hours from our closest Temples, but we have been blessed in numerous ways by trying to attend often.
2. No TV our first year of marriage - I admit, this one was not necessarily by choice. Our apartment (Stouffer Place - KU Married Student Housing) had free cable, but we didn't have a TV that worked very well. It took about 30 minutes for the screen to warm up, and even then the middle half of the screen was just lines. We tried using it to watch videos, but never even hooked it up to cable. I think this was the best thing for us that first year. We read lots of good books, but more importantly, we talked a lot. I don't think we would have done that if we'd always just sat watching the tube.
3. Our childrens' births - I don't have to elaborate on this one. Simply one of those things that are purely miraculous and have brought us closer. It's not even as much the births as it is the every-day experience of having someone to raise three cool dudes with.
4. Getting to say "We can't have anything nice!" - This was a classic in my house growing up anytime someone would spill something on the carpet or something would get broken. Jenny and I get a kick out of saying it everytime "the worst" happens in our home, but for us, it's more a way of us to laugh it off and hopefully teach the boys that things aren't what's important. Also, we don't need "anything nice" for our family to be happy. Heck, just look at our car (complete with 152,000 miles and more quirks as she gets older) and our six-year old computer that has more viruses than you can catch in a third-world country.
5. House shopping - Although we both agree that we jumped into home ownership prematurely, financially, looking for and buying a home we love was great fun. We love it here and is the best place we've lived in our seven years together. And, might I add, it has a very nice bathroom. Just don't look at the deck that's falling apart - who knew you're better off using one long board rather than piecing scraps together to make railing?
6. Getting back to our wedding weight, and running the Chief Joseph Race together - Jenny said she loved me chubby, but it's sure a lot more fun to be fit together.
7. Realizing life wouldn't be the same without my best friend - I feared the worst last year when Jenny was hospitalized with a massive blood clot. The doctor's initial report was very grim, and I've never been more scared. Realizing that I was inches away from losing Jenny, and wondering how I could raise the boys without her, was, in retrospect, a wonderful thing. Sounds bad, I know, but you know what they say about taking things for granted. I think I'd started taking for granted having a wonderful partner and I'm glad to have her with me today.

Happy Anniversary, Jenny. I love you