My partner

Remember when you where little (or a teenager) and all you wanted to do was be grown up so you could make your own decisions and be in charge?  And your parents or other adults would tell you its not all its cracked up to be??? They were right.

Let me add immediately that I know I have a blessed life.  I had very simple goals as an adolescent.  There were three things I wanted: a college education, a child and a job that I liked that made use my mind.  Even though I am yet to be employed as a nurse, I have all three of those.  And bonus, two beautiful, wonderful children.  But more than that, I have more love in my life than I ever dared to hope for long ago when I thought about what I wanted to work for and achieve as an adult. 

This guy here driving the fork lift....



I really realized these past two days that I don't express to him enough how thankful I am for him, how much I still (and actually MORE) love him after almost 10 years, and that I come nowhere close to giving him proper recognition for all the different kinds of work he does to keep our family afloat and moving.  We are not perfect people.  We do not have a perfect marriage or a perfect family.  But you are my perfect partner and I continue to be glad that we have chosen to spend our lives building and growing together.