Dear Curt,

It’s hard to believe today we are celebrating  our 21st wedding anniversary.  Sometimes it feels like it was only yesterday and other times seems like it’s  been a lifetime!  Either way, I could not imagine my life without you.  You are my greatest gift from God.  The odds where against us from the beginning,  we come from two different worlds and yet somehow we managed to make a world of our own.  People told us we would never make it and that it would be best to go our own way.  Oh they were so wrong!  God was and is writing our story and it’s a beautiful story!  It all began the day we met.  I was covered with jet fuel and hydraulic fluid.  A young naive girl in the Navy trying to find herself. You, you were a young man wise beyond your years and wanting to explore the world. You were the person I needed to lift me up and made me believe in myself but most important you taught me to believe in God and his merciful love for me.   It was your compassion, soft words,  knowledge of God and the desire to live an adventures life that  attracted me to you! I was drowning on my dark world and you took the time to pull me out and showed me that life was worth living and somethings  were worth  fighting for. You taught me that it was ok to be myself and laugh a little, ok maybe a lot.   I knew from the beginning you where the one. It’s fair to say it was love at first sight!  Our journey has not been easy but it’s the best journey in my life and one that I would not trade for anything  in the world!  We have so many stories that are only ours and that is a gift, our legacy.  I honestly think you should someday write a book of our lives.  I say you because you are the writer in the family.  We promised each other before God that we would be there for better or worse, for richer or poor, and in sickness and in health.  These words take on a whole new meaning when you’ve been together for this long and have experienced it all. These experiences in our lives are what make our marriage strong and I cherish them all, even the hardship ones because that’s when our love and commitment to each other have been tested.   Together we have overcome a lot and it’s made me love you in a whole new way.  I love you more today than I did yesterday.  Thank you for being the person that you are.  For teaching me about faith, for accepting me and falling in  love with me and accepting my shortcomings.  You are my biggest fan who cheers me on through my crazy ideas and makes be believe I can do anything.  You are the person who taught me to laugh again and most important to laugh at myself. I am so fortunate to have you as my husband and the father of our children.  You have always made me feel like the most important person in the world and I thank you for that.  Your love is a constant reminder of God’s blessing in my life. You are my soulmate, the person I want to grow old with on a nice warm place (hint the warm place) and watch the sunsets as you hold me in your arms.  I love you forever! Thank you for all of our yesterdays and I look forward to our tomorrows.

Happy Anniversary Love!

Lydia

A picture from our engagement session.
This is the first picture we took together. Two young kids in the military.  I still remember this day.  I was already in LOVE!My first trip to Massachusetts to visit and meet your family.

Our honeymoon and celebrating your birthday!
Here is to many more years together and beautiful sunsets!