19th Wedding Anniversary

July 1, 2008 is the 19th Wedding Anniversary of dadwithnoisykids and Wifeofdadwithnoisykids!

For better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, 'til death do us part.

These past 19 years have been filled with graces from God.

We have seen the birth of twelve children and eagerly await the arrival of the 2009 Model of Noisykid.

We have migrated around Southeastern Michigan, moved to San Antonio, Texas, and then moved up to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Our home has grown from a 700 square foot efficiency in married student housing to a 12 acre slice of Texas soil.

We have survived medical school, internship, residency, fellowship, military service, and private practice - so far.

We have suffered the loss of two children by miscarriage, and lost our third child, Theodore, this past April.

The strength to stay together in the face of so many trials is truly a gift from God; the graces of the Sacrament of Matrimony, as well as the Eucharist and Confession, have held us up tremendously.

Give Thanks To God.

That is Theodore in front of the picture of Divine Mercy.

All of these experiences have just made me love my wife more and more; with each day, my love for Wifeofdadwithnoisykids grows.

Tonight we went out to Nick & Sam's for our Anniversary Dinner. I was sitting at a table where I could see all that was going on in the kitchen. Being a man who is distracted by shiny objects, I kept on looking at the chefs as they hurried around the kitchen. At the same time, I kept thinking about how deeply I love my wife. As my wife pointed out to me, love is an act of the will, and can be expressed in various degrees.

For myself, I love my wife deeply, sincerely.

Thoughts of love blend with visions of chefs at work.

Suddenly it hits me:

I love you.....

Madly?