Six Years

I know that most of you are waiting for more pictures and stories about Otto (and believe me, they're coming), but I wanted to do a quick entry about another person who I'm constantly in love with and in awe of: Sarah!

...since today marks our 6th Wedding Anniversary!

In past years, we've marked our wedding with cards, renewed vows, remarkable dinners or, of course, travel. But, while having a 4-week-old and a 2-year-old might make some of those things a bit ambitious, I thought I'd at least take the time to make this quick post to mention -yet again- how much I love my fabulous wife.

To the best of my knowledge, this is the first picture of Sarah and I together, snapped by someone's Polaroid camera at a random party just a month or two after we started dating. If for no other reason, it will always be a favorite of mine, and the original hangs in the hallway of our house.

And it begins! Our wedding day! (Fun fact: You can see our friend, Alison, adjusting Sarah's dress on the right. Her son, Oliver, was born two days before Otto!)

Sarah and I on our honeymoon! (Regular readers will recognize this as our "profile picture" in the upper right corner.) We took the ferry our of Bellingham up to Southeast Alaska. It was an amazing experience, and one we largely credit for the reason we decided to go on our Round the World trip together.

Our second Wedding Anniversary, in Istanbul, while on our trip. While it's been years now, that trip was still one of the defining moments of our lives and -specifically- our lives together. If you can survive marathon bus rides, strange stomach bugs and questionable accommodations together for 7 months, it leaves no doubt that you can survive anything.

Stella's birth... still one of the most amazing experiences of my life. And, along with watching her through Otto's birth, I will forever be in awe of what she's capable of.

And, finally, recently, Sarah with Stella and Otto. Sarah is my amazing wife, but both Stella and Otto are lucky to have her as their amazing mother.

...Which brings us, briefly, to today. I'd be lying if I didn't say that things haven't been exhausting recently. A newborn and a toddler live to come up with new ways of making adults tired. But, I couldn't hope to have someone better to be exhausted with. Knowing Sarah for these last 7+ years, and being married to her for the last 6, has been one long lesson in the best sense of the word: I've learned how much I'm capable of loving someone else. I've learned to explore the world and to embrace food and life. I've learned how much I could love the two small people we've brought into this world. I've learned compassion and learned strength, and how to treat others with dignity and respect. I've learned all these things and more because I've had someone to inspire me: Sarah.

I love you, Sarah, Happy 6th Anniversary!