My 10 Year Wedding Anniversary--Then and Now

Today I celebrate my ten year wedding anniversary with the one woman who is strong enough to put up with me. I have put my wife through hell and back and am blessed we made it this far knowing all we have been through. Here is to many more years of a prosperous life and a trip back in time.

Only two weeks after our wedding, I received a call from a familiar voice asking if I had any interest returning to Afghanistan as a civilian advisor. The one reason I left the military was because I did not wish to be married and put my significant other through such hardships. So, stupid me said yes anyway.

My wife and I spoke somewhat regularly while I was abroad. I always ensured to tell her how wonderful things were refusing to explain the reality of my area of operation which at the time was one of the most kinetic in the entire country known as N2KL. But one day, I was forced to call her prior to the news reaching the television sets back in the states after the helicopter I was riding went down on the AF/Pak border.

Yup, that was my bird being airlifted out.

I was forced to return home due to a spinal injury I sustained during our crash. Needless to say, I was a miserable individual upon my return--I did not want to come home simply because I felt deeply about my mission. I know, crazy, right?

I was lucky enough to continue my work in Afghanistan however from behind a desk in my own home. So, during this time, my wife and I began to try and have some babies while I was being medically treated for my injuries. Needless to say, it took us a while and with the thanks of some miracle working doctors, we had our first child.

Times were difficult but my wife was the one rock I needed most to cry on knowing the injuries I sustained were permanent. She was the one who lifted me up when I was down. She was the one who helped me stop feeling sorry for myself. And with a new little girl in my life, that was more reason to stand back up on my own two feet once again.

Two years after our little girl, we were notified by our doctors during an ultrasound that we were having a baby boy. I don't recall ever being so relieved knowing I finally had a baby boy in my life to protect his big sister when I got old and fragile.

Unfortunately, I would never wish on any little boy to be responsible to take care of three little girls in his life not including his own mother. But, needless to say, two years after our boy, we had a set of twin little girls. And believe me, they are polar opposites.

Here we are with a six, four, and set of two year old's wondering how we made it. If I learned anything in the past ten years, it is that we made it because my wife and I are an exceptional team. I pray we have many more amazing years full of love and happiness and the occasional surprise that makes us even stronger down the road.

Now, knowing my spouse will likely never read this, I will still end this reflection with a massive "I love you!" and "Happy 10 Years of Marriage"