Anniversary Celebration

This year for our anniversary, we went to an OSU basketball game. I love college basketball and hate that we don't see more live games, but OSU isn't BYU where tickets are cheap and children are welcome, so it only on special occasions that we can go. It was really fun even though we played Delaware State and won by 30 or so. But our section won free brats and soda! As you can see, Cortney is very excited about this development in our "date".

This is the equivalent of the Cougarettes, but Buckeye-ettes, I guess. But the best part was Brutus did the whole dance with them. I love Brutus. A very cool mascot.

The Schottenstein. An arena close to my heart. Have you ever heard anyone say that? Probably not, but I love this place. For starters, it was across the street from our apartment, so we could walk there any time. Second, it's where the basketball and hockey teams play. Third, it's where we saw Bruce, Michael McDonald, and as of Wednesday, Mariah Carey.

The day before our anniversary, one of our good friends got married. Cathie and Theo finally tied the knot! And it was beautiful. It was at a restaurant in German Village where we enjoyed a blue cheese wedge salad (so so so so so good), pork chops (me) and Beef Tenderloin (Cort), and chocolate wedding cake in addition to a lovely ceremony joining 2 great people!

And there is the blushing bride. Doesn't she look like a knock-out? Don't want to brag or anything, but I did all the bouquets for the big day. I remembered how much I love working with flowers and was also reminded that I really need to start a business doing wedding flowers. So anyone getting married in the Columbus area, let me know! I'll cut you a deal!

Going to Cathie's wedding was the perfect way to start our anniversary celebrations. Cortney and I were both a tiny choked up during the ceremony (how lame!) and we were both talking later about how great it was to see a wedding again and remember how committed we are to our marriage.

I love so many thing about our marriage, but most recently, I love that we have different opinions. Cortney and I both make a big effort to stay in touch with the world around us by reading the newspaper and other periodicals. And I really love that we don't agree on everything. I think I tend to be a little more liberal than him in most areas, but there are a few where I'm much more conservative. But there has never been once where I even felt any discussion related to these topics was heated, nor did I care that we didn't agree. Without sounding too politically correct, I think its really cool that we respect each other's opinions.

I think we've also realized recently that we both will have to fight for our family, and we are both committed to do just that. A good fight is required to have a strong, stable, loving family--there are just too many things out there to get in the way of that goal. There have been many occasions where I have prayed about specific issues related to our family, and things that would take one or both of us away from our family, even if just for a day or two, and every single time
the answer I get is overwhelming that we need to be together as a family as much as humanly possible, or that I need to do everything I can to protect our family even when it is a very unpopular decision.

Both of those being said, I think we make a great team because we're both individuals working towards a common goal. It would be way too boring if we both were exactly the same type of person. He's good at some things and I'm good at others. Kind of like the widget maker and widget seller--much more successful together, than each of us trying to make AND sell the widgets.

There is a line in Fiddler on the Roof where Tevye says something to the effect of "Look at everything I've done with you. Isn't that love?" And I think that's what love really is. I think you look back and see how many times you were in the trenches together, all the struggles, all the successes, and all of those little things add up to a beautiful life together. I like to think in the last 3 years we've just written the prologue. It's a pretty good read.