The years have flown by!

It still amazes me how quickly the years seem to pass by and pile up on us as we age. I still remember vividly walking into Camp O'Fair Winds and seeing her for the first time. I remember how she was sitting, what she was wearing, and thinking to myself that "I hope I don't have to work with her". The following morning she again caught my attention as she ran up the stairs from the staff room to the dining hall for breakfast. This time however, I was hoping I would get the chance to get to know her better. Something inside me clicked at that moment and I knew she would wind up being an important part of my life. It took a few more months before anything other than friendship would bloom between us, we were busy working at a girl scout camp and had neither the time, nore the desire to allow anything more than friendship to take place. Eventually, after camp, we sat down and talked about things. It took a little convincing on my part but on August 20, 1995 our more-than-friends relationship began.

A little less than a year later on June 14, 1996 we exchanged vows and made our relationship as official as it can be fore now. That was 12 years ago today and though there have been a few rocky times along the way we are still together stronger than ever and looking forward to another great 12 years.

I know I am one of the lucky ones who found my soul mate early in life. I happened upon her in the most unlikely of places and my first impression was not at all favorable. Thankfully I don't put much stock in first impressions and was willing to give her another chance. I have made some bad decisions in my life, we all have, but I also manage to make good ones along the way. Going to work at Camp O'Fair Winds that summer ended a bad relationship with a manipulative girlfriend and gave me the space I needed to heal from that experience without the pressures of feeling alone. It gave me one last summer spent at camp, something I still miss to this day each year when the weather turns warm, the days get longer, and the trees turn green. And, it allowed me to meet and fall in love with the one person who I can't imagine my life without.

I love you Jenifer, Happy Anniversary.