I will never forget the day you asked me to marry you on
that old abandoned farm yard.

As you grabbed my hand and held it in yours and told me that
you had nothing to offer me besides your love and this ring.
As I gazed at the ring I was moved to tears. You held me in
your loving embrace 
while the tears of happiness streamed down my face.

I am still so much in love with you despite the stress and
chaos in our lives and the fact that you work so long and
hard to provide for our family.

I love the simplicity that you strive for. The belief that
life is not based on material things or on money. That
family is the most important thing and taking care of
eachother rather than just ourselves. 

You are such a good role model to our children. Even though
you are so busy with work and with never ending chores
around the house you always make time for them. Whether its
a game of war with kirstyn, a pillow fight with caleb or
tickling keira with your bristly chin or cuddling all three
of them. You make them see the important things in life and
the stuff that really matters. You show our children what a
loving father and a good husband is, which is really
important since our kids come from broken relationships and
need to see a positive role model.

I wish that I could give back as much as you have given to
me. You have knocked down walls, healed deep wounds and
earned my trust. You have helped me cool my anger against
those who have deeply hurt and betrayed me, without evening
knowing it. You have shown me what a true loving
relationship is all about and for that I can never thank you
enough.

I feel so helpless as I stand by your side and watch you
struggle to make ends meet and see you stress out when
things don't go according to plan. It hurts to see how much
you love your little girl and to see how much of her you are
missing out on and to have no explanation for it that her
young mind can understand. And to see you stand so strong
even though you are aching inside as you hold her in your
arms and soothe her when it's time for her to go.

I wish there was something I could do to help make your life
a little easier.
I love you so much and I appreciate all the things you do
from big to small.