Twelve years ago today I received the most important gift I've ever been given. My best friend said "I do" when Father Ernie asked her if she would take me as her husband. Our first year was a VERY stressful time, and they've gotten MUCH easier since then. We're now about to start our 13th year together and couldn't be happier about our prospects for the coming year. We are living in an area that offers so much to do for recreation…year 'round, I might add. Our pets are doing well. We are both in good health overall. Bonnie and I have no problems, even after 12 years, walking along holding hands, or with our arms around each other (unless it's really hot outside). I have friends that I've seen get married and have kids and get divorced. I've got one friend that's been married four times just in the short time I've known him. When people ask me what to expect out of marriage, I tell them two things. 1) Expect to compromise. If you are going into a marriage expecting that everything will be perfect all the time, you're going to be sorely disappointed. If you know from the start that things will come up that will require a bit of sacrifice on your part, it's not such a big deal. 2) If you're not marrying your best friend, then you're marrying the wrong person. By this I mean, if you have other friends that you would rather spend time with, than the person you're thinking of marrying. Then maybe you should be re-considering that proposal. Don't get me wrong, everyone needs their time apart, but at the end of the day, the person that should mean the most to you in the world is the person that you're agreeing to be with for the rest of your life. Finally, I would just like to take a moment to say that my beautiful bride, Bonnie, does mean the world to me and I can't possibly tell her how much I love her and appreciate her putting up with me (I know it's tough at times). I'd also like to wish her a Happy Anniversary, just in case she decides to read my blog.