2008

As I thought all the way back to this year it occurred to me just how amazing and remarkable this time was. Wedding aside, I had just finished my bachelors degree and was starting a real job, making real money and were looking forward to starting a new chapter of our lives together. In some sense the wedding didn't matter much to me because I had already known for some time that we would be together forever. But thinking back on it now it was a very notable starting point for our journey.

2009

One year in, I was finished with school and we were getting ready to grow our family. We were living with Mike and Corbin and I distinctly remember us spending a lot of time apart with you taking freqeunt, long trips to Michigan. It's interesting to reflect on how much we were still figuring each other out. I know it's kind of cliche, but I'm certain that I took our free time for granted in these days and I wish that I had put more effort in to creating experiences together.

2010

It won't surprise you to know that before I met you I didn't give much thought to having children. I was nervous, uncertain, and directionless, but you were - and still are - my guiding light. Your desire to have children was infectious and had a big impact on me. You made me want to be a good dad. I think I've done pretty well so far, and I have no regrets.

2011

Moving to Michigan was yet another huge milestone in our relationship, and that first year living in Okemos and working at LCC was so exciting and full of promise. I was so excited for you to go back to school! To this day I am convinced we made the right choice and that we are where we are supposed to be thanks to this change. For all the stress and drama which has followed this year, we are still happier and healthier than we would have been otherwise.

2012

This was the year where you disappeared behind the camera so here is a picture of your 2012 birthday present instead...

And although I did struggle to find pictures of you for this year, I am still so damn proud for what you did while earning your associates degree. You will never convince me it was a mistake. The experience helped shape you as a person and taught you that you are capable of more than what you think. I hope that you will never stop trying to do more.

2013

Half-way there! It may sound weird to hear this after the fact but I think it was somewhere in this timeframe that I actually started to think of myself as a husband and father. It was a big shift for me to start really putting you and James first. I know that I've come to appreciate you more and more as a partner and to believe that we're actually doing a good job at this whole family thing.

2014

In the span of one month you graduated, we went to Chicago, and SageLink closed down. I know that things didn't work out the way you had hoped but we have thrived none-the-less. Lots of questions about our future were raised this year, but I remained confident and comfortable that we could overcome it all together.

2015

What even happened in 2015?! James started kindergarten...

So perhaps we spent this year adrift in uncertainty, but life kept on going. I started working at MSU also, which has had its own ups and downs.

2016

Everything I said about James six years ago goes double for Luke. As unsure as I was, I have no regrets at all and I feel truly fortunate that we decided to have Luke right when we did. This was a difficult year for us for so many reasons, and I remember so many nights and days where I wished that I could change things, but the happiness that this joyful little boy gives us now was well worth it.

2017

I won't try to sugarcoat it: we have both had a difficult year, and we have let it affect each other and the boys. Some days I still feel like my grasp of reality is slipping. Some days I feel like we are tumbling slowly in to poverty or despair. Some days I even feel like we are drifting ever so slowly away from each other and it makes me want to cry out for you and cling to your side.

But the truth is that even though so many things are changing and evolving, we still love each other deeply and nothing will change that. Although we are being challenged like never before, we are also both stronger than we have ever been. Just like every year passed, we will come out the other side wiser and more committed to a brighter future.