Happy Birthday Anne!

Today is my wonderful and amazing wife's birthday. When I try to describe Anne, I just smile and say that she is the most loving, caring, down to earth person you will ever meet. She always puts other peoples needs before her own (especially when she is pregnant!). Anne is also an awesome mother. I don't know how she finds the time to teach crazy high school kids and be a mother at the same time. I can tell you that she does both flawlessly and perfectly. Some of you may know this, but Anne is currently 37 weeks pregnant and this weekend (when she is nearly 38 weeks) Anne will be going to the high school prom.......yes prom. In fact, Anne is in charge of the entire prom, from set up to take down. She is in charge of hiring the DJ, finding the location, printing tickets, finding volunteer parents, security, etc, etc, etc. With all this going on she still manages to take care of our crazy family household and be 38 weeks pregnant!

Two weeks ago Anne and I celebrated our unofficial 14th dating anniversary (April 14th). Yes, we are "one of those couples" who are high school sweethearts. The first time I met Anne I was head over heals for her. The bad thing was both of us were dating other people at the time. When I broke up (err, she broke up with me) I waited for Anne's boyfriend to mess everything up. You see, we all hung out together through our church youth group. Anne and her boyfriend went to Longmont High School while me and a few others went to the rival Skyline High School. So the only time I got to see Anne was Sunday afternoons. Anne and I quickly became very good friends and I became less and less patient as time went on. Then it happened. Anne's boyfriend decided to break up, which I later found out from Anne was just fine with her. I wasted no time. I called Anne up and asked her if she would like to go with my family for a skiing day, which she said yes (the entire phone call consisted of my very immature brothers mocking and making fun of me for asking a "dirty" girl on a date ;). We had a great time together and I knew I had to ask her to be my girlfriend.....

The next part of the story is a bit embarrassing, but what the heck!

One night, I decided to ask Anne to be my girlfriend. I spent hours trying to figure out the best and least embarrassing way to do it. For some reason I was very worried about rejection. So, I called Anne up and asked to speak to her brother Justin, who was 10 years old at the time. Justin got on the line and I asked him if he could ask his sister a question. Me, "Could you ask your sister if she would be my girlfriend?" Justin, "What?!" Me, "Will you ask your sister if she would be my girlfriend?" Justin, "Yuk, why would you do that?" Me, "Just ask her!" Justin, "Okay, Okay!"

I could her Justin put down the phone and say to Anne, "For some reason, Josh wants to know if you want to be his girlfriend." Anne then took the phone and said yes (to my relief!) and the rest is as they say, history.

Before you judge and mock me, I have to tell you that at the time I was only 16 years old and very inexperience in the game of dating! I was head over heals for this awesome girl and I couldn't believe that she might have felt the same way about me. Over the next 14 years Anne and I have been inseparable. It is truly amazing that a 15 year old girl and 16 year old guy could start a journey and 14 years later be married, have jobs, a mortgage, great friends, great family and best of all, 2 soon to be 3 beautiful children who love and adore us.

When Anne and I talk about our time together we are both amazed at how much our lives we have spent together. Anne and I have been together for nearly half of our lives! I was there when she got her drivers license, I was there at her first high school homecoming and prom (we ended up going to 2 homecomings and 2 proms during high school), we were together when we went to Rome and Paris for a pilgrimage to see the Pope at World Youth Day. We both celebrated our high school graduation together with a party, and we both went to college and graduated together.  For all the great times we have spent with each other we have also shared in low times. Anne was with me when I did the eulogy for my grandfather and later my father, and I was there when both of her grandpas passed away. Anne I were also together as we watched the horror of Sept 11th and we were sitting together in a hotel in Tampa, Fl as we watched the news of Pope John Paul II death. Through it all we have done everything together. We always joke that the more time we spend together the less arguments we get in. We were meant to be together.

All the time Anne and I never broke up, something we told each other if we ever did it would stay permanent. We didn't want to deal with the silliness of breaking up and getting back together, much like all of our friends routinely went through. We were both committed to each other. Still are.

As with any relationship, Anne and I have had our fair share of bumps in the road, but through it all we have grown stronger and more committed to each other. As our family grows so does our love for each other. How many people can say they have been with their spouse since they were teenagers?

So my beautiful and wonderful wife, you are celebrating 30 years of life today and I hope you have a great and blessed birthday. I promise that next year we will make up celebrating your 30th with some alcoholic beverages (aka tall margaritas!).

We love you so much!

Josh, Noah, Ethan, and Baby Atheton