Happy Anniversary, Adele!

Today, October 20^th, is a very special day for my wife and I. It’s our 2-year wedding anniversary!! It’s hard to believe that 2 years ago today, Adele and I got hitched on a little island in Malaysia called Langkawi. The wedding was so absolutely perfect, that it’s hard to believe that every day since has been better than the last.

Adele, I want you to know how much I love you, so I thought I’d do a top 10 countdown of the things I love most about you! I want everyone, including my readers, to know just how special and inspiring you are.

10. Your creativity. You always sell yourself short in this area, but I’ve seen how creative you are, particularly in the photographs you take. You see the world in a way that most people don’t. I’m in awe of some of the things you notice and appreciate, which I would never be able to see myself.

9. The way you live life. You believe in getting the most out of life and chasing after the things that really matter, like dreams and goals and friendship and love. You’ve helped me to do this too.

8. Your smarts. There’s a reason I call you the Mentalist. You always figure out who the killer is first, who’s having an affair with whom, and who is getting framed. Yes, it makes watching crime shows and mysteries difficult, but it’s worth it to see the clever way your mind works. It’s also useful when I’m struggling through the complexities of a plotline in one of my books!

7. Your commitment. Ours was a whirlwind romance that started with a chance meeting and a kiss. Three months later we were engaged and six months after that, married. Your extraordinary level of trust and commitment means the world to me.

6. The way you push me to live my dreams. If not for you, I wouldn’t be a fulltime writer. You encouraged me from the very beginning, helped me get started, and have then supported me every step of the way. You’ve helped me shrug off the bad reviews, enjoy the good reviews, and celebrate the successes. The last two years would have meant so much less without you by my side.

5. The way you love me. Adele, everything about the way you love me fills my heart to overflowing. The romance, your words and compliments, your unending pride for my accomplishments, your gentle touch: it’s all perfect.

4. Your love for animals. You are so gentle and kind to animals, it’s contagious. Seeing you with them is seeing you completely alive. I’ve never met someone who walks down the street and has cats or dogs running out from behind houses to meet them! And then they try to follow you home!

3. Your sense of humor. You make me laugh more than anyone I’ve ever met! In you, I’ve met my match when it comes to silliness, which is beyond impressive ;) And, obviously, you laugh at my jokes, too!

2. Your face. I was about to say ‘your smile’, but then I thought about it and realized that it’s more than just your smile that warms me up inside when I look at you. It’s your whole face. Your smile is contagious and adorable and impossible for me to take my eyes off of. Your big, brown eyes are so full of life, sparkling with energy, and I see my whole life in them. Your sweet cheeks lift slightly when you’re happy or excited. Your cute, little nose that fits in so well with everything else. To me, your face is perfect, and when I look at you it takes my breath away.

1. Your good heart. You take it as a personal mission to not hurt other people in any way. You always worry about other’s feelings, and care deeply for the happiness of others. If I am ever feeling down, you pick me up and help me forget what caused my depressed feelings in the first place.

Adele, I’m a lucky man for a lot of reasons, but you are the most important one. To have found you almost feels like my own personal, modern day fairy tale. I promise to stay by your side always, to love you as much as you love me, and to help you achieve your dreams the same way that you always do for me. I love you with all my heart, might, mind and soul. Happy anniversary, my lovely Adele, it’s the second of many.