We met online—one last try before giving up. She waited weeks to show me her photo; she wanted me to fall for her heart first. Our first date was swing dancing to a live band, our first kiss was on Mount Washington in Pittsburgh. Then came a spontaneous trip to Paris, where we fell forever in love. Since then, we’ve made a lifetime of memories—and if we are counting right, we’ve renewed our vows 7 times - because when love is this deep, you find every reason to celebrate it again & again.

There are so many moments—proposing to her at the bottom of an alpine ride at a wine festival, seeing her walk down the aisle on our wedding day, adopting our beautiful children, whispering “I love you” every single day. The way we reach for each other in sleep, the glance that holds both respect and deep love. I still get lost in her eyes. Every day, I thank God for answering my prayers—for her, for our family. She’s my heart, my home, my everything. And above all, she’s still my best friend.

We’d pay down some debt, but more importantly, take our family on a dream trip to Italy—something we’ve been planning for a long time. All four of us are using an app to learn Italian, bonding through language and laughter. With the challenges of mental health struggles in our family, we are each others rock during hard times. We strive to stay connected, supportive, and strong. Love and togetherness—that’s the heart of our journey.