Real Love Letter Examples

I like making you happy, so while you were at MC, I decided to write you a note. This particular note is meant to explain why I love dancing with you.

It all started with a comment that my mom made when I was 8-years old. She said "Alex, your life will be a piece of cake if you stay as cute as you are now and make a lot of money. But if all else fails, learn to be a great dancer and you can have just about any girl you want." So after spending hours watching youtube videos and tip-toeing myself around the room, by God I learned to dance.

Eventually I got old enough to go to Billy Bob's and scout for partners. I often found myself comparing the 'good' couples from the 'great' couples to see what made the difference. In the end I concluded that the 'good' ones were most passionate about the dance, but the great ones were most passionate about their dance partners.

Sami, that's why you're the best dance partner I could ever ask for. I swear every dance with you on Saturday qualified as another short romance. There was so much passion between us that even strangers couldn't help but fall in love. Now, I have my mom to thank for the advice and you to thank for fulfilling the dreams I had when I was 8. You're amazing and I want you to know that I'll jump at the chance to dance with you any time you let me. Though the dance is over and the concert has ended, I know that the feeling I got from swinging you around the dance floor that night will stay with me forever. You're mine!

I had a little extra time to explore Scottsdale this morning, so I decided to go on a walk before brunch. I didn't bring headphones or anything to distract myself because as usual, I expected to become tangled up in thoughts of you. At every beautiful spot I wished to myself that you could be here to share in the same memories and moments.

Though it sounds cheesy, I cannot help but like you more than is good for me Sami; you alone engross every faculty of my mind. Every thought I have is followed by the thought of what you might think or say. It's why I always feel like I have so much to tell you. If people could see into my head, I would almost feel ashamed because of how consumed I am with thoughts of you.

It's been five days since I've seen you last, and I can hardly contain my excitement of seeing you tomorrow. I miss talking to you and listening to you, but more than anything right now, I just miss looking at you. I fall in love again every time I see you. But how could I not. Hope you have an amazing day with your dad!

Last night I learned the hard-ugly truth that this distance thing isn't getting any easier. In fact I noticed that I miss you a lot more every day. Unfortunately, even a phone call doesn't do much to fix this problem because I end up missing you the second you hang up the phone. Texting fails me too because sometimes I may not know what to text back or what to say, even though I never want the conversation to end. So the fact of the matter is that I miss you. Not in some cheesy, "let's hold hands and be together forever way," I just miss you plain and simple. I miss your presence in my life, I miss our face-to-face conversations, holding your hand and accidentally spending days at a time with you. I miss my best friend.

And I want you to know something else, too. If you're ever wondering whether or not I'm thinking about you, know this: I can go days without talking to you, possibly weeks without kissing you (although I've failed before), but Sami, not a minute goes by that I do not think of you and ache to see you again. You may be out of my sight but you are never out of my mind. Just know that I am thinking of you today with love in every thought!

Hi! I wanted to start this letter by saying "I miss you", but for some reason, it doesn't feel like enough. I need a new word that doesn't yet exist in the English language to encompass this ache because 'missing' is too small. Though I know it sounds dramatic, every day that I'm away from you is a countdown to Tuesday at 5pm. I tick off the days in anticipation of you, but can't help but think of all the kisses, stories, and celebrations we've already missed.

I know you're in your own little world right now, but I want so badly to be in it. I want to know all of your opinions and thoughts as they happen. I want you to call and text me more than I know you have time for. I can't help but be greedy of your time, and though I was prepared to miss you a great deal, I didn't expect this. I keep thinking I've sent you letters and texts that were only ever written in my mind, Sami. I spend multiple hours outside each day, just thinking and dreaming up things to say to you to make you feel loved in every city. I want so badly to make you smile, even if I'm not around to enjoy it.

Luckily, I've found a way to cope. Whenever I start feeling sad about not having you right beside me, I remind myself how lucky I am to have someone so special to miss. Just do me a favor and tell the people who get to see you everyday how jealous I am of them. They're the luckiest people in the whole world right now.

P.S. When you make it back from Europe, can I borrow a kiss from you? I promise I'll give it right back!

Wanna know a secret? Sometimes, when I see you smile, I feel like I'm going to burst….like my heart can't hold it anymore! Something about your smile gets me so freakin' excited to smile back. Heck, even the thought of seeing you smile wakes me up like espresso shots in a morning coffee!

I just wish you could see yourself through my eyes. I wish you could see your unrehearsed charm from a distance, and the way your personality shines through in your face. I wish you could see every time that I smile whenever your name appears across my phone's screen. If only I could give you all the same feelings that you give me. You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known— and even that is an understatement. I already have you...but I want even more. Give me more!

I want to formally apologize for acting immaturely the other weekend and letting my emotions get the best of me. To be honest, I got unexpectedly jealous. Why? Well I read up a bit on jealousy, and apparently it stems from insecurity.

Sooo….it turns out that I'm insecure. I had no idea. Truth be told, I was worried that Leal might win you over. I couldn't tell by your reaction what were you feeling, and I was worried that you would see us standing side-by-side and wonder why you chose me. Of course, my jealousy caused the exact reaction that I was hoping to avoid, and it just snowballed from there. I just want you all to myself Sami, and unfortunately that night, my heart's tight grip on you choked the relationship rather than protected it. I think I feel too strongly for you but do not know what to do about it. I really do trust you, and I hope that you still feel like you can trust me too.

I know you are receiving this a bit late, but I just want you to know that I won't let something silly like this pull us apart again. I'm sorry that I ever learned words that make you sad; I promise I'm doing my best to learn the ones that make you smile. I hope you saw the love behind my frustration. Love you!

You may not love getting older, but Sami, loving you will never get old. Your kisses only get sweeter with time, and your enchantment and charm increase with each birthday that passes. I never get tired of hearing you laugh, telling you "I like you" and hearing it back. You'll never wear me out, and I promise Sami, you'll never get old. Happy Birthday!

Hi!! I know this note is a few months overdue, so I hope you understand that I just had to make it perfect. With these words, I want to give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes, and in doing so, make it abundantly clear how special you are to me.

Now I know you asked me to pour out my heart to you, but before the feels, I have to let you inside of my head. I still have some explaining to do and I know that a few flattering words can't justify some of my past actions. My hope is that this letter will be able to untangle and plainly present the thoughts behind my previously flawed, yet well-intended relationship rationale.

Thoughts on Marriage/Dating:

As you are well aware at this point, I take dating very seriously...probably too seriously….no, definitely too seriously. I've seen from others just how glorious marriage is, but I've also seen just how demanding and difficult it can be. I've heard that it requires an enormous amount of humility and an even greater amount of selflessness; both qualities that my inflated ego and stubborn ways have fought for years. Knowing that marriage will be tough, I've taken extreme measures to find the perfect person.

My Mistakes:

Unfortunately for you, these extreme measures led me to drafting up things like amateur compatibility tests, long lists of turn-on and turn-offs, and moronic charts that weigh the pros and cons of the dating life. In addition to my own tests, lists and charts, I had accumulated the checklists given to me by my family, my friends, and the church. And if that wasn't enough already, I told myself and God that I wanted to stay celibate and that I wanted my next relationship to be characterized by the unconditional love of the Bible. What I had failed to realize amidst all the criteria was that I was trapping myself between two phases of dating; just beyond the 'get to know you' phase and just shy of the 'I'm not ready for this' phase. But that's where I stayed for almost five years; shying away from total commitment and leaving girls either sad or confused.

After college, I realized that I needed a new and less-damaging strategy. Being the crazy planner that I am, I mapped out my post-grad timeline and decided that mathematically, twenty-seven was the perfect age to finally commit. Waiting until then would allow me several years to consider all my options and focus on my own goals before taking on someone else's. And it all made sense to me. I had assessed and analyzed my way to the optimal rational answer. Nothing could go wrong.

You:

That was until you came along. You were peculiar and beautiful and those were two qualities that I had never seen weaved together so beautifully before. At the time, I was happily single and ready to 'give life the cues' for each major event in my timeline at the proper time. Only problem was that you hadn't read my script, and you most definitely weren't taking my cues.

You found little ways to break down my walls, and open me up. I was so unused to being understood before you came along, and the more time that we spend together, the more that I realized how rare of a fit you were for my heart. The problem was that I was still scared and far from ready, so I started re-building my walls. For some reason, I just didn't think it could be that easy. I expected relationships to be sought after, complex, and to be found with only the greatest amount of guile.

The second time that we dated I quite literally "fell" into love with you. I say that because you took away all my stability and balance in the process. I don't remember the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words that started it; I just know I was in the middle of it before I was aware it had begun. To keep myself from being overwhelmed, I would lie to you, telling you that I liked you when I knew for a fact that I already loved you. You became terrifying to me, and not because I feared who you were, but because I knew what you were capable of doing to me. As things progressed and got more serious, those checklists and timelines found their way back into my head, and with the paralyzing pressure of too many thoughts and feelings, I called it off again. I called it off because I was immature, and because I wanted more control. I still wish that I could rewrite the past, because I was dumb and let fear get the best of me. I'm sorry that I ever learned words that make you cry. I promise I'm still doing my best to learn the ones that make you smile.

If only I would've looked up from my silly google docs and broken relationship calculus two years earlier, I would've seen what I see so clearly now…. that you're a no-brainer Sami, and I don't need a formula or equation to prove it. I just want to be with you. It's as simple and as complicated as that. As I think about it now, I understand that my efforts to over-plan were just an attempt to muster more control and hide from irrational fears. Lucky for me, life doesn't always go as I planned, because in this case, it looks like God had better plans in mind for me.

The moment I saw you again under the Frost Tower, I knew that I was going to continue falling head over heels for you until I finally stuck the landing. I've never told you this, but I was secretly glad that you didn't let me win you over easily the third time around. I wanted it to take more than a cocktail and short dinner at the Driscoll to win over the girl of my dreams. I wanted to rob a bank and pay a ransom. I wanted to be your knight in shining armor and sweep you off your feet, but it turned out that you were the badass princess that was coming to rescue me.

Now you might be wondering why I have yet to mention anything so far about age. Well I thought about it a lot as I was writing this, and even though I talked about it repeatedly during our breakups, age was never really the issue. The real worry here was losing sight of my lifelong goals. I thought that I was being forced to choose between my dreams in life and you. Because of the age difference, I assumed that my deadlines for achieving certain goals were going to be cut in half. The good news is that my assumptions were dead wrong. I just need you to support me in my goals and aspirations, and give me some more time to accomplish them. I've always had big plans for my life, and with all of the time that we were spending together, I was afraid for the first time that I was going to have to compromise on them. I love spending time with you, but I just need some time by myself every once in a while to pursue my own aspirations so that I can include you in them and more easily help you achieve your own. It's why I have taken such an interest in writing down and outlining your goals and dreams in the first place.

Heart/Feels:

Alright, enough explaining. Now it's time to get to the heart stuff and let out all the feels. Sami-Jane Pendergast, you are exactly, precisely, and perfectly what I waited for. If I have a type, then it's you. I don't understand the when or the why of all this, I just know it's you. I've already slipped into an intimacy from which I know I will never recover.

I don't know how you put up with me, but despite all of my craziness, you make me feel so loved. And it's not just the relationship issues you put up with, you accept ALL of the parts of me that I am not proud of. When I am selfish, you allow me to momentarily feel like the world revolves around me. When I am shelled off, you open my shell and crawl into it with me. When I need space you willingly give it to me (even though I know you don't want to). When I am distant and detached you are constant and committed. When I am awkward, you…. are awkward with me.

I can sincerely say that I feel your love every day. And I know that other people do to. You continue to amaze me with your small acts of kindness and endless excitement for people and life. You somehow find a way to enrich the lives of everyone you come in contact with. The more I see you, the more I see in you, and the more I learn about you, the more I crave to know. You're just so busy being YOU that you have no idea how utterly unprecedented you are.

The best part is, I'm not in love with the idealized version of you in my head, nor the dream of what you might be one day. I'm not in love with a perfect or blameless woman. I'm in love with the real you with all your flaws and imperfections. I love the you that I'm looking at right now. I can see who God is making you and it excites me. I want to be part of that.

If I haven't made it clear yet, then I'll tell you now explicitly. I want to be yours and only yours. I want to be with someone like you, who dreams of doing everything in life, and nothing on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I want to turn your dreams into plans, and I want to be your chef, your best friend, and your cuddle-bug. There are so many things that I want to do and experience in my life Sami, and there is no one that I would rather share those future memories and moments with than you.

So this is what I commit to you. First and foremost, I promise to love you beyond reason, even though that might scare me in the beginning. I promise that I'll proudly surrender to you and let you break down the rest of my walls. I promise to make your life exciting, and I promise to work on my patience and my stubbornness. I promise there will always be room for your hand in mine and I promise that I'll always make room in my bed for you too. I have no desire for sharing you, and I want to make this official. But since it was by chance that we met and by chance that we ended back up together, I say we leave it up to chance one last time. So let's flip a coin and let fate decide. Heads: I'm yours. Tails: You're mine.

There are two major staples of valentines, hearts and flowers. I wanted to give you both this year, but you already have my heart, so here are the flowers. Now, I know that our last Valentine's Day celebration was less than stellar, but I've learned a lot since then! ….well I guess it would be more accurate to say that I've read-up on some relationship books and made a lot more mistakes since then, but nonetheless, I want to show and share with you what I have learned since last February! Hopefully, through these insights, you will see how far I've come and have faith in me for the future!

#1. I've learned than I'm an idiot. I've made some extremely poor-decisions using some distorted logic. But hey, the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.

#2. I've learned what it looks like to give unconditional, unchanging, everlasting, and totally self-sacrificial love. Thanks to Michael, I now have a standard to shoot for.

#3. I've learned how manageable life can feel with a fresh new set of blankets and the right two arms around me. I always look forward to nights with you my little cuddle-bug!

#4. I've learned that as long as I'm putting you first and imitating the love of Christ, the rest will follow (Of course it's easier said than done).

#5. I've learned that it's okay to cry. Still not going to do it…..but apparently it won't kill me, which is nice to know.

#6. I've learned that one of the most popular definitions for love in the bible starts with, "Love is patient, love is kind." Still working on that one.

#7. I've learned that you expect a lot, but you deserve even more.

I love that I am finally able to call you my girlfriend and show you off, and I feel so blessed to be able to share this day with you the right way. You're not just my number one Sami-Jane, you're my only one! Thanks for having such a great heart and always making other people feel important. Happy Valentine's Day!

The last few days without you have been brutal. Each day I long for longer conversations with you, and each day I crave your kisses even more. Though it's tough being away, the distance has sparked for me a new realization; a realization that I want literally everyone to meet you! I'm serious! Not just because you're my favorite person of all time, but also because you are the perfect stranger. You are better at making friends than anyone I know, and you never pass judgment on anyone. You have such a kind heart and make other people feel so important.

You have a natural disposition to joy that fills you with an inner-glow bright enough to light-up a room. And then when you laugh….everyone takes notice and your smile becomes contagious, spreading like wildfire. I can't help but feel that the strangers I am passing on the subway or sitting next to on the airplane were all cheated of some marvelous experience. But then again, if it weren't for you, there would never have been an empty space like this, or the need to fill it.

Anyways Sami....wish you were here. Wish I was there. See you soon Punkin!

Past — Just recently got back from Costa Rica with Sami. She fell in love with the country and I fell more in love with her. Some things that I learned about her….1. She prefers vacations with scenic views and nature over vacations in the city. 2. She can make friends with literally anybody (already knew this but got to see it lived out to the extreme). 3. She's got nearly as adventurous of a spirit as I do (but not quite). 4. She's already planning her next trip back and I'm already thinking of new ways to save so I can get her back here.

Present — This weekend we went to El Sueño. We played boom cup, floated the river, played flag football, and danced at Cryders. My favorite part was laying in the bed of the old pickup truck with Sami and tempting each other with our words and our hands. The weather was perfect for a lazy day and we took full advantage of it. As soon as we got home, we cat-napped and I read to her as she fell asleep. One of my favorite things to witness is watching her try to wake up while also fighting her desires for "10 more minutes".

Future — I used to wonder aimlessly about the future, but now it gets a little bit easier to predict every day. I still have so much to learn about Sami (and I still haven't been able to nail down her top goals and dreams), but lately is has become more and more clear to me about how our story ends/doesn't end!

Sami Jane Pendergast! A lot has happened since my last note to you. In fact, I'm afraid that I am going to miss some of the critical details (the ones I know you love to obsess over) as I try to recapture all that has happened in these next two notes. It's just that there have been so many thoughts and feelings that I have had about you, amidst the trips to New York and Mexico, that I cannot remember them all. I am kicking myself now for not writing everything down, because I want so badly to record and remember all of the special moments that happen with you over the next few years. I don't want the details of our relationship to get lumped into one easy story. I want our relationship to be told one conversation, one kiss, one vacation at a time; starting with our spontaneous beginning and pointing toward an everlasting end. I want to look back one day and see each beautiful event that led me closer to you. I want to map out the history and chronology of our highs and lows; our successes and setbacks to see how it all unfolded over time.

If nothing else, I want you to know all of my sweet thoughts because you deserve them. You deserve to hear every compliment that has ever crossed my mind and you deserve to see all of the recognition that my mind has ever given you. You stir up in my heart and my mind the most beautiful chaos, and though you may question my sanity, I don't want you to ever question my feelings for you, Sami. Your heart makes my heart grow fonder, and that's why I have purchased a pocket-sized field book to capture these memories and moments as they happen in real-time. These pages will hold the stories of the present as well as my plans future for the future. It'll keep me on guard when my thoughts go fluttering in your direction, like they so often do.

You documented the early stages of "us", and now it's my turn. Every second with you is a memory, I don't plan to take any of them for granted.

Happy Birthday Punkie! I know that you're nervous about your age today, but I just wanted to tell you that even though you're getting older, I'll never let you grow old alone. I promise that I'm graying as fast as I can, and with a little more stress and a few more years, nobody will even notice the difference. Though this milestone birthday may lead you to look back on the past, I can't help but look forward to a whole lifetime with you in the future! Here's thirty things I can't wait to do as I grow old with you:

1. Write you more notes that fill your heart with all of the happiness that it can hold 2. Put a ring on your perfectly french-manicured finger 3. Learn how to take jokes better as we go through pre-marital counseling 4. Go camping in places with beautiful views 5. Go on long walks and listen to sermons with you 6. Make you feel extra special and loved on every Valentine's day 7. Give you massages and tell you how crazy I am about ya' 8. Get married and honeymoon in beautiful places 9. Buy a house and live in it with you 10. Kiss and cuddle you every night in your 'meow' PJs 11. Cook vegan meals and clean together with you 12. Watch your belly get big 'cause I put a baby in it 13. Raise cute little kids and do life with you 14. Watch you learn to be a mom as I learn to be a dad 15. Go on new adventures in foreign countries with you 16. Exercise on our rowing machine as you ride your Peloton 17. Make coffee for you as we watch Good Morning America together 18. Go ring shopping even after we're married 19. Watch you sew baby clothes and hat ribbons for your business 20. Find books that you love so I can read them to you before bed 21. Pray with you every night and tell you how much I love you 22. Drink G&Ts with you on the weekends 23. Spoil you on date nights for no reason 24. Take showers with you 'cause I can 25. Plant gardens with sunflowers just so you can talk to 'em 26. Watch you love other people well and make them feel important 27. Throw block parties for our neighbors and friends 28. Buy you "welcome home" flowers when you return from work 29. Play hooky from work so we can spend the day together 30. Make a really big family and play with our grandkids together

Sami, I've known you for over three years now, and it's crazy to think that I've probably spent more days 'with you' than 'without you' during that time. I've gotten to see so many different sides of you, and yet, for sometime, there was a large part of you that I was missing out on. The part that I was missing out on was your family.

As you can probably tell by my Living Family Tree project and the fact that I live with my brother and work with my sister, family is and has always been extremely important to me. It's fascinating how much you can learn about someone by looking at their genes, but it's even more amazing what you can learn by meeting the people who potty-trained them, taught them their manners and cared for them growing up. I'll be the first to admit that you can uncover some miraculous genetic information by sequencing someone's DNA. But what I've learned is that you can't uncover the information that truly matters, like someone's values and stories, until you spend time with the people who shaped them.

So in a lot of ways, 2019 was a big year for us. You brought me to New York to meet your family, and I took you to Mexico to spend a week with mine. You got to introduce me to your mom, and then she got to meet my whole family shortly after. Heck, you even moved in with my sister! After meeting your whole family Sami, it's easy to see why you are such a warm-hearted, witty and welcoming person. Your grandmother was so inviting, your grandfather so talkative, your aunts and uncles were so hospitable and generous, your dad was so easy-going, and your mom was so loving. I want you to know how much I enjoyed being around them. It was so re-assuring.

I don't know if you feel the same way, but after hanging out with your family, something changed for me. Things got more serious. It was the last barrier (well….second to last barrier) to a very important question for you. And now, with less than a year to go, there are so many things that I want. I want your family to see the best in me, and I want your family's approval. They clearly have loved you so well and I want them to know that I intend to do the same. I want to give you even more loving words and share with you everything I have not managed to tell you yet. I want to find new ways to love you and new adventures to take you on. I want to give you the love that you deserve and show you just how much you are worth.

At the heart of it all though, I just want you. I want this relationship that started with a spontaneous beginning to finally point toward an indefinite end. I continue to fall head over heels for you every day Sami, and now I'm just trying to stick the landing. I'm sorry that I missed Christmas with your family this year, but I promise that next year will look a lot different. It doesn't matter if we're in Florida, Illinois or New York, I'll just be happy to celebrate and spend time with my new family. Love you lots, and always will!

Valentine Love Prescription:

1. You have the softest and sweetest heart out of anyone I've ever met. I just love it! 2. You give me the kind of feeling that people write novels about. 3. You're a punk ass bitch, and I love it! 4. I want to go through life side by side with you. You're my best friend. 5. Other girls can try to imitate you, but you've got something that no girl can ever duplicate. 6. I can't wait to make every guy jealous when I take you off the market. 7. Everyone has an addiction. Mine just happens to be you! 8. I hate how much I love the way you taunt me and ruffle my feathers. 9. There will always be room for your hand in mine. 10. You are what's special about me. 11. Do not worry, our best kiss, our hardest laugh, and our greatest day are still yet to come. 12. I just adore that one-eyed smile I get when you see me for the first time in the morning. 13. You may not be for everyone, but you will always be for me. 14. Holy crap, I'm so glad that you exist! 15. I really appreciate all the times that you've held my hair when I word vomit everywhere. 16. I'm in love with you and all the little things you do. 17. There isn't one beautiful feature of yours that attracts attention at the expense of the others. You are altogether lovely. 18. I don't deserve you. In fact, when you find this little gem, remind me that I owe you a card. No reason, just because. 19. In case you haven't noticed already Sami, you are the spotlight of my attention. 20. To this day, you continue to surprise me and surpass all of my expectations. 21. Though I have found you, I will continue to pursue you. 22. I love how easily you are able to sweeten my sour days. 23. I'm going to put a baby in your belly someday. 24. I don't know if you've noticed, but your smile is almost always followed by my smile. 25. We'd be a normal boring couple if it weren't for you. 26. I love giving you stoplight kisses. 27. I breathe easier with the weight of your body lying on my chest. 28. Something in the way that you sing and dance attracts me like no other 29. You are unexpectedly, and yet precisely what I've been waiting for my entire life. 30. I could drive in a car holding your hand for a million miles and a thousand years.

Hey, Beautiful! It's been 52 days since your last prescription was filled for Love Rx. Because so many Americans are in a mad-dash to get their medications at this time, I figured that I'd send you a free 'digital' refill to help out with your COVID quarantine. It's being sent to you in an unusually high dosage, so please enjoy responsibly.

(Click for GIFs)

1. When I see you: my heart, my stomach, my mind 2. I truly believe that you love me better than any girl ever could 3. I love you and it is my joy to prove that to you 4. There's at least one lyric in every song that reminds me of you 5. You give me the kind of feeling that people write novels about 6. You have broken down my defenses and made me vulnerable. Thanks to you, I've shed a few more tears 7. You're my best friend with benefits 8. You're like the hot-peppers from Potbelly, where every burning taste commands another bite 9. The more I see you, the more I see in you. The more I learn about you, the more I crave to know 10. You can turn every head in a crowded room. In fact, I think we should stay home more 11. You don't just cross my mind anymore, you live in it 12. After meeting you, it's clear that love is not overrated 13. I love kissing the sides of your neck and trying to decorate it with goosebumps 14. I really appreciate you taking the time to get to know me. I was so unused to being understood before you came along 15. I am determined to never undervalue our relationship on normal days such as this one 16. I will search through dictionaries and thesauruses until I can finally describe the way it feels to have finally, finally found you 17. I may be a decent writer, but you are a poem 18. You're my lil chickie and you make me happy 19. Your love effs me up 20. I just want to read and grow old with you

Four years ago today, I stole a kiss from you on some random-ass couch. Since that day, I've probably stolen a million more. So what better way to celebrate this unique anniversary than with one long and heart-felt kiss? In fact, I want my next kiss with you to be the best one yet! So how do we do that?!

Well...what makes a kiss great? For starters, it probably has to be passionate and meaningful. And if we're going to get serious about this, it'll have to be in a beautiful setting and with a little adventure. If you want to make it really memorable, I personally think that it should come with a great deal of anticipation. Sooo…

I left you $500 bucks and a flight confirmation number under your bed. Mimi's agreed to give you the next couple days off. Get those nails done, get your hair did, slap on a nice tan if you feel like it, and for the love of God, please pluck your uni. Make sure you use the results from your fake COVID scare to get TCI Assured because you're flying international, Punkin'. Unfortunately, I'm already long gone. By the time you read this, I'll already have a drink and cigar in hand and will be patiently awaiting your arrival. I'll give you instructions as they are needed, so don't worry about what's coming next or where you're headed. Just make sure you're on that flight by tomorrow morning at 6:00am.

One regret that I am determined not to have when lying on my death bed is that we did not kiss enough. XOXOX

I'm sure your anxiety is running through the roof right now. You hate to fly, you probably didn't sleep well last night, and you have no idea where you're going or what the weekend holds. I feel so bad that I can't be there to hold your hand and comfort you, so I wanted to give you a little surprise to take your mind away from the worries. So instead of looking out the plane window, let's focus our attention on the things that I love about you and reasons that I'd choose you 1,000 times over!

- You judge people, not by their wealth or status, but solely based upon how "nice" they are - You give the people in your life such a high priority over everything else - You know how to have fun way more than I do - You dream big and without restraint - You make me far less cold and calculated - You have more holiday spirit than anyone I've ever met - You balance me out and open me up - You want nothing but cuddles around the clock - You understand me even better than I do - You're the best friend I've ever had and the person I most enjoy spending time with - You're obsessed with me in the best way possible - You trust in God's sovereign wisdom - You are able to stay level-headed during tiffs and tough times - You're somehow literally always right - You have eyes that look for the best in everyone - You appeal to my eyes, my heart, and my mind - You love my family like they are your own - You have great friends and value strong friendships - You empty your bank account to make sure everyone has a gift or a 'happy' - You have a great deal of patience for me and my impatience - You've stuck with me after all of the delayed proposals, break-ups, and stupid things that I've said - You come from an amazing family - You have a sacrificial and unconditional love for me, despite all of my flaws - You are, without a doubt in my mind, going to be one of the world's best moms

P.S. There should be some new stuff in your 2020 DP folder in case you still need some more feels. Somehow I knew you wouldn't mind if I did a little somethin' like find a flight overnight to paradise and leave tonight cause I'ma put a diamond on your hand. Now you know I've got some big big plans!

Nobody's Got It Better Than Us

You made it! I can hardly believe that we are here and this is happening. You have no clue how much I have thought about this day and planned to make it perfect for you. I'm sure you are just as nervous and excited as I am, but in just a few hours, all of the waiting will be over. Until then, you have the next three hours to yourself. Unpack your bags, explore the villa, jump in the pool, and do whatever you want because from 4:30pm until the rest of my life, you're all mine!

Since I won't be in a state to do much talking or remembering when I see you, there's a few things that I want you to know before you meet me. You know that I don't make promises lightly, but after tonight, I want you to know that our relationship will change. I will fight for you, listen to you, desire you, and pursue you like I never have before. I will give you all of my attention and I will love you with all of my time, even if that means there's none left for me. I will be tender, helpful, understanding, forgiving, and anything else you need me to be. I also promise to walk you through the best days of your life and to do everything in my power to make sure you are fully known and truly loved. One of the most important things we can do in life is find out what we were designed to be and do. I was designed to serve and love you.

If you're wondering what's going through my head right now as I wait for you on the beach, it's this: You are about to make me the happiest man alive today. You've been my best friend over the last four years, and now I get to make you my wife. I can't help but also think about the millions of choices and seemingly coincidental chances that have brought our stories together today. From the race to text me after our first UT tailgate to the uninhibited booty call that brought us both to Green Light, and from the unplanned run-in at Frost to the unintentional penny flip in Marfa; our relationship has been an unfolding drama written by the wise control of a loving and sovereign God. I can't help but notice that God, in his love, has written a better story than we ever could have written for ourselves. I absolutely can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, so please be ready at 4:00pm ET, and we'll let God close out this chapter so he can start writing our next story!

To My Future Wife:

Hey, it's 18-year-old Alex. I found myself thinking about you today. Wondering where you are and what you might be doing. There are so many things that I have yet to learn about you. For starters, I do not yet know the color of your hair, the tint of your eyes, or even your first name for that matter. We haven't met yet, for all I know, but there are a couple of things that I do know about you already. I know that you have eyes which see nothing but the good in people, you have heaven reflected in your face, and that your last name will eventually be the same as mine. I know that you will appeal to my eyes, my heart, and my mind, and that you will embody Proverbs 31. You will be the greatest subject I ever write about and you will be the greatest adventure I ever go on. I do my best not to worry myself with finding you, but I want you to know that you get thought of almost every day. Someday I'm going to kiss you, and there's not going to be any distance, nervousness, or second thoughts to stop me.

Right now there are momentous changes taking place in the world, forces leading me closer to you every single day. That's why I get so anxious introducing myself to new people, because I know that one lucky day it will lead me straight to you. Ahh the thought of you makes me so impatient. I can't wait to hold your hand and waste Friday nights with you, to whisk you away for a stroll, or steal you away for lunch. I can't wait to know your likes and dislikes, to hear your laugh, and to just have fun and be in love with you. Until then I will be preparing, improving, and saving myself to be the one that you've always wanted. I promise to flirt with you everyday and make your smile my priority. I promise to surprise you with gifts and love letters and I promise to do everything that I can for you without taking away from your independence. I promise to hold your hand when we're 80 years old with the same liveliness that I'll have when I cross that line to hold it for the first time. I can hardly wait to meet you, but I know that with every day that goes by, I become more enthusiastic and hopeful that you are somewhere nearby, so please hurry to be with me, but hurry slowly.

Sincerely, Your Future Husband

Ever since we've been in a funk, I've been trying to identify what caused it and what might bring us back to normal. I want to be attentive to what you see as important, so I would like to open up a dialogue about what we can do to make each other feel more loved.

My strategies up to this point have been effective, however, I don't think that they have been enough. So far I have created a doc for you so that I can best know how to love you with gifts and other happys, I have written you a paper doc of love notes and filled a whole folder of texts so that you can feel loved with words of affirmation, I have carved out extra time in my mornings to love you with physical touch, and I have reserved additional space in my afternoons to love you with extra quality time. I still have room to improve on the acts of service front (though I try to prepare meals and run errands for you as often as I can), but something tells me that this alone will not pull us out of our funk.

After thinking it over the last three days, I have realized that the five love languages are not bulletproof. Sometimes the best way that I can love you is not by giving gifts, kind words, my time or my touch. Sometimes the best way I can love you is by spending time with your relatives, by being more curious about your friends and coworkers, or by being someone better myself. None of these forms of love fall directly under the umbrella of the five love languages. Neither does being more considerate of your feelings, being more accepting of influence, being more trusting of your intuition, and being less harsh with my criticism; all things which you could greatly benefit from if I spent half as much focus on them as I do with the five love languages.

Though it's embarrassing that I never asked you before the proposal, I am eager to know now what I can do to fill your emotional love tank! What attributes do I need to work on and what character traits do I need to hone in order to honor you in this relationship? Who do I need to become in order to love you in the ways you deserve to be loved?

I think we can both agree that this week has been confusing, frustrating, and draining. To say that this week was rough would be the understatement of the century. And amidst all of the chaos, I stripped you of the joyful side of wedding planning….and I want to make it right. So in spite of all the damage I have done, I want to show you that I can pick up the pieces and build something even stronger.

Now you already know that a wedding, at its core, is about two life-altering vows and a lifetime covenant. What you might not know is that the word 'wedding' comes from the root word 'wed' which means to pledge. So tonight, with all of the same sincerity and commitment that I will have on our wedding day, I would like to give you my first pledge.

Sami Jane Pendergast, I pledge to not criticize you or your habits ever again. When there is something that we need to work on together, I pledge to trade my criticisms for compliments, my judgment for support, my feedback for encouragement, and my contempt for desire. All in all, I pledge that as we walk through life together I will be fast to praise you and slow to find fault.

I have not made you feel safe, loved or at ease in our relationship, and if I were you, I would've reacted the exact same way as you did this week. I've already asked God to remove my heart of stone and replace it with a heart of compassion, and I trust that He will. You've asked for me to change in this way, and it's time that I finally listened. I can't wait to pledge the rest of my life to you this year. Love you forever and always.

I'm writing you this note while on the back of a yacht that is sailing from Bora Bora to Tahiti. It might sound like the 'I've made it' moment for many, but even in the middle of paradise on earth, I find myself yearning for something that I already have back home.

More than blue skies and turquoise waters, more than movie star backdrops and an ocean breeze, more than an unforgettable trip and a bucket list experience, I just want you. I wish you were here or I were there. The last few days have made me miss and appreciate you so much more. You bring so much life to a party, so much playfulness to a conversation, so much excitement to a dance floor, and so much meaning to a memory. If you were here, you would've pointed out and complimented all of the really nice local people, you would've shown all the girls that you can be absolutely jaw-dropping without being slutty, you would've made our boat so many more friends, and you would've kept out crew level-headed and laughing. You are just so special in so many ways.

I appreciate the much needed bag full of snacks, the thoughtful birthday candles, the calls full of kind words and the lipstick on the letter. I keep re-reading your sweet hand-written notes and in-depth emails, counting down the moments until I'm in Austin and in your arms again. What I learned from this trip is that my initial inkling was right. I would 1000% rather spend 7 nights at home doing nothing with you than spend a week partying in the world's top destination with friends. My dollars and memories are so much better spent with you.

I know I am kind of talking in circles at this point, so if there's one thing I want you to know right now it's this; I simply can't imagine spending the rest of my life without you. I am so glad that I belong completely, exclusively, and permanently to you. Sending lots of love your way!

Alex Wagman's Cover Letter for the Position of Samantha Pendergast's Life Partner and Husband

Dear Samantha,

Due to the rare and exclusive nature of this new position, I'm sure that you are getting bombarded with resumes for your Husband opening. I do hope that you take the time to review my resume, however, because I believe that I have the heart and drive necessary to thrive in a role such as this one.

During my role as a fiancé and boyfriend, I have been responsible for preparing countless meals at home, financially covering a variety of costs, providing shelter and protection to my beloved, and completing chores both inside and outside the house.

My ability to write love notes and think outside the box has not only led me to be successful in the boyfriend role, but it has also helped me in crafting a huge proposal and eventually closing the biggest deal of my life. I believe that I have proven my dedication to this role not only by gifting a dream home to you on your birthday, but also by stepping into many of the responsibilities of this role before even being granted the title. I understand that this role will come with a much heavier work-load, significantly higher stress, and a serious reduction in pay, however, I still believe that the rewards that will follow will be infinitely more fulfilling in the long term.

In preparation for this role, I have been studying and reviewing a number of books on marriage, love styles, conflict-resolution, and interpersonal communication, and I believe that these will serve me well in my efforts to serve and cherish you. Lastly, I have taken the initiative to enroll us both in a premarital counseling course, that upon completion, should guide and protect our relationship against many of the trials that commonly lead to resignation or dismissal in the Husband role.

I'll be patiently waiting to hear back and trust that you will review my application with thoughtful consideration.

Sincerely, Alex Wagman

I know I have been very conflict-avoidant in the past, but lately I have a had a change of heart. Thanks to some stuff that I picked up from this week's Pre-Marital Counseling material, I now believe that conflict, if done well, can be a good thing for our marriage. What I finally realized is that conflict is simply growth trying to happen, and if I approach our tiffs with the gospel in mind, I can use them as opportunities to draw me away from my own sin and also point you closer to Christ through grace, forgiveness, and love. I want to honor you despite our differences and create a safe environment for us both to grow, so from here on out, I commit to…

(1) Make sure that my start-up is soft rather than harsh:

- Focus on gathering facts and shedding light rather than relying on assumptions. - Avoid using criticism or petty arguments as an attempt to bid for connection. - Avoid criticizing your character or putting you down with passive-aggressive jabs.

(2) Learn and use effective repair attempts as early in our tiffs as possible:

- Combat unfriendliness with friendliness. - Avoid using the words "you always" and you "never" in a critical way. - Show hurt and vulnerability rather than attempting to hurt or get even.

(3) Monitor my physiology during heated discussions:

- Breathe, count to 10, or relax my muscles before responding if I feel like I am flooded with emotion. - Learn to recognize and avoid activating your 'triggers' or 'enduring vulnerabilities.' - Stay verbally and physically engaged, listening comprehensively and empathetically.

(4) Seek out compromise whenever possible:

- Seek first to understand you, and then to be understood. - Be attentive to what you see as important so that I can actively search for common ground. - Be receptive to and honor reasonable requests that you make.

(5) Become more tolerant of your imperfections:

- Overlook minor offenses and ensure that the negative thoughts and feelings (which all couples have) are not overwhelmed by the positive ones. - Highlight my own weaknesses before highlighting yours. - Understand that there are some unresolvable conflicts and learn to live with those bottom-line difference by honoring and respecting you.

Though our wedding certificate may be a contract, my love for you will be a covenant. With a covenantal relationship comes a stunning blend of law with love, and cold calculations with wholehearted intimacy. I know that too much structure and formality makes your eyes want to roll, but I won't be holding you to the same strict standard that I am holding myself. I just ask that you keep me accountable to the very patience and love that I am promising you.

Five years ago today, you changed the course of history and stole a phone number that you only vaguely wanted at the time. Looking back on our relationship, it only seems fitting that God used a little bit of humor to kickstart our story. It just goes show that you're not the only one trying to teach this stick in the mud how to laugh. Aside from your competitive nature and fighter spirit, the things that I most clearly remember about that day are your eyes with a kind of teasing smile in them; the same look and teasing smile that you still give me when you say something that you know will get a reaction out of me. You've always kept our relationship so fun, and I'm so lucky and thankful to be given a lifetime supply of that. Also, I don't know where we would be today if it weren't for your "I'm not going anywhere" kind of love. You love me so persistently and intensely that I couldn't be with someone else if I tried (just kidding, it's a j.o.k.e. joke!) We both know that I have not always behaved in a manner that is suitable for such love, so thank you for loving and seeing me through a lens of such great forgiveness. I hope you are having an amazing time in Scottsdale, but I also hope that you're missing me and thinking of me as much as I'm thinking of you!

Alex is naturally introverted, stiff, and clumsy. You'll likely find him with his nose buried in a book or studying bugs and plants in the wild. Sami is a loose cannon with lots of spunk and an endless supply of dreams. You usually don't find her, she finds you and then talks your ear off for hours or invites you over for dinner. Alex needed somebody who would break the rules, break down his walls and teach him how to have fun. Sami needed stability and cuddles. Though they were an unlikely pair born 1,000 miles away from each other, distance and destiny could not keep them apart for long.

From the first drunk text during a UT tailgate to the uninhibited late-night call that brought them both to Green Light Social, and from their unplanned run-in at Frost Tower to the unintentional penny flip in Marfa that sealed the deal on their dating status; their relationship has been an unfolding drama written by the wise control of a loving and sovereign God. Sami and Alex both agree that He has written a better story than they ever could have written for themselves. They absolutely can't wait to spend the rest of their lives with each other, so please be ready at 5:30pm on October 22nd so that God can close out this chapter and start writing their next one!

Proposal video People that have helped us write our story! A few love notes Wedding video

Toni, I can't imagine the combination of feelings that you are experiencing right now. If you're as overwhelmed as I am, then you've probably already puked once and cried twice. There are so many emotions that can arise before a wedding ceremony, but I want to reassure you regardless of what you are feeling.

If you're nostalgic, and can't stop thinking about the little girl she used to be, just remember that she is who she is today because of you. She's got your relentless passion, your cheerful friendliness, and your generous gift-giving (and possibly even more). Though she's all grown up now, she still is and always will be her momma's little girl.

If you are feeling worried, please know that even after the glamour and excitement of the wedding fades away, I will love your daughter just as much tomorrow as I do today. If conflicts come up, I will find the most loving way to resolve it, and if money ever becomes tight, I will protect our marriage at all expenses and all costs.

If you get a little teary-eyed, remember that every tear is justified. Your daughter is a one-of-a-kind, and boy is she worth celebrating. She has the determination of a fighter and the patience of a saint, and I've never met someone whose attention I craved more than hers. I'll be crying plenty with you today, so you're not alone on this one.

And finally, if you find yourself feeling proud, just know that she wouldn't be where she is today without you. The reason I found her to be the woman of my dreams is because you instilled those values in her. You've raised Sami in a way that other girls look up to her, and even today, I know that she still looks up to you.

I can't thank you enough for being here with us and for us on this special day. We love you and we can't wait to bless you back with plenty of grand-babies!

Sami, I have spent weeks trying to figure out what I want to say to you today, and after much deliberation, I've come to the conclusion that despite my love of writing, I will never be clever enough with words to adequately explain all that God has given me in you! You telling me that you will love me forever will be just a ceremonious validation of what you already show me. I have been the recipient of so much forgiveness, encouragement, and unconditional love from you over the years, and even when I was a poor burly-bearded, twenty-three year old living with his grandparents, you still sought me out and loved me. You have comforted me through my anxiety and you have showered my family with more kind gestures and gifts than I can recount. When I am sick, you are there for me; when I need cuddles, you spoil me. You have the determination of a fighter and the patience of a saint, and at this point, I can't imagine spending a lifetime without you by my side. I knew that I was saving myself for someone special, but after I see you later today in all of your beauty, I'm not sure I'll be able to wait much longer.

There's one last thing that I want you to know before the ceremony. The vows that I will be reading to you at the altar have not been dressed up to sound pretty, they were not carelessly made, and they are not meant to be read once in hopes that it will carry me through the next 60 years. I fully intend to re-read these vows daily, to ensure that I properly live them out. Some of them will require more work and practice than others, but I promise to lean on your forgiveness and my repentance until I have mastered each one of them. And though I have made plenty of selfish mistakes in the past, I fully intend to approach every future choice, decision, and action in the context of what is best for you and for our relationship. Over the next few years, you will give birth to our child, and I will give birth to your dreams, and it all starts here in the next few hours. I can't wait to marry you in front of all of our family and friends Sami!

Samantha Jane Pendergast, today and everyday here after, I pledge my undying commitment to you. This relationship, second only to the one I have with God, will be the most profound relationship I will ever have, and I count it as my biggest blessing to take you as my wife.

Scripture tells us that our marriage is meant to provide a picture of what Christ's unfailing love looks like, and though I will always fall short of this definition, I hope that you will continue to keep it as your standard. Though there are lots of little promises that I will make to you today, there are four major vows that I want to make abundantly clear.

The first is that I vow to be faithful to you and make you feel loved. When you walked down the aisle just a few minutes ago, my attention was on you like it never was before. Get used to that, because my aim will always be to cherish you that way until death do us part. I will never stop pursuing you romantically, and I will never stop taking you on dates and adventures everywhere we go.

My second major vow is to serve you and help you carry your burdens. I will remind myself daily to have eyes for service that continually look for where help is needed, and I will carry more than my share of chores to ensure that your life with me is easier and not harder. For as long as I live, you will always have someone to defend you, protect you, care for you and walk through the fire with you.

My third major vow is to lovingly communicate with you. Though I will not always have the right words for each situation, I promise that I will have the attentiveness to make you feel known. Even when we have tiffs and disagree, I will listen with empathy, speak with kindness, and withhold criticism.

Lastly, I vow to spiritually lead and support you. I will make praying with you and for you a daily commitment. I will deny my interests for the good of our family, and I will surrender my independence for the greater calling and greater joy of union with you. Even as I lead you, I will honor you, and I will prioritize you.

With all of these vows and promises made before everyone and before God, I want you to know that I take you Sami to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.

As I was doing my Bible study this morning, I was particularly convicted by three questions:

- In areas where your wife is weak, are you helping her to grow rather than criticizing or shutting down? - Are you sensitive to your wife's physical state? - Have you fallen into a habit of harshness, blame, or subtle disapproval?

Judging by my words and actions over the last few days, it's not difficult to see why I was convicted by this. Any outsider can see that I have fallen into a habit of harshness, blame, criticism, touch starvation, and shutting down. As a spiritual leader, I need to be more interested in your welfare than my own, and I need to more fully submit to the living strength of Jesus. After our last MC meeting, I was rightfully called out for pointing you to the scriptures, but not taking the time to walk you through them.

Because of this, I would like to start doing a daily devotion with you before dinner. We both have a number of things that we can be working on, and we were designed to forge these characters together. My hope is that through this devotional time together, we can spur each other on, hold each other accountable, and teach each other more about the Lord. I need you to be on board with this though, because it will require a sacrifice of time and attention as well as an offering of patience and humility.

I would like us to start by getting our character right, considering the fact that "the way of every man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart." Luckily, God does not leave us high and dry when it comes to outlining the character he wants to see in both of us.

Please let me know if you are willing to make this commitment. I sincerely believe that it will make a world of a difference in our marriage, and just as I did on our wedding day, I deeply desire to make our marriage reflect Christ's unfailing love.

You're always the life of the party, Sami! You are funny, engaged and know just how to capture people's hearts. It's no wonder I love being around you!

Your confidence is so attractive! I love how you always hold your own and conduct yourself with such grace and self-assurance. I will always admire your strength!

I appreciate your smile, Sami. Your smile makes me smile.

I also appreciate your commitment to our love and relationship. You will always be my number one.

You have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met. Just by being you, you're able to make everyone you care about feel loved and adored.

You have the gift of the Pender-"gab" and can talk to anyone. I love how I can take you anywhere and expect you to make new friends!

You're the fun person at a party that everyone wants to know! It makes me so proud to say you're mine.

I love the effort you make with all of my friends, it means so much to me. You're amazing with people in general but I know that you put that extra effort in for me.

When I'm sick or in need, I know I can always count on you to be by my side. Your ability to care for others is immeasurable.

It's so thoughtful how you remember all of the little things! You pick up on every little detail, no matter how insignificant it seems. It means so much to have someone like you that pays such close attention and who truly cares.

You have an air about you that just draws people in! With your warm smile and wit, you can get along with anybody and I love that about you.

I think it's so crazy that out of the 7.75 billion people on earth, God let me have someone as amazing as you!

You've got a heart of gold! You give to family and care for friends more than anyone I know.

You know how Kate said that she feels like she can be herself around Drew? I feel that way with you. And I love how you never pretend to be something that you're not around me!

I appreciate being able to share every day of my life with you, Sami.

Happy one-year anniversary, both to us, and to the best party you've ever thrown! This first year has absolutely flown by! In the last 365 days, we've consummated our marriage, had pregnancy scares, been to fertility clinics, accidentally purchased homes, changed jobs, shed tears over how broke we are, and already had discussions about buying more homes…. We've dealt with loss and conflict on both sides of our family, and we've lifted each other up through periods of grief. We've made new memories, met new friends, started new traditions, and built a whole library of inside jokes together. We've spent over 8,000 hours by each other's side, and developed a far deeper connection and understanding of each other through counseling. When I think about all of the things that we do together in a year Sami, I just can't imagine doing it with anyone who isn't you. You remain endlessly patient with me when I'm overly emotional (which is just about every day), and you never miss an opportunity to pull me out of my funk by making light of my frustrations. You have taught me so much about how to love and serve people as well as how to read and lead people. I know that I'm a work in progress, but you make me eager to one day be everything that you could hope for in a husband. It's crazy to think that I love you even more today than I did on our wedding day, and I have no doubt in my mind that I will love you to new heights when we celebrate again next year. A year down - a lifetime to go!

P.S. Over the last year, you've gone from being a full blown SPender to a frugally German Wagman, so we need to change your name accordingly. Don't worry about all the complicated paperwork, all of that will be taken care of for you!

Since I won't be there to hold your hand and pray with you as you are going to bed, I wanted to send you the prayer that will be on my heart tonight as I fall asleep.

Dear Lord, thank you for giving me the privilege of being Sami's husband, of walking with her hand in hand through life, and of growing closer to her every single day. This last year has been one of your greatest blessings to me, and it has been a beautiful response to the thousands of prayers that I prayed prior to meeting her. Tonight, I pray that you would continually conform me to the image of your son so that I can better represent your unconditional love to Sami. There is still so much room for both of us to grow in Christ-likeness, and I know that it'll take more than a lifetime for us to get there, but I ask that you would help us to grow in new and unexpected ways throughout this next year, for your sake. Deepen our relationship with each other and with you, and grant us children who will be image-bearers of you even after we're gone. In Jesus's name I pray, amen!

Happy birthday to the girl who wears smiles better than anyone I've ever met! It's days like today that I am so unmistakably reminded that I share my life with the greatest woman I ever met. God used a million different seemingly random moments and people to shape your personality, and he used a million different thoughts to make me love every bit of it. Thank you for continually fascinating me, inspiring me, and influencing me for the better. Loved you yesterday, love you still, always have, always will.

Sami, this Christmas season, I wanted to not only give you a gift, but I also wanted to plant the seed for a dream. I know that you dream of having little me's and little you's running around, raising a family together, and enjoying plenty of time in the 'sip. I can already imagine all of the toys that we will buy our kids, the love that we will spoil them with and the bike rides that we will go on together. But today, I want to spoil you and give you the equipment necessary to make some of those future memories a reality. I know that you will define the word 'cool' for our kids by the way that you never shy away from fun and sometimes dangerous activities. I also can't wait to make plenty of memories with you before that day comes, as we bike ride to Big Bad Breakfast in the mornings and tear up trails together in the afternoon. There are plenty of group rides listed on www.rideoxford.com/group-rides where we can meet other people, and there is plenty of ground to cover at the most popular Clear Creek and Whirlpool trails, which are both less than 20 minutes from our home. I hope you enjoy it and I know you'll look great on it, just promise me that you won't ding up any cars!! Love you lots! Your Husband

La Fountain Bleu: We made a million memories in this house together, but this place is special to me for two reasons. #1 This is the first place that you became my roommate, and #2 it's also the first time I told you I loved you. I can still vividly remember those words weighing on my heart until the moment that I said them. I feel so lucky and relieved now that I can tell you anytime I want!

Rooftop: One of our stories that made the Fountain Bleu night possible was this pre-constructed building. As cheesy as it sounds, we were looking at the stars on this roof after our third time of falling in love, and I remember thinking, if I kiss her right now, I'm going to marry her. This kiss was the one that made all of the other ones possible, and that's why it's my favorite kiss of all time!

Greenlight social: Greenlight is such an aptly named setting for our iconic night at this place. Not only is this the first place that you booty called me, g on me, and took me "home" with you, but it's also the night that you gave me the 'greenlight' to go to second base. You and I both knew where the night was going from the beginning, and we both couldn't wait for it to happen.

IBC parking garage: In case you have intentionally pushed some of the stories from this place out of your memory, I'm happy to remind you. This is where we would go to steam up the car while you were living with Gentry and I was living with my grandparents. I'm so glad that we don't have to have s with pants on anymore, but this spot reminds me how hot and desperate we once were.

Italic: Though this place isn't what it used to be, I'll always remember it as our first date together ever. I probably wasn't smooth or particularly charming, but I appreciate you given me another shot after this one. Looking at this building now, it's not exactly the most romantic setting for a love story. But for us, it's the place where everything began!

Houndstooth: You gave me a second/third/fourth chance here. This place reminds me how forgiving you can be and how unconditionally you love me. Those 12 minutes made all the difference, and I thank God for whatever compelled me to sit down for coffee that day.

Frost tower parking garage: One of my favorite nights with you was when we snuck into IG and made out in the closet before going to the floor of the parking lot and dancing on top of our cars above the city. Whenever we dance together at home, I think of this night.

Home: This is where we have built our life together. It's where have talked for thousands of hours, where we have made up after every fight, it's where I get to cuddle you ever morning, and now it's where we are going to grow our family.

Mama, I can't see you yet, but I feel you, all around me. Your body is my first home, your heartbeat my first song. I'm growing, day by day, nestled in the warmth of your womb. When you feel a flutter, a small movement inside, that's me saying hello. I may be tiny, but I'm here, I'm real, and I already feel so lucky.

When you worry about the future, about what kind of mother you'll be, remember this: You're already the best mom to me. You're nurturing me, keeping me safe, and loving me before our eyes have even met.

When you put up with the cramps, the headaches, and the extra weight that I cause, I know it's because you are trading your strength for my weakness. I love you so much, and I hope that I can make it up to you one day.

When you touch your belly and talk to me, I feel it. I don't understand your words yet, but I understand your emotions, your warmth, your excitement. I'm so close to your heart, and you're already so close to mine.

When you look in the mirror, you see a changing body and a changing life. You might wonder if you can do this, and if you're ready. Just remember that you're already my mama, already my world. One day you'll look into my eyes and you'll see all the love I've been storing up for you. God put me here for a reason, and there's a reason I'm here with you.

Today our little baby is just over a week old, and these last few days have been emotional to say the least. From the lump in my throat that formed when we started our final interview to the wet-eyed prayers we prayed before your surgery, and from the announcement of his gender between sobs to the eruption of tears I cried as I held him in our room. At the heart of each of these moments is the same thought. "I feel beyond blessed!" I feel blessed to have such a beautiful son, blessed to have such a strong and loving wife, blessed to have such a gracious God, and now, blessed to have such a picture-perfect family.

Sami, I love you more than words can say. In fact, saying I love you now somehow doesn't feel like enough. Over the last seven days alone, I've seen you be brave in the face of your greatest fear, I've seen you laugh through intense pain, I've seen you be helpful (to a fault) at home despite doctors orders, and I've seen you shine as a mother amidst the whirlwind of this week. You've also written me possibly the greatest note I'll ever receive, you've allowed my family in during a vulnerable and stressful moment, and you've fought staying awake through-tired eyes so that I could sleep.

Other people have said it before, but I see it now as clearly as ever: you are going to make the MOST amazing mother! You are going to sacrifice your world for Walker's, and you are going to love him so much more than evolution requires. I promise to stand by you through sleepless nights and endless diaper changes, through first laughs and first tears, and through all the challenges and immeasurable joys that parenthood will bring us.

Thank you, for this indescribable gift you've given us, and thank you for boldly and faithfully praying Hannah's prayer with me. Our hearts and our camera rolls are about to become filled like they never have before, and our sleep schedules are about to change and never be the same again, but I couldn't have asked for a better partner throughout this whole journey. You are, and forever will be, the hero of our story.

Our Forever Toast:

I love our story and the life we pursue, Every day is a blessing with Walker, Owen, and you. I'm happy to say it's 100% true, Nobody's got it better than us Wagmans do.

I know the last year has not been easy, and it's obvious at this point that next year isn't getting any easier. But despite the lack of sleep, the ever-present junk piles, the never-ending viruses, and all the new challenges that get thrown our way, I really do love this life that we've built together. After three years, you really know how to cheer me up quicker, make me laugh harder, support me better, and even get under my skin deeper than I ever thought possible. And though my ego would tell you otherwise, I know in my heart of hearts that I'm not an easy person to be married to. So thank you for all the times you put up with my endless questions, my relentless gas, my sassy attitude, and my sour-puss tone. You have proven to me over the course of a thousand days and nights that you know what it means to love me unconditionally. The love you give to me every day still is, and forever will be, the greatest blessing in my life. Happy 3rd anniversary Sami!

Hey, I know I've mentioned it in passing before, but I don't feel like I've given you the full credit you deserve— last two days you have looked absolutely beautiful. This weekend feels like a whirlwind inside of a much larger tornado of a season, and yet amidst the chaos, you look absolutely stunning. I feel a little jealous that I haven't been able to spend more 1:1 time with you (in conversation or in bed), but I also feel so fortunate to have a wife that can turn heads in her mid-thirties. Love you Sami!

P.S. I'm not sending this text to "try to get lucky". Being married to you, I know that I already am. 😘

Sami… thank you. Those two words feel small beside everything you have carried for our family, but I need you to know how much I appreciate you. These past few months have been the hardest we've ever faced, yet through every long night and uncertain day, you have been incredible. When we first found out about Owen, you didn't feel strong and didn't want to be referred to as 'strong'. But through this all, you have met every uncertain moment with a strength that deserves recognition. You mastered medical terms, cardiac diagrams, and "what if" scenarios like a professional, and you faced your fears of C‑sections, hospitals and breathing tubes head on. And through every one of those challenges, your faith and compassion never wavered. I know there have been moments you wrestled deeply with God about why this was happening, but even in those times, you never stopped reaching for Him, never stopped squeezing my hand, and never stopped reminding me to pray a little longer and harder for Owen. What amazes me most is that you also never stopped loving others along the way. While juggling sleepless nights, belly kicks, and endless check‑ups, you still remembered birthdays and baby showers, sent encouraging texts, and poured yourself into Walker so that his life could remain the same. You gave, and kept giving, even when your own heart was breaking. There are so many sacrifices you made for this family that the world never sees: pushing through physical discomfort during pregnancy, carrying all of the mental stress without pushing it on others, and losing hours of sleep to pump through blistered nipples just to keep Owen fed. And now Owen is here—our ten‑day‑old miracle child with your grit in his lungs and your fight in his heartbeat. In barely a week, he has rallied hundreds of prayer warriors, strengthened our marriage, and shown everyone around us what hope looks like. Seeing you mother Walker has been incredible and watching you mother two will be twice as wonderful. Owen and Walker will grow up knowing that their mom moved heaven and earth for them, and that their dad is the luckiest man alive because she chose him. I love you beyond words, Sami. Thank you for loving all three of us far beyond reason.

Sami, I know that our anniversaries are quickly become these quiet, almost invisible days that are sandwiched between sleepless night, cranky mornings, doctor appointments, and zoom meetings. There may not be a weekend getaway or grand gesture that screams "this day matters more than yesterday or tomorrow," but we both know that this day definitely does.

In the last 12 months, we brought Owen into the world while navigating every parent's worst fear, we celebrated our first family vacation as a family of four, we watched Walker become a big brother, and we survived an entire season of sickness and diseases.

I also got to watch you step into the room mom role like it was your full-time job, and hear how you challenged and pushed the girls bible study group into the direction that it needed to go.

Today, I feel like our marriage is stronger than it's ever been. Maybe it's because we've been through so much this year with Owen, or maybe it's just the thousand small ways we've learned to show up for each other. Regardless, somewhere along the way, we got better at navigating each other's thoughts and emotions, and in my opinion, better at being married.

You challenge me, exhaust me, inspire me, and somehow make me fall more in love with you all at the same time. You're a wonder-woman and a pain in the ass, wrapped into one beautiful package. Thank you for another year of choosing us, even when I don't make it easy. Happy anniversary, Sami. Here's to celebrating this day the way it deserves to be celebrated, and to a lifetime more of 'em. I love you!

After a week of being away, I couldn't be happier to be back by your side. I had everything I thought I wanted, like free meals, time to scroll youtube, unlimited time to myself, more sleep than I've gotten in years during a tech-conference in one of America's coolest cities; yet all I wanted was improvised dinners with the family, time to scroll funnies with you on the couch, a chance to nap with the boys, and a chaotic bath time in our ordinary home. It's a great reminder for me that the life we've built together, albeit messy, exhausting, ordinary, is the only life I actually want. You three are my life and everything else is just noise. You're also the reason home feels like home, and the reason away never feels right. This birthday marks another year of you being my favorite person to do life with, through every season and every challenge. I'm so grateful I get to witness the way you love our family, the way you make our house a home, and the way you somehow keep us all going when we're running on empty. I hope this year brings you all the little moments of peace you deserve and all the big moments of joy you create for the rest of us. So happy birthday Sami. I'm looking forward to many more messy, beautiful, ordinary years together with you.

Happy Mother's Day Sami! Here are just a few reasons why you're the mom I always dreamed my kids would have…

• You earn every hour of sleep you get, plus 1,000 more you want — Post-it note on the coffee pot • You make me want to be a better dad just by watching how good of a mom you are. You set the pace, and I'm grateful to run behind you — Post-it note next to your shoes • You make me believe that God wrote a better story for us than I could have ever planned by myself — Post-it note on our wedding photo • You're teaching them that any day is worth celebrating, and that people leave our house feeling fed in every way — Post-it note on the pantry • You established the routine of prayers at meals and bedtime. Because of you, they'll never know a day without being prayed over — Post-it note on the dinner table • You cheer for their smallest wins like they are world champions, whether they are stacking a block tower, riding a four wheeler, or just learning something new — Post-it note on the garage door • You make motherhood look like joy, and I know how much that costs you. The exhaustion you hide, the patience you manufacture, the grace you extend when you're running on empty. You're incredible! — Post-it note on the mirror • One day, Walker and Owen will be grown men with their own lives. And they'll still call you to chat. Not because they have to but because you're the person they want to tell things to — Post-it note on the front door • You volunteer tons of time that you don't even have. You don't just show up for Walker and Owen, you show up for their teachers, their classmates and all the parents too. There is all kinds of drama, chaos, and endless coordination, and you make it sound like you wouldn't have it any other way! — Post-it note on the monogramming machine • You sing with them. Off-key, made up words, the same song seventeen times. You don't care how you sound, you just care that they hear joy coming from the person that they love most — Post-it note on the Google Home Hub • You maniacally keep up with two tiny humans' ever evolving dietary demands. Even though yesterday's favorite might be something they won't touch tomorrow, you just make a mental note and find something else to feed them — Post-it note on the refrigerator • You let them climb on you like a jungle gym when you haven't had a moment to yourself all day. You give them your body when you have nothing left to give — Post-it note on the jungle gym • I'm embarrassed to admit how often I fall asleep while you're still folding laundry, cleaning up the toys, doing dishes, and resetting the house for tomorrow. You don't even make me feel bad for it — Post-it note on the bookshelf that holds all the toys • You get on their level. You stop what you're doing when they call your name. You teach them that presence is the highest form of love — Post-it note on the kids' tent • You prioritize joy over cleanliness, which is exactly how it should be at this stage. Paint on the patio, crumbs in the cushions, living room lunch so they can be near their toys. You know these days are short, and you'd rather them remember the fun than the floor — Post-it note on the living room table • You document the ordinary moments like they're sacred. You're building their memory for them, and one day they'll be so grateful someone thought to save what they were too young to remember — Post-it note on the kids' portraits