Warning: Lovey Dovey Sugar Inducing Coma Ahead

Mr. Coffee and I met on 14 Mar 1993.

I sat down in my seat in the auditorium. The church is enormous and a guy in the back catches my eye.

He smiles, I smile back piously from across the auditorium because church is not the place you should 'notice' guys. Or at least pick up on them.

He is tanned, dark-haired, owns a great set of shoulders, and frankly it's difficult not to notice he is very hot (and not because he's in a camouflage coat). His hazel eyes smile too, accentuated with dark lashes. I think I've seen him before..yes, he is one of the soon-to-be theology grad students.

I want him...er, I want to meet him.

The service let out and I cant stop myself. I find myself walking over to introduce myself.

Fast forward: one week later I'm out with a mutual friend and together we crash Mr. Coffee's birthday party. Mr. Coffee says seeing me is his best present. He asks me out and from that day forward we are inseparable.

By 14 May we are engaged, two whole months after meeting. We set the date: Aug 7 1993. Fourteen years ago I married my love and my best friend.

A few friends felt I was nuts to marry a him so quickly, not much of a savings between us, as at that time I was working as a clerk for a jeweler and appraiser. What I did understand was Mr. Coffee's relationship and dedication to God. To me, that spoke volumes about who he was inside and as a person. I was happy as a single person, so my relationship with Mr. Coffee was all gravy, baby.

After we got married, we immediately moved to Colorado. His family lived there and mine did not. It took us a year of living in Colorado before we returned to the Pacific NW. I do remember staring at him while fingering my new beautiful jewelry, "I'm Mrs. Coffee...and who is this person I married?"

I never once thought, "WHAT have I done?!"

Fast forward to today.

We've both gained some lbs, a few more wrinkles and a grey hair or two. We've withstood a long time friend suddenly deciding to make Mr. Coffee her own (Run, Mr. Coffee! RUN!)

We've endured nearly losing an infant to RSV complete with 10 days in the hospital.

We've shared our love for dry humor and laughed until our sides can't take it anymore.

We stood side by side as he helped me heal from past hurts and urged me to forgive my parents. He's endured my learning curve in the kitchen, from burning frozen peas in the microwave to tempting his palate with spinach manicotti and ending with a Chocolate Rum Chocolate Chip cheesecake that incidentally has initiated more than one proposal of re-marriage.

14 years, through thick and thin, four babies, two houses, eight cars, and a whole lot of patience, I can say we are more in love than ever. He is my partner, my love, my friend, my confidant and my biggest cheering section.

Are you in that sugar-induced coma yet?

Here is to the next 14 years. Mr. Coffee, Happy Anniversary. I love you.