On November 14th, 1997, I met the most important person I have ever met on the face of this earth. It was at a church singles dance that a young woman walked up to me and introduced herself. Little did I know then, the profound impact that moment would have on my life. At the time I was known as somewhat of a "player". I really enjoyed dating and had done more than my share of it. That night when I went home, before I could utter a single word, my roomates could see it in my countenance. I had been bitten by "the bug" and was ready to move on to the next stage of my life. After an agonizing wait of three weeks, I proposed to that young woman and married her three months later. I have never been happier.
Like me, Shannon grew up as a military brat. Between the two of us, we have lived all over the country and in three foreign countries. We love to travel and experience new cultures and adventures. Shannon is by no means a reserved person. She is willing to give anything a try. In that way, we are a perfect fit for each other.
Shannon also served a mission for our church. She spent 18 months in Tokyo and the surrounding provinces teaching former Budhhists and Shintoists about Christianity. I will always admire her for that. She speaks fluent Japanese, though she claims to have forgotten it. It is a riot seeing a caucasian woman speaking Japanese. The juxtaposition is priceless.
Shannon is by far the smarter of the two of us. Before meeting me, she was on a full ride scholarship to Creighton. She gave it all up to be a wife and mother. Recently she went back to school and is currently working towards a degree in elementary education. It's so much fun to watch her study. She is so much more dedicated to studying than I am. She doesn't settle for second best and anything less than a perfect score is a travesty.
Shannon is a wonderful mother to our children. We have the greatest children on earth, and I would have to attribute most, if not all of that to her. Her love for our children is ever present, even on those days I am sure she is ready for a nice long vacation. It is also interesting to watch mothers who have been at it much longer than she has, come to her for advice. Even though our kids don't play soccer, she is the consumate soccer mom. She is involved in the PTA, taking kids to sports, volunteering at the school and making sure our children have fun and educational activities.
Most improtant to me, she is the best wife any man could ever ask for. Ilove her more than anything on this earth or in the heavens above. My only wish is that I can be at least a protion of the companion to her as she is to me.
Oh yeah...she's really hot to!!!
Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country