Our 11 year wedding anniversary.

It seems incredible when you think back to significant things in your life and then realize how fast the time has gone since. I remember when my mom walked me to my first day of school in Brooklyn, New York and how I didn't want her to leave me. That was September 1968 and I remember it well. I remember when I first attended school in Long Island which was September 1973 when I started 6th grade. I graduated from high school in 1979 and just recently attended my 30 year reunion which was great fun and very nostalgic. A very big day in my life aside from our first date was when Maria and I wed which was September 12, 1998 which was a Saturday and a very beautiful day. It is now 11 years and we have a son who means the world to us and he is now 10 years old. This weekend was special as it was the celebration of another year together. I am so very lucky to have Maria and Matthew in my life and I want to provide the best for them and her mother who helps us out tremendously. I am very blessed. In fact I will take a quote from Lou Gehrig "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

As we grow together we learn about each other and there is always room for change or improvement but we love and care for each other and we have a son who teaches us every day and provides us strength and courage as he has a spirit that truly is inspiring. Our son is such a wonderful kid and provides us joy and happiness every day. Of course we have our moments like any couple but our bond and faith is very strong and we support each other and cherish our son. As the years go by we try to stay true to ourselves and support each other and provide our son with all the support and guidance he needs. I remember listening to the priest when we were marrying and how he discussed the beauty of love and how special it is when a young couple embarks on life's journey together and brings a child into the world. It is truly a special time and one that should always be cherished.

I wanted to commemorate our wedding anniversary by getting Maria a nice gift so I went to her favorite store Target and I brought Matthew with me to help me decide. We first decided on a card and Matthew suggested a musical one so we looked at the cards and narrowed them down to three. Matty liked both music cards and I liked a card that was very spiritual so since I liked them all and so did Matty I wound up buying all three. The musical cards are great and they are special. I also wanted to give Maria a choice to buy what she likes so I picked her up a gift card so she can buy some nice clothes. I also bought her a cute dress that I know she would like and a cute top. It was nice shopping for her and having help from my son. We also bought a nice chocolate mousse cake from her favorite bakery, Dortoni's in Levittown, NY. It was a special day and we enjoyed the time together.

We are fortunate to have each other and we know how important it is to nurture and support our son as he truly is the love of our life. He amazes me and he wants always to be a part of the celebration as he asked me if he could help me pick out Mommy's gift. He has such a good heart and he makes me proud.

We enjoyed seeing Matthew eat a piece of cake as he eats like every kid and grandma sees that his face is clean right after he finishes it. I had to get a picture before she cleaned his face and we all were smiling and happy. I just wish the years did not go by so fast.

Maria's sister and daughter stopped by last night to wish us a happy anniversary but Maria was working so they stayed a while as Matty got to play with Kathryn. They had to leave though so we had our cake celebration on Sunday afternoon as Maria was home too late on Saturday, our anniversary day.

I am looking forward to many years together with my wife and son and am very lucky to have them both in my life and am very thankful for all the good wishes as we celebrated another year together. It was a good day full of happy memories.

Edward D. Iannielli III