Dear Kim, my sunshine!

I would like to borrow from Nothing gonna’ stop us

now by Starship:

Put your hand in my hand

Baby, don’t ever look back

Let the world around us just fall apart

Baby, we can make it if we’re heart to heart

And we can build this dream together

Standing strong forever

Nothing’s gonna’ stop us now

And if this world runs out of lovers

We’ll still have each other

Seems fitting considering the world over the past few years. As people get crazier, more mean-spirited, and of course, sicker, we seem to develop even stronger bonds of love and friendship. I consider you the best friend I have ever had and that in itself is more than I could have ever hoped for when we met years ago.

Now we have launched two wonderful children who are getting ready to embark on their careers and are sure to make a difference in this world and I could not be prouder to be their dad.

Each time I come up the canyon after a long day at work, I feel at ease and a warmth and love from you that fills me up every day and I cannot imagine not having your hand in my hand, standing strong forever!

I love you so much!

Your bear,

Mark

Dear Felix,

You are precious to us beyond all words.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

From Momma and Papa

Nicole,

I love you,

I’ll never leave you,

Without you I turn to stone.

Yours Truly

Dean & Gene

If you like piña coladas

And gettin’ caught in the rain

If you’re not into yoga

If you have half a brain

If you like makin’ love at midnight

In the dunes on the cape

Then I’m the love that you’ve looked for

Write to me and escape

Amy and Bryan Hager still call each other “Babe,” or “Baby.” They’ve been married now for over 11 years, since August 6, 2011.

Of course it helps that they love to do things together as a couple: they hike or snowshoe depending on the season, cycle when they can, and work on their house together.

Amy admits that she tried to impress Bryan with her fitness at first. “Our first date was a four mile trail run. Even though I was in shape, it was a little bit of a challenge to keep the conversation flowing. I was trying to hide the fact I was getting out of breath, going up and down the hills! Two months later, we did an Adventure race together, which is a day-long event involving running, mountain biking, orienteering, climbing, and kayaking in the whitewater center in Charlotte, North Carolina.”

They seem to be a living, breathing response to the many complaints about online dating: Amy says, “We are an eHarmony success story! (Yep, online dating worked for us.)”

It seems fitting that this active couple compares their marriage to an endurance race: “full of ups, downs, twists, turns, blood sweat, and tears, and one of our proudest accomplishments.”

Dear Addison and Corinne,

We love you with all our heart!

Love,

Mom and Dad

To my husband, Heat Lightening,

Thank you for being my rock when I feel weak, making me laugh when I want to cry, giving me butterflies with that smile, and inspiring me to grow in ways I never thought I could.

You are the love of my life, Heat Lightening, and I am so very grateful we get to grow old together.

I love you,

Thunder Snow

“Find someone who grows flowers in the darkest parts of you.” - Zach Bryan

Devon Harper, you are amazing.

Your love and dedication to Paxton, Canela, your students, your family, your community, the world, and me are unwavering. You are a light in this world. I love you with all that I am.

Your husband,

James

Another couple convinced that you should marry your best friend, Doug Armitage and Barb Hardt took some time to decide that’s what they wanted: it was a full 10 years between the time they started dating and when they married.

Ironically, they are both originally from the same area in New Jersey, but only connected once they were in Nederland. Both music lovers, in 2010 they started to socialize together with friends. Then Barb heard Doug sing “Jersey Girl” by Tom Waits and her heart melted, and still does. “ One night,” Barb relates, “Doug invited Barb to come to his house to ‘just cuddle’ and they have been together ever since.”

They see their marriage as a true partnership. Together they have the ability to constantly adapt and work through complex situations. Doug has great compassion, patience, and understanding. His humor and wit calm the most stressful of situations – always with a bit of sarcasm sprinkled in. Barb has a realistic understanding of life in a small town that Doug appreciates. They run two businesses together at Caribou Village Shopping Center.

Their advice for other young (and not-so-young) lovers: Enjoy the time you have together. Make sure to make special time – even a moment – to check in with each other every day. Make time to cuddle, hang out, get away from work, focus on who you are together.

Douglas, my love, I couldn’t do this without you. Thanks for continuing to be my rock. I love you! Barb

To Bethany, my hero, my inspiration.

Without you I would not be me

Without us I would not have known

This lifetime of love.

No more fireworks on the Fourth.

No more Pioneer Inn.

No more Frozen Dead Guys Days.

I hear Sayulita is beautiful

this time of year

- B

Woah, we’re halfway there

Woah, livin’ on a prayer

Take my hand, we’ll

make it I swear

Woah, livin’ on a prayer.

Luke + Nichole

“Marrying your best friend allows you to enjoy the good times even more and weather the bad times together.”

This seems to be the motto for Ted and Kathy Ott, best friends who have now been married for nearly 30 years. “We were dating other people when we met in 1990. We became good friends and were married in May 1993.” They love to cook together – “and by cooking together we mean Ted cooks and Kathy does dishes.”

Cooking together also appears to have enhanced their awareness of each other. Kathy remembers that she once apologized during a fight by saying “I’m sorry that you are so sensitive.” This, she claims, has been an ongoing joke to end fights ever since!

Unusually, they plan each year in advance. “Every year over the New Year’s holiday we take a two-day vacation to review the past year and plan for the next.”