Over the past twelve years we have built an empire of love, trust, faith, compassion, and realness. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life. From the honeymoon to pregnancy, loss to gain, clean floors to stuck on cheerios, and diapers to batman big boys. You, my love, have kept us between the lines. You’ve made sacrifices untold. You bear the crosses of five other people every day with wash and repeat ease while holding yours steady and sure. Every morning you breathe quiet confidence into four little lives making them feel like super heros and masters of their little universe. You make beds, lunches, suppers, appointments, and clean clothes… most of the time without even a “thanks.” And when those hard, ugly days of rearing children show up, you know the ones where they smother you in bad attitudes and ungrateful sighs, you stay so collected. So with it. With them. There are no adequate words for the way you mother, Erica. I’m honored every day to be around you.

Over twelve years we’ve made plans, love, babies, bad decisions, and one million pounds of macaroni and cheese. Over twelve years we’ve lost tempers, pacifiers, keys, wipes, Tupperware lids, and long held grudges. Over twelve years we’ve gained confidence in parenting, trust, weight, and the presence of God in our lives every day.

Today you and I will reminisce about our first kiss, our first time, and first baby. We’ll laugh about the crazy sayings we’ve made up over the years and how they’re a part of our everyday conversations now. We might even cry babe, thinking about the could’ve beens, and might haves.

But the one thing I know that WILL happen today… is you.
Every day, without fail, and a cup of coffee in your hands. Its you. Its always been you.

You, Erica, are my constant. You are my safe harbor, my better half, the lining in my heart, and genuinely my favorite person in the world. We literally have this once in a lifetime love. That kind of love where your heart sits a little lower in your chest because it’s literally so full it’s sinking. I like that kind.

Your soft spirit and delicate emotion balance this family in the everydayness that consumes us. You have a heart of gold and wisdom beyond your years.

So as we both know, today will be like any other day here at the Robinson homestead. Normal and loud with a side of dirt. It’s too much for most. But it’s just right for us.

You… are just right for me…

Happy twelve years, sweet love.