Seven Wonderful, Official Years With Val

June 23, 2009, makes it seven years that Val and I have been married. Yes, it was seven years ago today that Valerie Tracey Dunne and Kevin James Hosey walked, er, danced down the aisle at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, got married, and became ... Valerie Tracey Dunne and Kevin James Hosey.
It is 100 percent true to say that Val has made me better, made my life better, every day that we have been together (while we met in 1985, we didn't start dating until 2000), whether or not it sounds trite. She has allowed me to realize that wonderful, elusive feeling of finding the one person who you care about as much or more than yourself and who cares about you the same way, the one person you can say you madly, passionately love and are best friends with, and it all naturally occurs.
She is the one person I worry about for no reason and every good reason, the one person I want to help in any way at any time but also want to make sure that I am not burying her and taking her efforts and choices away, and the one person who I can smile ear to ear about with pride when she accomplishes something, especially in Val's case her still amazing photography.
Val also impresses me with her fight and spirit, never letting things that would stop most people from stopping her from her art as well as everyday life. I have mentioned the reasons before, but regardless the reasons, to watch her fight and win over these obstacles just adds to my love for her.
Val inspires me, nourishes me, encourages me, corrects me when needed, makes me smile on a bad day when I really need it and on a good day for no reason, turns me on physically, intellectually, artistically and emotionally, and makes me whole.
Happy anniversary, Val; I love you.