It's my anniversary today - our 28th. Most married guys I know secretly live in dread of forgetting this big day - the ultimate faux pas for someone whose romantic pedigree may already have come in question.

In preparation for our big day, I do things to pump myself up - taking myself out of the workaday task mode and conjuring up reminders of the suave guy I once was when I was wooing her.  For example, there is the arsenal of poetry I used to write.  Or, there are the blogs like these:

Our college romance

Our 25th anniversary

Our 26th anniversary

The good news is that after all those years together, Karen is thriving and we're not doing so bad together either.  Here are the things you know: She looks like a million bucks, she's successfully done the lion's share of the work in raising our kids, she continues to do the lion's share of the work coaching our 32 World Racers (that's her with Team 5-Alive in the pics here) and after all these years together she's still a lot of fun.

But add to that the things that not everyone knows:

• She helped start and run one of the best high schools in north Georgia.

• She has become expert in raising a special needs child and invests hours of her days in this.
• She is a hostess to a continual parade of visitors in our house.
• She has successfully started a second career as a spiritual coach and mom to 20-somethings.
• Although she's an amazing chef, she continues to work on her awesome culinary skills.

Yup - that's one extraordinary woman. I sometimes shake my head at my good fortune in finding her. I have so much to be thankful for in life, but on this day, I'm particularly thankful for Karen. She lights up my life and the lives of so many others!