Eight years ago today, Robbi and I made things official.

Actually, that’s not quite true. We made things official in the eyes of the law a few weeks prior, driving north across the Georgia border and getting hitched in South Carolina, where the only requirement for nuptial alignment was waiting for a week. We were living in Savannah at the time.

But on November 8, 2003, we gathered our friends and family together and had a nice party/ceremony/dinner at a restaurant on the beach on Tybee Island, Georgia.

Our punk rocking, Episcopal priest of a friend Drew Bunting presided.

The date was notable for another reason. It was the day that Christian (left, below) met Emily. They went on to have a wedding of their own.

Today is also our friend David Turner’s birthday.

And Robbi’s brother’s birthday.

And Robbi’s sister’s wedding anniversary.

In this family, we try to limit the number of dates we have to remember. Though it doesn’t seem to help.

The truth is, I had no idea that today was my anniversary until I got an email from David offering his congratulations. Fortunately, Robbi was just as surprised as I was.

The years march on and we seldom take note. These days, we have other ways of noting the passage of time.

Happy anniversary, Robbi. Here’s to the years ahead.