VII · VI · MMXIX
A backyard bonfire. A late-night Applebee's. A first kiss that changed everything. And four beautiful reasons it was all meant to be. Team Bayco.
It started the way the best stories do — completely unplanned. I invited a coworker over for a bonfire in my childhood backyard. She brought her best friend and her best friend's boyfriend. That best friend was you. We hung out, laughed, and went our separate ways — with absolutely no idea that the universe had just made its first move.
A year and a half later, something pulled us back together. A late-night dinner. A movie at my parents' house that stretched past 1:30 in the morning. Neither of us wanted to say goodnight. We didn't have to say what was happening — we both already knew. Some things don't need words.
Eight days later. Breakfast at Chilango's Broken Egg. And our first kiss — the one that sealed every single thing. From that morning forward, I knew. The rest of my life was going to be written with you, page by page, morning by morning.
We said I do — and I meant every single word. A date we now both wear on our skin in Roman numerals, a permanent reminder that what we built is not temporary. It is not seasonal. It is forever. It is home. It is Team Bayco.
Four kids. Four heartbeats that define every decision we make, every morning we wake up, every bedtime story we tell. Bay, your greatest masterpiece isn't anything in a frame — it's them. Each one carries a birth flower on your skin, right next to ours.
You gave up a career as a Registered Nurse to raise our kids — not because you had to, but because you chose to. You move through every single day with them as your north star. You let them help you bake. You lay down for bedtime snuggles every night without exception. You take them to the park, make magic out of ordinary afternoons, and do nothing in this world without first thinking of how it will land on the other side for them. And while you were doing all of that — you helped me earn my MBA. I couldn't have done it without you.
With a vacuum in one hand and a to-do list in the other, you keep beautiful chaos running smoothly. A new toy for the backyard. A decoration that brings warmth to the wall. A kitchen gadget that makes something smell like comfort. You don't just live here — you build something here. Every single day. Four kids worth of chaos, and you make it feel like peace.
You worry you don't provide financially. You are wrong. What you give this family cannot be assigned a dollar amount, invoiced, or replaced. Your love and care are the foundation everything else is built on. We can have all the money in the world — it doesn't matter without you. This family can survive with no money. It cannot survive with no Baylee.
You burp louder than anyone I have ever met in my entire life. You consistently hit the garage wall because you pull forward just a little too much. You bake the best cookie that has ever existed on this earth. You are so deeply, genuinely, naturally funny — and you don't even try. You are whole. You are real. You are everything. And you keep our chaos organized while doing all of it.
You carry all of us with you — tattooed in birth flowers, each one a person you love. 🌼 Daffodil — Corey · March · Sawyer · March · Cooper · March · 🌸 Sweet Pea — Baylee · April · 🌿 Lily of the Valley — Colbie · May · Miller · May
"This family can survive with no money — but it cannot survive with no Baylee."— Corey
"My real dream has nothing to do with money. It is for our four children to grow up and be like you."— Corey
The night we met — without knowing what it meant.
A late-night Applebee's run that neither of us wanted to end. The beginning of everything.
Breakfast at Chilango's Broken Egg. Eight days after the first date — and I already knew.
Down on one knee. The rest of our lives started right there.
Our firstborn. The moment we became parents — and Bay became the mother I always knew she would be.
We said I do. A date now permanently worn on our skin — and written on our hearts.
And just like that, our chaos doubled — and our hearts grew to match.
Twins. We went from a family of four to a family of six — and Bay handled it the way she handles everything: with grace, love, and a to-do list.
For the first time in 10 years, we can breathe. Yes to Cedar Point. Yes to the splash pad. Yes to the new dinosaur. Yes to the life we always dreamed of — and it's here because of you.
Seven. That number, while not a milestone number that is usually recognized, is worth celebrating. We have spent the last almost 10 years building the foundation to our forever. You have made it so easy to wake up each day and choose to love you. You have made it so easy to grow this family with you in the forefront. You have made it so easy to pick you each and every day.
Maybe easy is the right term to shape this message around. The life we have created wasn't always easy but doing it by your side made it a lot easier. Through the pregnancies and births, the financial struggles, the firings and hirings, and everything in between — you have been the solidified rock our little family needed and wanted. You have been the constant support that has held us up. You have been the constant love that has let us sleep sound at night. You have been the constant comfort that allows us to look forward when the tough times hit. One thing that has never wavered through any of the hardships was us — Team Bayco. You have always chosen me over the problem and I have always chosen you over the problem. It has never been me vs. you; it has always been us vs. the problem. Because of that we are always so strong and so full of love.
This year is special. For the first time in our 10 years together we have been able to breathe. We don't have a crap ton of money in the bank. We do not have real estate just creating wealth. We do not have a giant retirement just waiting to be used. But what we do have is memories and the ability to say yes. You are not a planner — we know that 😉 — but your desire to go do fun things is what makes the memories so special and memorable. While you would take a monthly trip to the palm trees in the winter, you realistically find ways to keep us busy while also protecting everything we have built. We say yes to almost everything. How amazing is it that something you wanted 7 years ago is coming to life? We can give our 4 babes the most beautiful life we can imagine. We do not have enough in the bank to go on a cross-the-world trip but that isn't what we need or want at our 7 years. We want to be able to say yes to the new dinosaur and yes to the splash pad. We want to be able to say "ok we will go to Cedar Point next week" — and we finally are at a point where we can.
Why can we do this? Because of you. Because of your belief in me on the late nights of homework. Because of your belief in me through the struggles of wanting to create my own business. Because of your belief in me to have belief in myself to operate a consulting company while partnering in another. Because of your belief that I am investing in the right businesses and ideas. Without your constant, unwavering support none of this is possible.
You have shown for so many years why you are the easiest yes someone can make — and thankfully, it is me. You are so easy to admire. You are the most gorgeous woman in the entire world. You are the most caring mother in a generation that has lost a sense of nurturing. You are the best mom to all 4 of our babes. They — well, except my Colbs — run to you in times of struggle or hurt. They look to you for activities and help, but also for advice and comfort. You are the backbone to their crafts but also the one they come to when they come home upset from school. Without you they cannot be what they are today or be as confident as they are today.
I have plenty of dreams. It is known that a majority of them are monetary and investment based. It isn't a surprise that they revolve around wealth and prosperity — a large activity barn, a career I can enjoy day in and day out, a job where I have to golf and can do it all over the world. But my real dream? For our 4 children to grow up and be like you. I want our boys to be the snuggle bug that you are. I want our girls to nurture the way you do. I want our boys to be as passionate and competitive as you are. I want our girls to be confident in their own skin the way you are. You have so many amazing qualities that if our kids can be half of what you are, I would be the luckiest husband and dad in the world.
You are the most amazing human in the world. You are my person today and each day we have left on this earth together. You have made navigating this life so much easier than it should be because of your profound love and affection for me.
I love you more today than I did yesterday — but not nearly as much as I will tomorrow.
