I love you to the moon & back.

For as long as I can remember, I have used that phrase when telling my boys how much I love them. As they grew up, we would get in a 'contest' proclaiming how much we loved each other.

Me: To the moon & back.

Ben and/or John: To the moon & back times a million trillion.

The game would go on as we tried to 'one up' the other. Many times we just proclaimed 'to infinity and beyond'.

Tonight, after dinner, Ben noticed a new wooden sign by the kitchen sink that had 'our' phrase on it.

Confused, he asked me if I made it. I replied, no, I bought it at Hallmark.

He got this look on his face - a look of confusion - and then said he thought I had made that phrase up.

No, Ben. I didn't make that phrase up, but it holds true.

I love you and John to the moon & back.