Then First of Eight Decades.

Over the weekend, my hubby and I celebrated the ten year anniversary of when we first met. It just so happens to fall on the day before his birthday, so luckily it's hard for us to forget.

Our first meeting was nothing out of a epic romance novel. It was not love at first sight, no fireworks exploded overhead, nor were we inseparable after we laid eyes on each other. We didn't move in together the next day (that came some 6 months later) and I definitely didn't think of him as my soul mate. I always hear people say that without an instant, powerful connection, there is little chance of a long lasting relationship. I saw it the other way. Slow and steady usually to wins the race, and while some of those explosive relationships have fizzled out, ours seems like it could make it for the long haul.

We met how most people meet. Basically, a girl walked into a bar and met up with 3 other girls, who somehow ended up sharing a table with the group containing 4 single guys. At first glance I definitely thought he was a cutie, the best of the bunch, and after a few hours of conversation (and an equal number of pitchers of beer) we realized we had a ton in common (I somehow managed to find the only other surfer in the entire city of Baltimore) and we exchanged numbers. The next day he did something that no man before him ever did, he called!!!!!!!!  and asked me out for the next weekend. We were both in the end stages of complicated relationships, and while we casually dated, it wasn't until a few months later that we finally felt that we were meant to be. From that moment on I pretty much knew I was going to marry the kid. Three months later we moved in together, less than a year later we were engaged, and we were married that next January.  I was 24, he was 27 and we said on our wedding day that it was pretty cool that we could possibly be together for almost 80 years!

Now, 10 years, and 2 kids later we are still going strong. Sure, we've had our up and down years, and we often drive each other bananas, but when your husband looks at you on your 10 year anniversary, and says "can you believe you have to put up with me for 70 more?" you know you've found your true love!

Moral of the story: It's never a bad idea to marry your best friend (explosive fireworks or not) and drinking on a Monday can be a good thing, you never know who you're going to meet!

January,  2004 

(I can't believe how young we look... we were practically babies!!!)

Happy Anniversary to my handsome hubby!