13 Years Ago Today...

I was fifteen - a sophomore in high school - and I went on a date that changed my life.

 It was highly anticipated.  Friends had been telling me for weeks that Rick had a crush on me, but being so shy, he had never actually talked to me about it.  He sent me an email telling me he was interested in asking me out, and was I interested back, but even after I responded in the affirmative, he was quiet.  We had geometry and a music class together, in addition to all our youth group activities, but still, nothing.

Probably our first ever picture together - first grade Sunday school party at Gage Park.  He has a patch on his eye and I'm the one with the cool cat shirt.

Finally, on January 24th, 2000, after weeks of this sort of behavior, we ended up walking to class together.  I decided to help him out.  It went something like this:

Me: "Hey, did you have something you wanted to talk to me about?"
Him: "Yeah, I, uh, I was going to ask you if you wanted to have dinner tomorrow night.  I'm sixteen tomorrow, so I can drive.  I can come pick you up." (insert cool-guy grin here)
Me: "Sounds good."
Him: "Cool.  I'll pick you up at 6:00."
Me: "Sounds good."

Fast-forward to 5:45 the next night - Tuesday, January 25th, 2000 - and I was home alone.  I'm not sure where everyone else was, but I had changed my outfit several times, applied more make-up than I ever would have normally, and was waiting calmly for 6:00 to arrive.

Bus ride to a summer mission trip the summer after our first date.

He pulled into the driveway at 5:59 and knocked on the door promptly at 6:00.  We went to Chili's and sat in the 2nd booth on the left by the bathrooms.  We ordered chips, salsa, and ranch, and then I ordered chicken crispers and dipped them in ketchup, and he made fun of me for it for the first of many, many times.  He told me he really liked me, that he was serious about starting a relationship the right way, and then he asked me if I would like to be his girlfriend.

Enter thirteen years of joys, trials, chaos, hilarity, schools, travels, hardships, and love.  Enter high school graduation, a traumatic breakup (and reunion a mere week later), and going to college.  Enter proposal, what felt like a FOREVER long engagement, and a beautiful wedding.  Enter two cities, three apartments, one rental, and one house.  And enter two, beautiful, perfect children.

Not sure when this was...junior year?

People often tell me how lucky I am to have found my soul mate as a fifteen-year-old.  I disagree.  Not about the soul mate part, but about the luck part.  Luck has had no part this story.  Our marriage, though not perfect by any stretch, is based firmly on the belief that God planned us for each other and has given us an incredible gift in the other.  And even though we may at times get frustrated with each other, we are committed to each other and our marriage.

So happy 29th birthday and happy 13th anniversary to the love of my life.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Spring before we got engaged.