Nine Years and Counting...

I was dating the ultimate bachelor.  He was never going to get married.  We had been dating a year, and I wasn't going to continue down this road we were on.  I had known for years (4) that I was going to marry Mike, and if it didn't happen for us, then I would probably be single forever. 

After a dramatic night (which happened to fall on Whitney's birthday and she'll NEVER let me live it down) Mike and I sat in his car outside the office and he said "ok lets get married" or something along those lines.  We left work a little early that day to go and pick out a ring.  This was Monday the 19th of February 2001.  By Saturday morning we were on a plane to Hawaii to tie the knot.  Just the two of us, at sunset, barefoot in the sand.  I had often dreamt of a wedding like this, but never realized that it could be real. It was the perfect start to our life together. 

We balance each other out.  We don't fight much, and if we do the fights last about 1 minute.  We laugh a lot and laugh at each other.  We talk about everything.  We are friends, partners, and parents.

We never knew we wanted kids.  We both kind of didn't have that in our plan.  But boy do we love our boys.  They have brought so much fun and laughter into our house (they have also brought sleepless nights).  Seeing Mike with our two kids has changed the way I love him.  The roles we have taken on as parents are completely opposite of what I thought they'd be.  I thought he would be the strict mean parent and I would be the fun one.  I WAS WRONG.  Mike is like a little kid with our boys.  Playing games, talking to them, teaching Jake letters and words.  Its amazing to me how having kids can pull this piece of him out I never knew was there. 

Mike is a great husband and the best dad two kids could ever ask for.  Each night as we fall asleep (currently all together) I say a little prayer of thanks for this great family I was blessed with.  I can't believe its been 9 years.  I can't believe the bachelor actually wanted to marry me....

I was told the Friday before we left for Hawaii "if you stalk someone long enough, I guess he'll marry you."  I guess my stalking paid off cause I got the love of my life.

Happy Anniversary Mike, love you.