We Were Just Kids

Six years ago yesterday and it's hard to believe how strongly my heart has become connected to his.

To fill you in, our relationship began unexpectedly.   So unexpectedly, that I can personally say I was greatly taken by surprise when he asked me out to dinner that first time.  I even told him I'd need to think about it and I'd get back to him. (What was I thinking?!)

This was before our relationship began, by at least a year or more.  Baby faces.

Since I accepted his dinner offer, there has not been one day pass where I have wondered about our belonging together.  Not ONE single day.  I have been confident since our beginning that we were meant for one another.  I was not nervous at our wedding.  I had not one single doubt about the decision we made to get married at 22 years old.  Oh yeah, looking back, we were just kids.  But I wouldn't have done it any differently if I had it to do over...again and again.  Spending even one less day with my best friend, my team mate, my soul mate, my love, my support, my encourager, my challenger, my partner in this journey would be like losing a part of me.

Our story is unique and one that will be written in our history books and told to our kids, and their kids, and their kid's kids.

Our first home and Christmas.

In our 6 years we have travelled abroad together, pursued adventures together, lived in places that some have referred to as the "end of the world" together (Spruce St., that was you), fought tooth and nail with one another until we laugh so hard it hurts, watched stars shoot across Maine's vast, uncorrupted night sky together, learned to appreciate (and attempt to identify) the songs of birds and leaves of trees together, and, as if that's not enough, we've come to the point in our journey where the love we've experienced we thought would only cause us to explode if it could grow any bigger, is doing just that.

In two and a half short months we'll have a little one.  Something we've only briefly thought about since our life together began.  Because of this, we have grown individually and as a pair over the past several months.  Thinking about what it means to be a parent, how we want to raise our child, and the teamwork it takes to survive 9 months of pregnancy has truly brought us closer to each other.  I love listening to Dustin talk to my belly and feeling our baby move to the sound of his father's voice.  I love watching and feeling the love that Dustin has for our child even before this baby is a tiny, tangible person to him.  The way he thinks about and considers his role as dad is inspiring to me.  My love for Dustin has grown because of this baby. And I hope that for the rest of our lives.  No matter what life brings or how many kids we have, I believe that our love for one another will grow and grow and grow.  Though it almost seems impossible for my heart to have that much room.

Pie Makers.

He proposed in May of 2007 and we were married in October of 2007.  Five months of preparing for the greatest moment in our lives.  This time, six years later, we are on the brink of another life altering occasion that is only two and half months away.  Since we had dinner at the Canyon Grill on the night of his proposal and we celebrated our 6 year anniversary and the coming of our first child at the same place, we decided that the Canyon Grill is our catalyst.  The place that propels us into a vastly different place in life, causing us to examine and potentially change our perspectives about everything, whether we know it or not.
Last night at dinner, as we revisited this significant place, we talked about our life, our love, and what the future is bringing.
I looked over at him from across our business card covered table and felt overwhelmingly connected to his soul.  I needed to tell him exactly what I told him, that I couldn't imagine living my life without him in it.

And I can't.  Not for one second.

So, I raise a glass to us.  Here's to more living and loving and doing it all plus one.

the rave


P.S.  He just walked in the door carrying Chik-Fil-A chicken mini biscuits.  For me!!!!  Our love is strong.