Thursday, December 8, 2011

10 Years and Counting

Also, a month and counting. Nearly a whole month since I last posted. Sometimes I find myself not posting because I'm not sure who all my readers are and don't want to ruffle feathers. I hate to self censor but sometimes, I feel like I've had enough conflict in my life, I don't need any more.

More often than not though, I am busy. And now that Christmas is upon us, it is even busier. But I'm not complaining, I love Christmas! I will complain about the lack of snow though. December and no real precipitation? Geesh. I have all my Christmas shopping done and almost all of the presents wrapped and under the tree. For me, there is nothing more fun than buying gifts for someone and watching them open it.

Also, posting seems a bit redundant when I post things on Facebook once already. Facebook! It will be the death of all other social platforms!

But this December is also special because it marks 10 years that Jeff and I have been together. We've only been married 7 years but we started dating 10 years ago the first of this month. I had met him for the first time the previous September but by November his group of friends and mine began to hang out more. And by December we agreed to be more exclusive, more or less. (Basically, I think I said, "I'm don't wanna make out with you for fun." and his answer was, "I guess that makes you my girlfriend.") (I wasn't trying to pressure him into anything, I just really didn't want to get my feelings hurt again and I knew by that time, that I really liked him and if he wasn't in the same place, I didn't want to set myself up for heartbreak)

Simple as that. Okay maybe not that simple but pretty much.

It all started with a night sledding with our friends on the hill behind Roskie dorm in Bozeman. I remember sledding face first down the hill over a glass beer bottle and seriously bruising my stomach and upper thighs.

Then an official first date after my work Christmas party to Applebee's and then to see Vanilla Sky which was a horrible movie but I didn't want to tell him but was so relieved when he came out of the theater and said, "That movie sucked."

Another date a few days later, where we went and rented a movie and got ice cream and he got pulled over for having a taillight out.

A Christmas break that lasted forever and we went through about 1000 minutes on phonecards(remember when we still used those things) Then he came up to Great Falls to meet Pat and Joelene. We went to the rodeo.

Then we drove back to Billings and I met his parents. I died my hair back brunette from a wild blond job I had let a friend do. (had to make a good impression) Had dinner at the Granary back when it was still old school. Talk to his Dad at the salad bar about how we were both born in Kansas. Left a CD in his parents car that had very explicit lyrics and was so embarrassed I could've cried.

Hung out every free minute we had the entire second semester.

Both went to our respective homes for the summer. Spent hours on the phone. And hours driving between Great Falls and Billings.

July 4th weekend, he proposed on July 3rd right after I had spun my car out through a ditch by Acton.

And the rest is history.


He is one of the best things to have come into my life. I know I have a lot of baggage. Marriage isn't always easy. We don't always agree or get along. But in the end, I know he has my back, loves me unconditionally(something he had to teach me) and we're partners for everything. Not only is he a great husband, he is an awesome dad. So 10 years down, and to another 10 and another after that and then 10 more and so on.