Thirteen Years

Thirteen years ago today, this guy and I went on our first date, my first-ever date, to see Mission to Mars. We even held hands…after half the movie spent with our arms awkwardly on the arm rests, just in case the other was willing to go first. Once safely deposited back in my parents driveway, we made it official….and were boyfriend and girlfriend.

I expected it to last a few weeks before this guy realized I was my own brand of Crazy and went running for the hills…..

Thirteen years later, I’m still waiting for that.

Thirteen years ago, if you had told me all that the past thirteen years would have entailed I know I wouldn’t have  believe you, but I’m not sure if I would have laughed, cried, denied it or went running, in the opposite direction.

As you can imagine 5 1/2 years of dating, while living 300 miles apart for 8 months out of the year, with 2 months out of the year being without communication with each other, isn’t for the faint of heart. Particularly after you throw in some good family/sibling dramas.

Top it off with a fun filled wedding, a dash of house renovations, a good dollop of major back issues {resulting in Matt not being able to work or move from our couch for over a year, and seeing a variety of doctors throughout the North East for two years, before we had a solution}, add in a hefty helping of infertility, resulting in 2 pregnancies and 4 children…and that’s been our life together for the past 13 years.

That said. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It has been an incredible ride and I honestly can’t wait to see what the next 13 years bring, because if nothing else God has shown up every single time, every single day.

What makes us work? {Besides God} We’re both stubborn and flat out REFUSE to quit. While other couples were constantly taking a break and getting back together, we both agreed if that was the case, we were done. If it wasn’t working, then it wasn’t ever going to work. But we do, work….it is a lot of work, our friendship, our marriage, our kids, our house, our life…it’s all work, but we work well together.

And, yea, I would NEVER have believed any of it, the crazy that is my-life-in-the-White-house, but it has been SO, SO worth it.