10 years ago I married the most wonderful guy.
Our love story began in the summer of 2000.
Our first meeting was July 11 to be exact. I was working as a CNA at the hospital, which meant I worked 3, 12hr shifts a week. That left quite a bit of free time, if I didn't pick up any extra shifts. On a hot July morning I got a call from Tom. Tom was Theresa's husband and Theresa was a nurse I worked with. Anyways, Tom called and asked if I would like to go water skiing with him and his friend Jason. Jason worked in retail and Tom was a pilot and they just needed to find someone else with an unusual work schedule that could go out to the lake on weekday too. I didn't even have to think about it, I was in.
Now just so you know I wasn't expecting to meet my future husband, which is the case for most of us when we leave the house, but that was just who I was about to meet. The funny thing is, that Tom was a lot older than me, like in his late 30's so I figured his friend Jason would be his age too.
I pulled up to the gas station, our meeting place, stepped out of my white ford fiesta with the blue hood and walked over. I immediately realized that Tom's friend was not Tom's age but instead my age or as I'd later find out, at least still in his 20's.
We had lots of fun out on the lake that day. And all I specifically remember was that I thought Jason was totally cute. Plus, I'll never forget that when I asked him to guess my age he guessed 25. That never, and I mean never happens to me, people always say I look younger than I am. I had a date that night that I had to get back for, but I remember all I could think about was Jason, and wondered when would be the next time we'd see each other.
The next day when I went to work, Theresa was working too, she said Jason asked her, to ask me, for my number. Yes!
So we start dating. I really liked him. He was so interesting. He'd lived in Hawaii, been to Africa and Costa Rica. He loved to travel and that impressed this Idaho girl. He was a gentleman. He had a career. He was determined and goal oriented. He was an all around great guy. I helped him celebrate his 29th birthday and then a couple weeks later he told me he was taking a traveling job with EB and that he'd been gone 4-6 weeks at a time. I couldn't believe it. Good bye great guy, it was nice to know you. And so, I really didn't think it'd ever work out.
But how would I know that the one thing I thought would pull us apart actually would end up bringing us closer together. It was during those weeks he was gone that we spent hours talking late into the night about everything and anything and connecting. We really got to know each other. It was better than dating. On a date you chat a bit over dinner, sit through a 2 hour movie, and then go home. But instead of that we talked and shared everything.
By Christmas I was head over hills for him. On my birthday he told me he loved me. In March he was asking me for my opinion on what color to paint the house he was building. In May I went to meet his parents. And on the fourth of July, after a day spent on the lake boating with my family, he proposed to me. Yes!
On our wedding day I'll never forget Jason words to me as we drove to the reception.
He told me that when he's on his death bed he wants to hear me say that I'd had a wonderful life, full of love. I cried. I cry now thinking of those touching words and all that he does everyday to do just that.
Our marriage is full of love. And that love continues to grow, especially with the addition of these two beautiful daughters of ours.
