10 years. TEN YEARS!

When we first met in college, we were both taking a boring anthropology class called The Comparative Aesthetics of Beauty (aka bizarre course given to a whack job professor so he could work out all of his psychosocial issues and give students college credit for surviving all at the same time). I would peak in the classroom first and if he wasn't there, I'd bail. We managed to meet up one afternoon right before class and decided to skip class and get ice cream instead.

If we actually managed to endure class we would walk home together. I knew he was headed home, and even though I needed to be back up at the library in an hour, I wanted to spend as much time with him as I could. Half way home he'd take the road that led to his house and I continued to my apartment. Once the coast was clear, I'd head back up to campus.

A couple weeks later was "A Day" on campus...a day for school spirit, games, ditching classes, and simply celebrating being an Aggie. He said he'd call me. I didn't leave my room all day...just waiting for his phone call. Finally he called and invited me to a party that night- I was ecstatic! We walked over to his friend's house and found a quiet (ish) corner to sit on the floor and chat while everyone else blasted loud music and drank. We were enjoying ourselves. Close to midnight though was the Guinness Book or World Records night on campus for the most people kissing at one time. Still...having NEVER kissed me this whole time...he asked if I wanted to go up to the A (it's a statue where you kiss to become a "true Aggie"). He took my hand and led me up the hill just in time for the 10 second count down. It was amazing! We made it into the world record book and became inseparable from that moment on.

*~Only later did I realize he used to skip class too. If he didn't see me, he'd turn the other way and ditch the crazy psychosocial babbling of Professor Whack job. AND I later found out that he lived in the opposite direction of my apartments--so even though he had to be back to work in an hour (on campus) he would walk me 1/2 way home in the WRONG DIRECTION (when neither of us had a reason to be going home for the day) just so we could spend more time together~*

I'm so glad we figured that out because those walks were always way too short anyway. (Besides we no longer needed the excuse...it was love.)

• I remember our first kiss. A DAY.
• I remember our first fight. PICKING OUT WEDDING INVITATIONS.
• I remember our first walk. TO GET AGGIE ICE CREAM.
• I remember our first date. WATCHING THE JAZZ GAME ON THE BIG PROJECTOR AT A FRIEND'S HOUSE AND FEEDING HIS PIRANHA LEFTOVER STEAK.
• I remember the first time you met my parents. AT A KAO CAMPGROUND NEAR THE CANYON.
• I remember the first time I met your parents. AT THE BIG FAMILY REUNION WITH 50 OTHERS.
• I remember the first night we spent together. CAMPING IN THE BACK OF MY PATHFINDER UP THE CANYON--SNUGGLING TO KEEP WARM. (I slept sooo well, sorry you were so uncomfortable all night!)
• I remember the first day I wore my engagement ring. WE HAD TO DRIVE SEPARATE CARS THROUGH THE CANYONS AND I DROVE WITH MY LEFT HAND FLEXED ON THE STEERING WHEEL SO I COULD ADMIRE IT THE WHOLE WAY HOME.
• I remember the first compliments on my ring. AT THE CHEVRON GAS STATION- THE ATTENDANTS FELL IN LOVE WITH IT AND THEN NEARLY FELL OVER WHEN I TOLD THEM I HAD IT LESS THAN AN HOUR!!
• I remember our first night in Park City. IT STORMED. LOTS OF THUNDER AND LIGHTNING! IT WAS AN AMAZING NIGHT!
• I remember the first time I farted in front of you. THE FIRST MORNING OF OUR HONEYMOON-YOU HEARD IT FROM THE SHOWER--impressive. (you on the other hand farted in front of me when we were still dating- in the truck with no one else to blame)
• I remember our first pillow fight. IT WAS ON OUR HONEYMOON AND YOU KNOCKED MY ASS RIGHT OFF THE BED (AND YOU WERE SOOO PROUD OF YOURSELF!)
• I remember the first time I talked to your sister on the phone. SHE WAS TRYING TO REASSURE ME THAT YOU WERE IN LOVE WITH ME AND WANTED TO MARRY ME (this was two nights before you proposed).
• I remember our first (of MANY) roadtrips. DRIVING OUR U-HAUL FROM SALT LAKE CITY TO IOWA (AND YOU TURNED LEFT FROM A LANE YOU "THOUGHT WAS A TURNING LANE"--almost crashed us!)
• I remember the first time we moved. YOU HAD NO IDEA HOW WEAK I REALLY WAS-- TRYING TO GET ME TO MOVE FURNITURE DOWN INTO A BASEMENT APARTMENT?? (you wised up and and put an empty box over my head)
• I remember our first "cell phone". EACH OF US HAD A PAGER FOR $9.95/mo AND BEGAN THE 9999999- i love you PAGES.
• I remember the first time I told you we were pregnant. I INSISTED ON MEETING YOU ON CAMPUS BEFORE YOUR NEXT CLASS- you were so cute and so happy.
• I remember our first Lamaze class. CHECK INTO CASH! HAHA.
• I remember the first piece of jewelry I gave you. A NECKLACE TO REMIND YOU OF ME...where the dolphins go.

watching Beavis and Butthead reruns, watching a year of Mad About You, then a year of Dharma and Greg, and a year of Will and Grace (a theme maybe?) rollerblading in the library parking lot, rescuing Reggie from the garbage truck (our tall potted tree we managed to sneak into our basement apartment), going to the Dairy Barn for ice cream, picking up bricks and rocks on our walks, feeding the ducks and daring ourselves to have sex in the park (never happened), daring ourselves to go skinny dipping in the public pool (we actually did that one), eating dinner on the floor of our apartment (or on grandma's coffee table), shit break- yes I'd have to take the bus home during school, alex and izzie (our two beautiful Siamese cats), roadtrips to New Mexico and Utah and back again, going to the movies, watching Crank Yankers, meeting at my little chinese fast food restaurant beside campus- Happy China...

happy 10th anniversary.

it's been worth every minute.

i love you. and i love our life together.