7 years today!!!

It was 7 years ago today Mike and I went on our first date... that day laid forth the future steps we would have. Although at times they were rocky and we both weren't sure if we would make it. Here we stand 7 years later, laughing and having a good ole time. I can still remember the first time I saw him. I just started working at Target as an "Assets Protection officer"... I remember a few days before I ever met him I looked at the schedule for the week and I saw his name. For some reason at that moment I got butterflies in my tummy. I was standing at the front of Target trying to "enjoy" my job and in walks this bouncy boy/man. He was wearing black cords and a white t-shirt and I swear at that moment I knew. Is that possible?

Over the next week or so (he trained me), we got to know each other while we worked. He finally asked me if I wanted to hang out with him on Friday and I gave him my number. Friday rolled around and I waited ALL day for him to call. I was getting irritated that he hadn't called me and then finally he did. He came and picked me up and to my surprise he had a friend in the car, I thought this was a date? We went to his house and waited for ANOTHER one of his friends to join us (again, WHAT?) and off we went... bowling. I hate bowling but I thought I could get out of it because I was wearing sandals with no socks, but Mike volunteered his second pair... eww was I really gonna wear socks that were already on his feet? I remember putting them on and the fact that they were still warm and a little sweaty could have just thrown me over the edge.

Friday, July 13th, 2001. That was the first day of many, the day that set forth our future! To say things have been hard for us would be an understatement, but it has made us that much stronger and that much more in love with each other! Mike and I started a relationship and then 2 months later moved in together and then a month after that we got pregnant. To say we did things a little backwards isn't even the start of it. But here we are 7 years, 7 years later!!! We have two beautiful children and we still love each other so very very very much.

I had been through a lot prior to meeting Mike... each relationship I had chipped away at my heart and I was very broken and untrusting when I met Mike. All I ever wanted in life was to find someone to sweep me off my feet and love me with all they had. I had made a list about a month prior to meeting Mike of all the things I had wanted in a man/relationship, I put it out there and then walked in Mike (literally and figuratively). I feel like he was brought into my life for so many reasons one of which to show me what true love meant. He truly is the best person I could have ever picked to be the man to walk with me through all life's ups and downs. He has seen the WORST of me and I hope the best of me. He truly is my best friend and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank my lucky stars that God brought him into my life when I needed him most.