and counting...

13 years, 1 month, and 13 days ago, Roger and I were married!

Due to my blogging hiatus over the summer, I never told you about our anniversary!

Roger and I met my Freshman year at Manchester College. He was a senior in college (junior by credits due to a transfer). What I love about how our relationship started is that we became friends first, then quickly realized that our feelings were much stronger than just friends.

My first memory of Roger was the night we met. I was at a MC women's volleyball game with my friend Shelley. We were sitting halfway up the bleachers, when all of a sudden these two guys start moving up from their lower seats. Actually no, my first memory is of him sitting in the front row of these bleachers with another girl, just staring up at me with what I like to call, his "puppy dog" eyes. Personally, I found it very annoying. :) Then my next memory of him, was of him coming up the bleachers with his friend, the boy. We will call him Bert.

Little did I know, that that first encounter, would be the first of many in the next few weeks. He just showed up everywhere! He came to my intramural sand volleyball games and cheered me on. He sat by me in convo. And we talked...and talked...and talked. I found him very funny, and he always made me laugh.

Our relationship progressed very quickly. By Christmas, he bought me an emerald ring. I considered it a promise ring. By Valentines Day, we were actually discussing L.O.V.E. and all that that entails. By the summer, we couldn't stay away from each other. We lived three hours away from each other, and hated those long drives to each other's homes every weekend, because we knew that in a few days, we would have to leave again.

I remember walking through the Castleton Mall, when he pulled me over to a jewelery store. Oh how I loved that! I was so impressed because I could tell he had actually done his homework on diamonds. He was asking about size, and color, what style I liked. I ended up finding one that I just fell in love with! A couple weeks later, we went back to that same store, and you'll never guess! The ring was gone!

Talk about heartbreak!

I believe it was July 7th. Roger was up for the weekend and he suggested we go on a picnic. He wanted to go somewhere we hadn't gone before. I was pretty excited about this, and found all sorts of recipes for hors devours that I wanted to make, and marinated chicken to grill, got a cute little picnic basket...We went to the park, had a wonderful lunch, and took a walk.

As we were walking on a trail, we came up to a wishing well. That's what I like to think of it anyway...He stopped me right there on the trail, got down on his knee, told me he couldn't live without me, and popped the question! I couldn't believe it either, when he whipped out the very ring that I believed had been sold!

And let me tell you, the surprises have never stopped!

We were married a year later from the proposal (July 27, 1996), almost two years from when we met. I was a young 20 year old, Roger 23. We were young and in love, and wanted to be married so badly. I wouldn't change anything, if I had to do it all over again. Even though there were some times that were hard, because I needed to finish college, then baby, then job, etc. I would want the same ending over and over and over...

Roger continues to keep me on my toes, and even though I don't laugh at his jokes all the time, I still find him very funny! He continues to love me skinny and plumpy, tired and grumpy, when I am happy, when I'm sad, and most of all when I am just too tired to fix dinner and sick of the kiddos.

Thank you Roger for these last 13 years, 1 month, and 13 days of marriage. They have all been worth it!

So for our anniversary this year, we tried out a restaurant that we have been wanting to go to in Granger. It's called Yesterdays. We absolutely loved it!!! Portions are insane, the people are great, food is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G, and the atmosphere is very eclectic!

Don't freak out too much, but this was our appetizer. It was roasted garlic smothered in blue cheese. OH.MY.WORD. I have no more words to say.

This happy tray, was filled with fake versions of all their desserts! We were so full that we refused. But they knew it was our anniversary, so they brought us about 8 scoops of vanilla with chocolate drizzed all over it, and a candle on top. Then they had everyone sitting outside around us, sing Happy Anniversary to us! So sweet!

This is us! Ready to roll out to the car!