Nine years ago...

Nine years ago today I went on the last first date of my life. I met Kolt while working at Convergys in Pocatello, ID in 2002. I thought he was cute but heard through the grapevine that he had a girlfriend, so I flirted but kept my distance. I was pleasantly surprised when I got a phone call from him to go out for Valentine's Day later on that week. I found out later he broke up with his girlfriend on February 13th to go out with me on the 15th. She was none too pleased, but her loss was my gain.

Kolt made me dinner and cheesecake from scratch. We went to a dance, to the movies, then hung out with his friends. I had NEVER kissed on a first date until that night, and I swear I knew then that I never wanted to kiss anyone else again. Six week later we were engaged and 6 months after that we were married. I was 18, he was 21 on that first date, 19 and 22 when we got married. Many people would kill their 19 year old daughter for being so quick to commit to a guy she barely knew, but it was RIGHT. I felt it from the top of my head to my tips of my toes after that first date. And knowing him now like I do, the fact that he committed to me so quickly is SO unlike him. He's shopped for cars longer than it took him to propose to me. I think he's shopped for shoes longer than 6 weeks, but I imagine he felt it too, that there would never be anyone else in the world who he would love as much.

When I think back over what we've been through in nine years together, that first date seems like a life time ago. We've graduated from college, bought and sold a house, moved across the country, joined the Air Force, suffered loss, and most importantly, finally had our gorgeous baby girl. We've grown individually and as a couple, and we're stronger because of it.

What I love most about us though, is that after nine years, I STILL get butterflies when I think about him. I'm excited to see him at the end of the day, miss him when he's away, and would rather be with him than anyone else in the world. We have our ups and downs, as all couples do, but at the end of the day, no matter what, I'm still crazy about him and he's still crazy about me, and that's the kind of love that lasts.