Be Mine, Valentine Forever

2 years into our relationship and a "few pounds lighter" haha

Today not only do we celebrate Valentine's Day in our house, we also celebrate our anniversary when we started dating. We are not quite sure if Valentine's was the exact date, since it was a gradual courtship, but it is the day we chose to count the years we've been together. It seems like we have been together forever but it also feels like with a blink of an eye we have made it to the point we are today. Wierd to feel like "forever" has gone by sooo fast. This year we have been together a total of 14 years and married for eight of those years. WOW! I've been with Bobby for more than half of my living years.



We met when I was 5 and he was 9. Our brothers, Dane and Brian always take reponsibility for us meeting. It was through their preschool class that our families met and became friends. They had a boat and so did we, so we spent many weekends at the lake together. I can't say I have always loved Bobby, because at one point he was MEAN to me. This was the preteen years though, and I have since "let it go." I was the only girl among my three brothers and the two Parks boys, but I can't say I didn't love it. I mean...I ALWAYS got to be the princess when we played guns and who doesn't want to always be a princess.



I developed a school girl crush on Bobby around 10 and he still wanted nothing to do with me. He was funny and attractive and I was 10. My brothers finally convinced me to tell them who I like when I was 12. They swore they wouldnt tell a soul. I said I liked Bobby and the first thing the little asses do is call him up and tell him. He probably said (to my recollection), "I'm playing Nintendo," and hung up. Not until my "top half" developed did he finally decide I was cool enough to take a chance on. I guess for boys that's all it takes.



I knew I wanted to marry him since I was 12. Most people would laugh when I was so sure I was going to marry him at such a young age...but I knew. There were many qualities along the way that made him AMAZINg to me. One story that sticks out:



Once our parents left Bobby in charge while the adults went out to dinner. My younger brother Neal had fallen and got a cut. I think we were doing something we weren't suppose to be doing, like flying off the top bunk or something. I don't know if it was because Bobby didn't want to get in trouble or because he has a great heart, but he took Neal in the bathroom and plugged the sink. He continued to pull everything out of the medicine cabinet and mix it in the sink to make a "potion" to heal Neal. He mixed cough syrup, antibiotics, vaseline, lotion, anything and everything. By the end of his potion making, we were all in histarics, even Neal. Neal forgot he was hurt and none of us were going to tell the parents what happened.



I remember that night thinking what a great Dad he would make and that I loved him. Not a little girl type of crush but I knew that he would always be the kind of guy who made things better. Nothing has changed. Even now as I write this, he is putting the kids to sleep so I can relax and all I hear is them laughing.



Here's to 14 years of being each others Valentine and always wanting it to be that way...

And that's not just the wine talking (although I apologize in advance for the mushiness...I am a few glasses in already)