My Eternal Valentine

Today was supposed to be my wedding day.

Well not today, but today 11 years ago. 2-14-00. We referred to the date in code "twenty-one, four-hundred" so none of our family or friends got it. It was our "one day"...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

At sixteen I went on my first ever blind date. I never thought my date might end up being twenty and sporting a stylish goatee. In fact, I was such a straight arrow that the facial hair made me leery, but no more than a twenty year old who didn't have anything other than work going in his life. My dad was a doctor. I had high expectations!

And then he made me laugh.

Magic. We talked, we laughed. During our "activity", a volleyball game, (since he was on the opposite team) he served right to me every time! (He swears that wasn't his intention.) Granted, I was not overly impressed, but on our second date I knew.

We dated 5 months. He went away for two years on a service mission and we wrote every week, all the time planning toward this perfect 21-400. Finally after two and a half years of waiting, we were reunited--and his family wanted us to hold out for ANOTHER 6 months!!!

I came home from college, and we got married in January--because his parents planned to be out of town over our coveted date. Oye! Well, what can you do? I got the man, and two weeks sooner than I'd anticipated, so now we have an extended celebration: every year we celebrate an anniversary, and laugh about 21-400.

Here's to the sweetest man in the world who supports my dreams and tells me he loves me every day! Happy Valentines day Matthew.