Ocho

Well, today is my eighth wedding anniversary. Can you believe it's already been a year since my last one? This anniversary I wanted to talk a little bit about my man if you'll permit...
I first saw Mike on my first day of college at BYU. He and I were sitting across the circle from each other at our orientation group. I saw him and was immediately attracted so I decided I would smile at him and not look away until he did. That was a first for me. Anyhow, Mike decided he would be confident too so we had a good long look at each other. It was probably only two seconds long but it felt like an eternity! Within a few minutes of introduction and some silly get to know you activities some girl came up and said he and his roommate were in the wrong group and were supposed to be in hers. I was totally disappointed and for the rest of the day I looked for him among the thousand or so students wandering around with their "Y" groups. I saw him a few times that day and that night at the dance I looked everywhere for him. I finally spied him leaving the dance with a couple other guys. I grabbed a roommate and a new friend and dragged them after me in hot pursuit. Another act of confidence that was totally not me - I was trying a new way of being at college. Really I was kind of trying to do what I thought my best friend and hottie from high school Marisa would do. Anyhow, we finally caught up to them a little ways out of the dance and said, "Hey, where do you think you're going?" Mike turned around and said something like, "Us? Nowhere...we're going back to the dance." So I grabbed his hand - trembling the whole way and walked back to the dance. We danced and I thought he was an amazing dancer and was terrified that he would feel how much I was shaking by this point! We finished out the night talking and dancing and that was it - we parted ways and went home. I didn't see him again for a couple days and didn't know if I ever would again.

Then that Sunday I was a couple minutes late for church(me, late? never.) It was held in a amphitheater-like classroom so when my roomie Mary and I walked in we were seen by everyone and could in turn see everyone there. As I was about to sit I thought I caught a glimpse of that guy from the dance so I spent the next twenty minutes or so trying to non discreetly turn around and see if indeed it was him. You can't really do that non discreetly by the way. Well, it was him and by some chance we had ended up in the same ward or congregation. And the rest is history...well, not really but I don't have time to explain how quickly I fell for him, how he then left to serve a two year mission, and how we married very soon(4 months) after he got home - too quick from my now adult perspective! But it all worked out so I guess it's okay.

So here we are many years later - with two kids and one on the way(like in two days). And I really never knew it could be so good. Somehow looking across that orientation circle many years ago my subconscious sensed that this man would do the dishes and vacuum pretty much every day, and that he'd not mind that I am a gassy person, and that he'd like the same movies as me and would want to watch them as often as I do, or that he'd have almost as many moles as me(well, not that many - but at least he's got a few). Because somehow he does/has all of those things and I'm not sure I knew that he would before I married him. Sometimes fate does really good things for you.

He's the boy/man of my dreams. If you look at the list I made when I was 17 or so he'd fill every requirement and then some. Except he is still not really amazing at back massages and I did put that towards the top of my list. But he's getting better all the time... And I love him more than ever. He's so good to me. He is the most unselfish person I know. And that is amazing that I can say that when I get to see him behind closed doors. But he works like a dog all day and comes home and serves us all until he goes to bed. He's really funny and makes me laugh hard all of the time. But most people don't know that because he is kind of shy. He is also super nice and gets teary eyed any time he hears about others going through pain or rough times. And he's a great Dad. I only hope my boys can grow up to be a man like he is. He keeps getting better at things too - amazing me every step of the way. Lately, he's gotten really good at fixing things around our house or our cars. Neither of us thought he'd be good at it but he decided he wanted to be so he has learned how to be and works hard to solve all of the problems around the house. And in the end, he's totally hot. And he keeps getting better looking. I hate that boys can do that.

Here are some facts you may not know about him:

-He graduated with a degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development which means he's an awesome husband because he read all of those relationship books we're all trying to get our husbands to read!

-He had a leading role in several plays in high school including playing Snoopy in a musical. And I said he is shy? Weird, but he is sometimes.

-He's a really good runner though he works so much(like his short days are 12 hours) that he doesn't get much time to pursue it - but he's always trying to.

-He's a really good movie critic. And even though I spent years in school studying it - he may be a better one than me. I get too emotionally involved and sometimes I'm kinda dense. He always has really good perspective on them. I wouldn't rather watch a movie with anyone but him.

-He is destined to be a pastry chef - his baking skills are impeccable - but will probably keep that talent only as a hobby - much to my delight(because I eat all of his treats) and my demise(because I eat all of his treats).

Whew - that was a long post. In the end I just wanted to say that I'm really happy to be married to Mike. That I'll take whatever life can throw at me as long as I get to be with him when it hits.

But anyhow, happy anniversary sweetheart!