OH MY...Guess who's turning 35?!?!

My husband turned 35 today.

I find that to be a little surreal seeing that I first met him when he was getting ready to turn 16...he looked liked this:


I was 13. So basically, we grew up together. We began dating around the first few months that we met and had an "off again, on again" or better, "I SAID we were off but you better not date anyone else, Matt!" kind of relationship!

Ironically, he always did wait for me. He's never stopped doing that.

Here he is getting into his car that he had while we dated. I loved this car. You could see...and hear him coming a mile away! We zipped all over town in this bug and have a bucket full of memories those years....


I wouldn't have passed Math without Matt. He was the only guy patient enough to try to keep helping me. This is a picture that my mom took of him at the peak of his frustration with me!....


I have spent every Christmas of my life from 13 to now with Matt. Last Christmas, I secretly tried to remember every one of them. I love that there were too many. Christmas has been differently special since we had children to take the focus but before then...I was a princess. Matt always bought me the 12 days of Christmas and it was very important to him to spoil me with whatever I wanted. Here we are one Christmas exchanging photo albums of our dating at the time. He still has it...
(Notice his pegged pants...what a stud!)


Oddly enough, we were always "on a break" when formal time came around! But, my Senior year we pulled it together.


Matt and I continued to date after high school. We spent alot of time at his parent's house (and mostly by force because it was so small and he was embarrassed to take me around his parents!) I totally fell in love with his parents and felt very much at home there. Matt's mom always made things very quaint and you could tell she loved being at home. Here we are playing a game at their table...


Matt and I always had the best time together. I knew I was happy back then because when I was with him...I didn't want to be anywhere else. He really was my best friend and we laughed and laughed all over the place. We still get asked alot to tell some of our adventurous stories! Matt could crack anyone up and ALWAYS tried back then. Here is a picture of him on the night that we first got engaged...


Matt tells me all the time that I am the only girl he has ever loved or wanted to be with. Can you imagine that? Not many marriages get that kind of history.

Some will say that it is too risky to get married young and that high school sweethearts never make it but I disagree.

Staying married and being loyal is a choice in any relationship. Keeping your vows is something that you are to fight for and submit to because it's right and good. No one particular person or age will make you faithful-faithfulness or unfaithfulness is a condition of your own heart.

Today, I not only celebrate my husband's birthday but also the fact that we are together to share it. Matt is a wonderful man and husband. He's the kind of guy that ticks all the other guys off! You can't match him.

It was like God favored me above all His other daughters when He picked my husband for me...I think of Matt as my "heavenly kiss".

Happy Birthday, Matt. I look forward to many more...

(We still got it, yeah?)
 

Matt's Party...