HOW I MET YOUR FATHER~

Me & Bob at a friends wedding in '97

It was 13 years ago this night that Bob and I re-met. 

We were both home from college, me OSU and Bobby RIT.  The night before Thanksgiving is the best party night for college kids and 20-somethings, as everyone is home from school and it's like a huge reunion wherever you go.

Back in 1995, the Flats in Cleveland was a hot spot.  I was at Oconner's Irish Pub (underage, but my friends Mom owned the bar.)  I still remember what I was wearing...black pants and a white belly shirt.  I had just done a shot of Jager and in typical Amanda style, I spilled half of the shot on my shirt.  So there I was, in a white shirt with a dark liquor spilled all over the front of it.

I saw Bob as I was walking back from the ladies room.  I had not seen him since I was in high school, so it had been a few years.  I was now 19 and he was 22.  

He walked over to me with his big, gorgeous smile and said "Hey, remember me?"

I acted like I didn't because I was playin' the game.  After he "reminded" me how I knew him, we spent the rest of the night catching up.

As I was leaving, he walked me outside and gave me a kiss.  My heart melted.

For the rest of the Holiday break, we hung out as much as possible.  I was falling hard and fast and I knew it.  But I never knew we would make it through the years of separate colleges in different states, Army life and deployments, and lots of stupid mistakes in between it all.  We did a lot of growing up together.

Now here we are 13 years later.  We have eight years of marriage under our belts and two kids.  It is still hard to believe it all.  

So now that I am a 30-something wife and momma, this night is still one of my favorites.  Thankfully I don't hit the bars anymore.  Instead, I spend it with my hubby and kids, prepping everything for Thanksgiving, drinking some wine, listening to music and being truly thankful for what we have.  

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!  

Our 1st New Years together...we went to Times Square

LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN

Saturday is me and Bob's 7 year wedding anniversary. I can't believe we've been married that long, until I see our wedding photos and we look so young. Then I look back and realize we have been a couple for 12 years. Holy smokes, it feels like yesterday when I "re-met" him at O'Conners and pretended I didn't remember who he was b/c he was a jerk when I first met him in 10th grade. But I knew who he was and was ready to faint when I saw him approaching me. It was 5 years after our first encounter and I never forgot about him. I still had a crush on him and when we got to talking, I realized that he had grown up from that high school boy and turned into a charming college man.

We've been through a lot together. Who hasn't when you have so many years logged in. But the good times and the bad, he has always been there for me. For better, for worse.
I am proud of the family we have become. We are blessed by all the people in our lives who only help make our love stronger. The family and friends that have surrounded us through out the years. Lots of love here. Lots of love.