Friday, February 15th, 2002

This was the day...



My family got up at the crack of dawn and drove me to Detroit Metro. It was the first flight I have ever flown alone, the second time I had flown in my life. I had an eight AM flight and I was way early. I remember my parents kissing me goodbye. Waiting and watching until I got through security. I was fighting back tears as I turned around to wave. I found my gate and there I waited. I was wondering what the heck I was doing. I was convinced that I had gone crazy.



My flight was empty and I had a window seat. Half-way through my flight I had calmed down and was enjoying the beautiful clear day and the gorgeous view of Lake Michigan. I was just hoping He would be there waiting.



I will never forget the first time I saw him. I turned the corner, my eyes scanning back and forth, looking for him. I walked a little further and there he was. Our eyes met. I remember thinking that he looked really nervous. Rather than have an awkward stare down, I focused on something else until I got closer. I walked up to him, said hey, and that's how my weekend began.



Things I will never forget...



...I will never forget how many times Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James just happened to be playing throughout the weekend when we were in the car, whether it be on CD or radio. I later learned, he planned it that way. I guess just a subtle hint.



...I will never forget him being so incredibly tired and falling asleep on the couch next to me almost immediately after getting back to his place. It is kinda comical looking back on it. I was left sitting there wondering if I was really that boring, if I really made him that comfortable, and if it was a taste of how my weekend with him was going to go.



...I will never forget my tour of historical Woodstock, particularly a review of the movie, Ground Hog Day. I tried to act interested. In reality, I just liked being with him and hearing the sound of his voice...what he said, I have no idea.



...I will never forget going to Junior High youth group with him. He was a leader. I saw him light up instantly. I knew this was his heart. I remember sitting there watching him. It's the moment where I realized there might be something there and he might be a little bit attractive. :-)



...I will never forget sleeping until past ten Saturday morning, coming down with no make up, my hair a mess, in my Pj's and him and his parents sitting around the table waiting for me. Apparently my Dad had warned them about my habit of walking around in my underwear...embarrassing, but true. Not that weekend though.



...I will never forget the day in the city. He spent an incredible amount of money, which I feel bad about to this day. I thought everyone got paid vacation time. He didn't and he didn't have much money to spare either. He took me to Navy Pier and we saw a movie on the IMAX screen. I told him a few months later that I would have probably held his hand if he would have reached for mine...he didn't touch me the whole weekend except to hug me when we said goodbye.



...I will never forget saying good bye to him at the airport. I waited as long as I could to make my way through security. We hugged longer than friends do. I wondered when I would see him again.



...I will never forget the plane ride home. I am glad it was dark because as I glanced back at the city, tears filled my eyes. I knew I could not live without him.



...I will never forget him calling me almost immediately after my plane landed to see if I was okay. My parents said that there was something new in my eyes...a little sparkle.



...I will never forget the email from him that was waiting for me when I got home. I printed it out and still have it to this day. It said, among other things that I was the one and he loved me. I was convinced I was going to marry him.

The rest is history. We dated for six months. Got married six months after that. Here we are coming up on our sixth wedding anniversary. I have never loved him more.