If someone had told us then, would we have believed them?

On October 22, 1995 Bobby and I had our first date. Along with his brother Neil (who set up the event for us) and a friend of mine, we went to Old Chicago for dinner followed by a few games of pool. I'll never forget (a very outgoing) Neil talking (a very shy) Bob into doing his best cookie monster impression over Old Chicago's signature giant chocolate chip pan cookie.
Be still my heart. :-)

To celebrate 16 years of not only togetherness, but wonderful, exceptional, often extraordinarily blissful happiness we took the kids out to the scene that marked The Beginning.

As we sat in a booth enormous enough to host the now 9 members of our family, I couldn't help but wonder what we would have thought if on that first date, someone would have told us all that time would bring the 2 of us? Would our 20 and 21 year old selves have run at the thought of (7!) children, 5 births, 2 adoptions, 3 mortgages, difficult career choices, gain, loss, trials, victories, tears, amazement, disappointment,  the departure of youthful idealism rightfully replaced with far more gracious realistic acceptance? Could we have possibly envisioned the way the years would change us, altering our perspectives, our faces, our bodies, deepening our commitment? Would we ever have been able to forsee the myriad of decisions that would need to be made - some poorly, some well? Remembring our younger selves, I'm certain we could not have imagined all that the future would hold. Time had to unfold it slowly before our eyes, one step at a time - lesson by lesson, day by day, choice by choice, joyfully, painfully. As gradually as the fullness of our lives came to us, glancing back over the years, it seems to have flown by.

Not for a moment do I take lightly the blessing of being able to say that throughout each of the joys and sorrows this life has had to offer, amidst the array of ups and downs that inevitably accompany the unwrapping of each new phase, our relationship has truly been a source of fun, stability, support, and fulfillment, a refuge. People say it all the time and I know it's true for many of us - I am married to my best friend. For that, I am forever grateful and in awe of my good fortune.

On October 22, 2011 we shared a giant chocolate chip cookie.....
along with the people we love most and countless fond memories.

Be still my full, full heart.