Warning: Abnormal Amounts of Sentiment Present

Nine years ago today, I stood in my parents' driveway and got all giddy and almost swallowed my heart when he said "Will you be my girlfriend?" Being nervous, I immediately countered with "Will you be my boyfriend?" and he, being nervous, said "I asked you first!"

I can't believe that I was seventeen years old when we met. The next year we both went away to different schools and everyone said we'd never last. There are more fish in the sea. Long-distance relationships never work. You'll meet someone else. He'll meet someone else.

And it was hard, and over the years we have broken up and gotten back together lots of times. This time it's for ever. For ever ever. And to commemorate this amazing achievement in the relationship category, I give you...

Nine Reasons Why I Love This Man
9. Green eyes. Swoon-worthy.
8. This weekend when I was getting overwhelmed with wedding-stuff shopping, he hugged me in the store for a really long time.
7. The most thinking-of-others man I have ever met. Generous, caring, thoughtful.
6. He's an acrobat/stuntman at heart. He loves doing all these crazy flips and jumps and things that I'm too scared to do. He goads me into trying them, the is patiently supportive when I wimp out.
5. Best sense of humor ever.
4. He's not a Type A personality (I am). He calms me down and reminds me that very little in this life is worth getting that worked up over.
3. He's a handsome devil.
2. He tolerates the stash.
1. He has been so helpful in this whole wedding process that if I weren't already doing so by marrying him, I would endow him with half of my worldly goods anyway.

Nick, you're a good man. I am proud to be (future-ly speaking) your wife. Happy Anniversary.

(There were going to be pictures, but Blogger had other ideas.)