L is for Love!

Today I'm hanging out over at The Wild and Wonderful World of Gingerssnaps -  I’m excited to be chosen as a guest blogger to celebrate W3G’s 5,000^th page view! I'll start my post here, but to read the whole thing (at least for today) you're going to have to head on over to W3G!  See you there!

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is for Love!

I spend a lot of time talking about my take on things, Little Man, my critters and myself; but I rarely talk about DH – today that changes!  DH (aka my Dear, Darling Hubby) has stood by my side for longer than nearly anyone I know.  He’s been my main squeeze for 14 1/2 years!  His ability to not only tolerate me, but help me find myself and encourage me to chase my dreams is unsurpassed!  This is our (somewhat abbreviated) story…

During the summer of 1998 I lived in Columbia, South Carolina and was a single mom to Baby Girl and Monkey Man working as a waitress at a local bar during the evening/night and staying home with my kids during the day.  It wasn’t easy, but it was certainly easier than being in the marriage that I had left a year and a half earlier.  I had moved to South Carolina the previous summer and my parents missed the kids during the school year, so the kids went to visit my parents for a few weeks.

I was young and free for a one of the few times in my life.  I worked in a bar and most of my friends either worked there or frequented the bar.  On one of my nights off I visited another local bar and chatted with the bartender, a friend of a friend, and DH (who I didn’t know until then).  The conversation was one where I was declaring that I was mighty and strong and “I want the fairytale.”  I convincingly pretended that I had my act together.  That night I was strong and going to conquer the world!  DH fell for it…

The funny thing is, I still didn’t really know who DH was!  One night he came into the bar while I was working and he was really friendly…I was a b**ch and made it clear that his cute flirty-friendliness could just move on down the road.  I was such a fool!

A few months later I was attending a party with all my bar co-workers and friends and one of my friends suggested I sit with their roommate and share a meal because he and I were both thin and didn’t eat much! Ha ha ha!  We sat together, we talked, we drank, we talked more…and by the end of the night we were making out in front of friends!  (And I don’t do PDA!)  I gave him a ride home and my phone number and was certain he’d never call again.

He called!  We talked more.  And talked, and talked, and talked…over the next few weeks DH and I spent tons of time talking on the telephone and getting to know each other.  We talked about anything and everything, it seemed.  He invited me for a dinner date and I joked that I didn’t know if I could eat a meal that didn’t come with a toy at the end.  He took me out to dinner and just as the server was taking away our dishes, he pulled a Pez dispenser out of his pocket – my “toy” at the end of the meal!

    

After that we were nearly inseparable.  In 2000 we bought a house in Florida and moved away from everyone and everything we knew!  We were happy together.  I think we were both certain that this was for keeps, but we didn’t marry because we’d both had horrible first marriages.  He did propose eventually and I accepted, though I’m not sure if we ever actually thought we would really get married.

    

In 2007, we decided it was time to make it official and marry.  We tied the knot on April 28, 2007!  In 2008 we purchased our house in Colorado and though it took several months to tie up all the loose ends in Florida, by the end of 2009 we were both living in Colorado full time.  In 2011 we became parents together when Little Man was born.

    

Over the years we did everything together:  raised kids, got pets, lost pets, bought homes, sold our home, travelled together, watched children grow and graduate from school, watched Baby Girl join the Marines and leave, watched Baby Girl marry, watched the kids go to college, laughed, cried, lived and loved.

    

And here we are, nearly 15 years later.  DH may be the only person on the face of the earth with enough patience to tolerate me and my mood swings.  He’s seen me at my worst and not only did he still love me, he carried me through it.  He supports me like no one in my life ever has.  He laughs with me and at me.  He sees my potential and points it out to me.  I’m sure he sees my weaknesses, but he overlooks them and keeps on loving me.

And that’s truly what love is about.  Being together through it all:  good, bad, ugly, and everything in between.  Growing old together.  And I plan to point my rocking chair toward the west and be grateful everyday that DH is the one rockin’ beside me!