13 years of dating

Today marks the 13th year anniversary since Jeff and I went on our first date. I love this day. I'm so glad he asked me out before his friend had a chance. He has been my best friend ever since.

It's funny, the whole concept of time. I can remember that Friday night (or was it a Saturday night?) like it was yesterday. Sort of. I remember big things like what I wore; red tank, black cardigan, gap jeans, my most favorite Steve Madden black slip ons... I probably remember those details because I focused on them so much leading up to when he picked me up. Funny to think about how much I wanted to impress him. How much I still always want to impress him. I hope I always impress my husband. And I hope we always date. Which I am sure we will because we have kept it up for this long already. I remember what he wore too and I can still see that boy who came and shook my dad's hand and opened up the passenger side door for me.  He looks so young and less handsome than he is now. I love how we have aged together.

Jeff woke up at 3:30am this morning to my alarm, which we both hear but only he responded to. He left to do a business job before it opened and from there drove to South Whidbey to do a church job. Long day and it's 9:00pm now and he's still not home.

I woke up at 6:30 and did the farm chores since the farmer was gone.  When I came downstairs there was a note from Jeff wishing me a happy first date anniversary and it said, "thank you for saying yes." I love him.
I drove the tractor out to both pastures with the feed and fed all the chickens and let them out into the day. Then I took the dog out for his morning wee and when I came inside Emmett was the only one awake. Slowly the kids woke up and read, showered... I made eggs and toast. Fried eggs for Braxton, Emmett and myself and scrambled for Adelle, Gage and the dog. We ate. Read scriptures. Gage and I walked the kids to the bus.

Then Gage and I took a bath together. I shaved my legs and he asked me 500 questions about the razor and why I am shaving and why men's faces have hair and when he can shave... Then we got out and met our friends at the beach. Hence why I was shaving my legs.

After beach bummin it for a few hours we came home and I laid Gage down for nap. It took no time at all as he was so tired from all of the swimming. He must have told me a million times thank you for taking him to the beach. It was so sweet. Once he was asleep I inhaled a few chips with bean dip and then got back on the tractor with my crates to go out and collect all the eggs. I texted Jeff from the tractor seat and told him that he makes me the happiest lady in the whole world. I got all the eggs collected, 622 to be exact, and still made it in time to come back in the house while Gage continued to nap.

I had to wake up Gage to deliver the eggs and pick up my big kids from school. Tuesday is busy day around here. I grab them a couple minutes early so we can make it to town for Emmett's eye therapy. We stop at Great Harvest on the way to pick out our individual favorite slices of  bread and buy a loaf of cinnamon raison for Wednesday's breakfast. Emmett always picks cinnamon chip. Adelle surprises me every week when she picks roasted garlic and then smothers it with butter and honey. Braxton likes the dill swiss and Gage changes his weekly. Today Gage went with the raspberry pound cake which was amazing and I stuck with my standard whole wheat sour dough. I love that part of Tuesday's tradition.

After eye therapy we met Gabe and John and their kids and cousins and the whole gang out at Semi Ahmoo. Gabe and John are visiting this week. The kids got into the water up to their waists and found armfuls of baby crabs. We picnicked and visited and enjoyed being together. I wish Jeff had family that lived here still. We don't get to see any of them nearly enough but it's always wonderful when they visit.

We came home late, brushed the sand off our bodies and the kids went to bed while I sit down to record the day. I love this life. I never would have guessed in a million years that going out on that first date with Jeff would lead to where we are now. We are a team in every sense of the word and I can't wait for the next forever years.