The First 10 Years

In honor of our 10th wedding anniversary, I am beginning my blog with a brief tribute to our relationship.


Mark and I met August 17th in 1999 when I tagged along with a friend who had asked for Mark's help in getting a cell phone. When Mark opened the door he did a double take of me and I thought he was pretty cute. When we stepped in the apartment, though, I wondered if he was gay....very briefly, dear. ;) He didn't look gay, but the apartment was clean, nicely decorated, didn't stink AND his roommate was sponge-painting the kitchen. Can't blame me for wondering! Since then we've been inseparable.

There are so many things I love about Mark. I love his passion for music. I am constantly impressed by his song-writing abilities. He is truly a poet and I enjoy his writing more than any of the poets I had to read in Lit classes! There are so many people who want to be musicians but give up if they don't become rich and famous. A true musician is someone whose passion for music doesn't fade with the applause... instead, the passion for music is the driving force in everything. That is Mark.

I'm trying to remember funny stories in our 10 years but I'm drawing a blank. I guess we don't have fun. lol! Here's one. We were in Boston visiting my dad and Mark talked about the harbor he had gone to on a Boy Scout trip. It sounded awesome so we started looking for it. We found the Boston harbor but there is only a ship and maybe a museum. Not cool (although very historical, it just wasn't what we were looking for). Mark finally called his dad and asked about it and Allen reminded Mark that it was actually the Baltimore Harbor we had just spent 2 days looking for. We can laugh about it now!

How much do I love Mark? I am willing to risk life and limb for him. Start playing the banjo music from Deliverance in your head whilst I tell this tale. It took place on a chilly day (the day after Thanksgiving) in Sparta, TN. We were in a house hunting caravan that got lost and I was getting car sick. We stopped at a gas station that seemed harmless from the outside...never suspecting the violent danger that lurked within. Next, picture a large burly angry man strangling Mark in the parking lot.  Yes, people, strangling.  Me, standing on the sidewalk so stunned I couldn't even scream.  Thankfully I wasn't frozen long before I leaped into action- jumping on Frenchie's back and putting him in a choke hold.  It worked well enough for Frenchie to loosen his grip so Mark could actually breath and start swinging!  I, however was now the target.  Frenchie's daughter was after me, punching and cussing.  It was going downhill very quickly and then suddenly it all stopped. My parents had seen the commotion (me and Mark circled by very short men, a lunatic girl with stringy hair and a greasy face and a large volcano of temper) and hurried over to help. My dad put his hand on Frenchie's shoulder and the man stopped in mid-swing when he realized dad was bigger.

That is what I will do for Mark. Get two black eyes and go up against someone twice my size.

Back to what I love about our relationship. I feel like the way we communicate is open, honest, respectful, thoughtful and loving. We are rarely angry with each other because there aren't any festering issues just waiting to erupt. I learned how to communicate in a healthy way because of Mark. Thanks babe.

I also love how encouraging Mark is. When we met I felt like my abilities at organization, cleanliness and finding balance were traits to be scoffed at but because he saw them as gifts, I have been able to recognize them as such and actually build a business around them. Thanks babe. :)

I love what a tender heart Mark has, too. He may look kind of tough(wink) but the boys and I can melt him with a single smile. Thanks for being open to the love we have for you and for showing so willingly the love you have for us. We are a blessed family and you and I are a blessed couple-lucky beyond explanation that God would bring us into each other's lives. I love you.