Love him now more than ever

Exactly 15 years ago, I married the perfect man for me. He is my best friend, and a great husband and father. I've known him for 25 years now, so in honor of the occasion, I thought I should post some photos from the old days. Many of these were taken on a camera that uses film - can you believe it? Yes, we're gettin' old.

I'll spare you the opportunity to make fun of our junior high pictures from when we met in 1986, but I'll share this one from high school. We were really great friends in high school, and didn't start dating til the end of my senior year, when Steve was already in college.

This was on our first date. There had been many band parties, tee-peeing adventures, and even a bowling team prior to this first date, but this was officially our first date. Steve didn't tell me where we were going, he just told me to dress a little nice. So, I did what every good high school girl would do. I borrowed something nice from a friend. Steve took me to dinner at the Sandolo for dinner. It's a cool restaurant at the Hyatt in Scottsdale where the waiters sing and you get to go on a gondola ride in the lake after dinner (but that happened to be closed). Then we went to a musical at Herberger Theater in downtown Phoenix. We saw Ain't Misbehavin'. It was great! Afterwards, we walked around the Arizona Center, which was much more of a happenin' place back then. We stopped to hang out on a bench and this man, who I would presume to be a homeless man, came and offered to take our photo with his polaroid for $4. Steve had exactly $4 left in his wallet, so it seemed as though it were meant to be. This is the exact photo he took (we've scanned it in) and presented to us in a homemade paper frame. I am still amazed at how that happened.

A few months after our first date, we went to my senior prom. Steve is such a great date. I'm going to keep dating him forever!

There were many a football game in our lives together, so I figured it is appropriate to include a photo of us as band geeks. Plus, you gotta love that scoreboard!

There were also many family ski trips during our dating years. Our parents were friends because they were in band boosters together. So they rented a cabin together each winter so our families could ski together. How awesome is that!!!

While some may have considered us band geeks, they couldn't laugh too loud when we got to travel with the basketball team to the Final Four. We had a great trip to North Carolina with the basketball pep band.


Awwww...we built a snowman together.

Steve proposed at sunset on the cliffs above the ocean near Mendocino, CA. I think I had suspected it before I had flown over to CA that weekend, but in the moment, I was totally surprised by it. It was absolutely perfect!


On a nice hot afternoon in Phoenix, AZ, we were married in the church that I grew up in. We were surrounded by tons of friends and family. And I was marrying the man that God had picked out for me - I couldn't ask for anything more.

Happy Anniversary, Honey! I love you!