Ten years ago this morning, I was standing in my walk-in closet at my parents’ house, stressing over what to wear. It wasn’t really a “first date”… I mean, we’d had lunch a few times before. But it was the first time you were picking me up and taking me out to dinner & an activity. A PROPER date, if you will. And man, I was stumped on what to wear.

I remember feeling good when I finally picked a black t-shirt and my favorite jeans. After all, it was just the movies. We had talked about going to the carnival, but it was raining, so that probably wouldn’t happen.

Ten years ago this morning, I looked in the mirror and thought, “UGH, I hate dating. Here goes.”

Because I did hate it. I was a single mom, a broke college student, a newspaper reporter who kept weird hours. And you were so cute and so nice and I liked you SO MUCH. Given my track record, that was a surefire recipe for broken heart. But I went, because… well, have I mentioned I liked you SO MUCH?

(Those of you familiar with your McG lore have heard what happened on that date. Blah blah blah, we went to the carnival after all, I threw up on the Kamikaze, worst date ever. Let’s not dwell on it.)

I came home from that date, flopped dramatically down and sighed heavily. My mom said, “It didn’t go so well, huh?” And I replied, “Nope. He’s wonderful, but he’ll never call me again.”

…

It’s been ten years, handsome. 10 years since the first time you put your hand on the small of my back so I could walk ahead of you on the stairs. I remember it vividly, because it was just DIFFERENT. And in ten years, no touch has ever felt the way yours did.

I could say that in ten years, we’ve “laughed and cried”, but that pales in front of the breadth of our reality together. In ten years, we’ve built pillow forts, but also a family and a business. We’ve walked on dozens of beaches in multiple countries. We’ve stayed up all night for wonderful reasons and terrible reasons. We screamed. We threw things (well, me.). We left each other, and found each other again. We grew, and changed, and raised this family, and created this life for ourselves. We fought for this, and we’re WINNING.

I just can’t believe that it’s been a decade since I laid on my bedroom floor and thought, “He’s wonderful, but he’ll never call me again.” And now I get to turn around and look at you, so much more handsome than you were ten years ago even, and live every day with you next to me.

Thank you for calling me again. Thank you for coming back after you left. Thank you for ten years of good and bad… for the comfort of the amazing “high” we’re living right now, and the security to know you’ll still be there when it’s “low” again.

I love you with my whole all of me.

A million bajillion thanks to our friends Sara & Rocky, who once again have given me portraits I’ll cherish for a lifetime.

Thank you for helping us celebrate this milestone!!