This one time, at band camp...

Ok, so it wasn't band camp, but it was band class. When I was a freshman in high school, Jim was a senior. A super cool trumpet playing, varsity soccer playing senior. And man, was he a hottie. My first REAL crush. He drove an old boat of a car and I would've given my left arm to ride in it. But, alas, 3 years is just too big an age gap while in high school. He graduated and moved on. Sigh....

Fast forward 5ish years, Winnetonka had it's first (and only) band reunion. Surprisingly enough, lots of old band members showed up, including Jim. I didn't actually want to go to this reunion, but my parents were very involved in Band Parents while my brothers and I were in band, and since I didn't have anything better to do, I went along with them. And boy am I glad I did. It really was fun to see friends I hadn't seen in years, and when the reunion ended, we continued the party at Jim's duplex that he shared with another fellow band alum (and another friend). I ended up staying last (surprise!) and Jim drove me home since I had hitched a ride to the reunion with my 'rents. We stayed in touch and I asked Jim to be my date to my brother's wedding, our first "real" date. Ok, now this is debatable because 1.) I am not sure a wedding is a first real date and 2.) We had actually gone to dinner at Jeremiah Johnson's when they did their dry-run before opening to the public- but that was a free meal. So probably that was our first date, but whatever. That night, as Jim helped me pull out the 10,000 100 bobby pins in my hair, I told him that I was going to marry him. And his response? "We'll see."

Ha, I showed him. Roughly a yearish (like how exact I am on my dates?) We were engaged, and 6 months after that we were married. 6.5 years and 3 kids later, we are still going strong. I thank God every day for my amazing husband. I remember being young (which makes me sound really old- but I am going to my 10 year high school reunion in a week, so I guess I am getting a little old) and praying to God to send me a boyfriend, to send me someone who makes me feel special. And He did. Not on my timing, but on His. And I am so incredibly thankful.