18 years and counting....

I can hardly believe that tomorrow marks the 18th anniversary of when my hubby and I first started dating. I was a "transplant" to the high school in the beginning of our junior year as my high school had closed. Someone my mother knew from work had a daughter there and as they were talking about various school related topics (aka-the social lives of their daughters), this woman told my mother that I "should watch out for those Smith boys, they are charmers...." As I was 16 at the time, this information went in one ear and right out the other.
A friend from "my" highschool had been friends with some of the kids at the new highschool and introduced me to them--my future brother-in-law included. No one mentioned to me that he had a twin...flash forward a few days...I had chemistry class with my "future" brother-in-law in the morning and then off to English in the afternoon. In English class, the teacher started taking attendance and called for Chris Smith, with no reply. I knew I had just seen him in chemistry that morning, so loudly I whispered to my friend Lynn (purposely within ear shot of the teacher--yep, I was that girl) that it must be nice to be skipping class...it was only after she stopped laughing that Lynn told me that the Smith's were identical twins and I had just made an ass out of myself by trying to rat him out!!!
When he heard about my colossal fall into dumb-ass-dom, he found it "cute" and we became good friends. Such good friends that one night @ a school dance, he left the girl he came with and asked me to dance because "he couldn't resist the chance to make me smile..." (that mother was right, he was a charmer!). That night is when I think I fell in love with him (that song was our wedding song 7 years later!!).
A year later, he finally asked me out on a date. He picked me up in his little silver Hyndai and we went to Pizzaria Uno's for dinner. I remember that he ordered a non-alcoholic beer for himself (he thought he was so cool, hehe), a coke for me, two personal pizzas (not sure why we couldn't share one), and then we ate and talked. Afterwards, he drove me home and gave me a peck on the cheek and a hug goodbye--quite the gentleman.

The rest, they say, is history.
We have shared millions of "laugh out loud until you feel like puking" times, gotten into some pretty heated disagreements (ok, loud fights), and had moments of awe & wonder-especially when our munchkins were born. We've come frightenly close to separating twice, have shed thousands of tears together (happy & sad), and can finish each other's sentences without hesitation.

He is undoubtedly my best friend and has been beside me during both the best and worst times in my life. He has given me the two absolute greatest parts my life, and has shown me again and again what an amazing father he is. He is always the voice in the back of my head when I make any decision, whether it be as important as one concerning our kids, or as mundane as what my return address labels should look like. He still has the ability to make me smile, even when I am determined not to and I still get the butterflies when he walks into the room (hokey sounding I know, but true).

I do believe in soulmates and truly believe that he is mine. I cannot imagine my life without him, I pray that I never have to.Happy 18th Anniversary melove, here's to at least a hundred more!!!