Today, I Married My Best Friend

^{I Corinthians 13:4-8
4} Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  ⁸ Love never fails.

15 years ago today, I married my best friend. He is the first one I run to with good news, bad news or even just gossipy news. He's the one I want to share everything. He gave me 2 beautiful, wonderful children and he is good to us. He makes me laugh. I mean, he seriously makes me laugh every day. I tell Leah all the time, Marry a man that makes you laugh, Leah. That laughter can get you through even the toughest of times. If she marries a man half as good as Ben, she'll be a lucky girl.

We met in high school. He says that he sat sort of behind me in Geometry when I was in 10th and he in 11th. I don't remember him from then AT ALL. But when he came back to school for his Senior year, I took notice.  We dated a while when he was a Senior and I a Junior, and went to the prom together. When he graduated though, he didn't have time for some little high school girl. Oh, well. Life goes on.

 We didn't see each other or talk to each for like 8 years. Then on the 8th anniversary of our first date, March 23rd, we met again...in a bar. Don't judge me! We danced a little that night. And he got my number and said he'd call. I told my best friend when we left, Write this date down. I'm going to marry that man. She was like, Oh, shut up. (NO, I was not drinking!) I said, I'm serious. I'm going to marry him. Well, we were inseparable for the next week. By the next weekend, we had decided we were getting married. We didn't get officially engaged til June. We bought land for a house in August, broke ground in Thanksgiving, house was done in February and we married March 16th. We wanted to get married on the 23rd but someone else had booked the church. THEN they eloped! But it was too late to change our date because we'd already booked the florist and caterer. It didn't matter, though. I didn't care what day we married, as long as we did!

We've changed a lot through the years. The things that drove us crazy about each other, still do. Don't marry a man thinking you're going to change him, ladies. It doesn't work that way. He still can't put a dish in the dishwasher to save his life! LOL I'm sure he'd tell you the things that drive him nuts, too. But I can't imagine my life without him., that hasn't changed. I probably love him more now than I did back then. He can make me angrier than anyone but we also have the best times together, and he can make me happier than anyone. I mean, look at us dressed up as Lois and Clark at Dragon*Con! How many people do you know that do that?

I hope all you have a best friend as great as mine! Happy Anniversary, Ben. We've come a long way, baby!!

This vid is George Strait singing "our" song, Cross My Heart. This was played at our wedding and it's as true today as it was 15 years ago.

Our love is unconditional, we knew it from the start.
I see it in your eyes, you can feel it from my heart.
From here on after let's stay the way we are right now,
And share all the love and laughter
That a lifetime will allow.

I cross my heart and promise to
Give all I've got to give to make all your dreams come true.
In all the world you'll never find a love as true as mine.

You will always be the miracle that makes my life complete,
And as long as there's a breath in me, I'll make yours just as sweet.
As we look into the future, it's as far as we can see,
So let's make each tomorrow be the best that it can be.

I cross my heart and promise to
Give all I've got to give to make all your dreams come true.
In all the world you'll never find a love as true as mine.

And if along the way we find a day it starts to storm,
You've got the promise of my love to keep you warm.
In all the world you'll never find a love as true as mine,
A love as true as mine.