Today, I celebrate 15 years of being married to my best friend. And, if you’ll allow me a BIT of latitude telling our love story, I promise to bring it back to your business. =)
So, I was 20 when I started dating Chris. We were in college at Virginia Tech and we spent most of our time at the TKE House. Keep in mind, this was probably THE fraternity house that would have struck fear in the hearts of ALL parents — had they known much about it. (Which also, of course, made it the best one!) It was off campus, had anything you’d ever want to party with, lots of land and not a single sign of authority anywhere to be found.
Ironically, you’d be surprised to see the STRONG marriages that came out of that house. I look at Nick and Jenn, Lindsay and Todd, Melissa and Michael, Jenn and Kevin as they post on facebook and I realize how fortunate we all are. It seems that not only are we all still “together” — we all still LIKE our spouses, enjoy them, are committed to them.
Anyway, that was when we were 20. =) We got married at 22 and since then a lot has happened:
This is Chris with Summer. Summer was the “Infant of Honor” =) at our wedding. She is his niece, my daughter and has LITERALLY been with us since day one of our marriage. We have the honor of co-parenting her with my brother, who is her dad. (Don’t hurt your brain over this one. It’s a story for another day. Biologically, she’s my niece, but every bit my child as the other two.)
I can say this: There is NOTHING that can touch your heart more deeply than seeing your husband love, engage with, support and nurture a child that isn’t “his.” NOTHING. Chris has walked a fine line of loving Summer and treating her as his own, without ever over-stepping the role of her Dad in her life. His parents, too, have embraced Summ as their grandchild, and have endeared me to them forever as a result.
I was in love with him before. But seeing this man rock Summer to sleep, by the window in our bedroom countless nights knit my heart to his in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
Then, came Shelbey Seree. At 13, the sun still rises and sets on her “goose” — which is her name for Chris. He held me up when she was being born in a hut tub — no easy feat considering I was HUGE and slippery. =)
I’ll never forget his AWE of seeing her for the first time. He kept saying, “She’s here… She’s here….” =) From day one, having received quite a bit of training from Summ, he did everything but nurse this one. =)
Every single day, this man would come home from school and scan the house like a drug addict looking for his next fix. Then, without saying a word, he’d pick Shelbey up from her nap, carry her to the couch, and let her finish out her nap on his chest.
These two share such a special bond. She made him a father. And made me fall in love with him all over again.
And CJ made 5. Our family was complete.
“Chris Jr.” was the ONLY BEST name for this mini-me of his. While I think he looks like my family, there is no mistaking that this is Chris’ boy. They walk the same, stand the same, and think the same.
CJ was born in July. Because neither Shelbey nor CJ ever took a bottle, Chris did whatever he could for them. I didn’t even notice until late August when Chris went back to work that I had LITERALLY never changed my son’s diaper. Not ONCE between his birth on July 11th and August 27th or so when Chris returned to school. In my defense, I know I’d at least SEEN it being changed a time or two. =)
Remembering Chris “back then” — at the helm of our family, going back to school to get his Master’s Degree, agreeing to my ALL of my “crazy ideas”: to be an entrepreneur…. to homeschool the kids… reminds me why I’m so in love with him today.
In a recent argument, I asked Chris why he thought I was still married to him. He shrugged his shoulders and said flippantly, “I don’t know… I guess bc we have three kids?”
He couldn’t have been more wrong. That fight is over, but the truth remains: These kids are only a very small part of why I’m thrilled to be celebrating 15 years with him. My Mister is strong, sexy and true. He is the love of my life and my best friend.
