The love story continues

Well I promised you all I'd finish the story of how the Pants Monkey and I got together and guess what?  Today is the actual day - 15 years ago we became a "thing" as he called it and so it seems fitting that I share the story along with some pictures of us over the years - so it's a picture heavy post!

First up, let's finish the story.  Basically, a month after the birthday party I blogged about last month, we both ended up on a band/choir trip to New Orleans (he got to come at the last minute - I'd call that fate).  We took a train down and back, stopping twice in Chicago along the way.  Somehow we ended up sitting near each other on the trip down and I remembered how much fun we had at the birthday party and how often our paths had crossed over the last months and I realized - I liked this boy.  I liked this boy a LOT.  So, we ended up flirting and spending much of the trip bumping into each other on purpose.  By the time we were heading back home, our friends were starting to say things like "um, are you guys going out or something?"  And we were kind of oblivious - but on that train trip back we sat together a bunch and in the wee hours of the morning of the 22nd (cause what kind of teenagers sleep on trains?) I finally said to him "so what do you think about about what people are saying about us?  And he was so cute and quiet and was like "Um, I kind of like it."  I wanted to be absolutely sure he was feeling what I was feeling though, so I kept on goading him and trying to get him to be the one to say it and finally he said "OK, do you want to be a thing?"  Of course I said yes - and now 15 years later here we are, happily married for almost 7 of them, and he is seriously the best "thing" ever in my life.  

So now here's a walk down memory lane - you'll get to see a very young Bethie in some of these pictures!

January 1999 - 17 years old, winter formal 

March 1999 - 17 years old - close to our first anniversary, Sadie Hawkins dance

May 2000 - 18 years old, Senior Prom 

November 2002 - 21st birthdays

May 27th, 2006 - 24 years old, wedding day!

April 12th, 2008 - 27 years old, my dear friend's wedding

 June 2012 - 30 years old, a good friend's birthday

 October 2012 - Almost 31 years old, at a wine tasting

Also October 2012 - same winery, this was this year's Christmas card

Because I believe all milestones should be celebrated, today we're both off of work to spend the day together - there will be wine tasting and dinner out.  

Thanks for reading if you got this far and have a wonderful weekend!