On this day 10 years ago…

On December 3rd, 1999, NASA lost contact with the Mars Polar Lander moments before it entered the Martian atmosphere and Mike & I exchanged wedding vows in a ceremony that was memorable both because it was a gorgeous December day in Lake Tahoe and because our officiator sounded exactly like Howard Cosell.

We were married in 1999, but we met and fell in love in 1993.  September 20, 1993, to be exact.  I was a Sophomore at Ripon College and he was a Freshman.  He claims he spotted me in the Commons but was too shy to say anything.  I watched him play football and wanted to meet him.  A friend introduced us at a fraternity party and we ended up talking until dawn.  The rest, as they say, is history.  He loved Snoop Dogg, I was obsessed with Ace of Base.  He was quiet, I was not.  We shared a love of football and family.  He owned 3 pairs of wind pants, the ugliest high-top sneakers, an infinite number of sweatshirts and dirty hats that were duct-taped to keep them together.  I wore boy’s jeans, oversized rugbys and Doc Martens.  We both tight-rolled our pants!  Oh, and his head was shaved bald- it was a football team thing.  Did you know that his head is not round?

How hot is this?

By December of that year, we were talking about our future together.  I’m not sure anyone would have predicted a wedding 6 years later, but that’s how it went down.

Not for one moment of the past 10 years have I looked back with regret, reservations, shoulda/woulda/couldas (well, aside from the terribly ugly wedding cake- I’d change that if I could).  We’ve survived the ups and downs, challenges and triumphs and we’re ready for the next decade and the decades beyond.

So, Happy Anniversary, my love.  You are my favorite person in the entire world.  I’m loving every memory; past, present & future.  I can’t wait for our album to expand.  And those duct-taped hats?  They’re really starting to smell up the closet!

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