Getting Sentimental

I remember it vividly, as if it happened 7 years and 2 days ago. Nervous, excited, and wanting to throw up all at the same time. This man that sat across from me was the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with, this man was going to be mine forever... and ever (and that's a long time). Did he know what he was getting himself into when he looked me in the eyes and promised to be with me for time and all eternity? I don't think so, or else he maybe would have reconsidered. Me, a very less than perfect individual; a person who is sarcastic and loud and finds joy in playful teasing; someone who finds the most inopportune times to be crude and vulgar. This is who Nate was getting married to. How could a man so seemingly perfect marry someone like me?

It must have been divine intervention (or amazingly good luck), when Nate stood out on my grandmas small apartment porch painting it over and over trying to get the nerve to talk to "this girl" inside who had already placed her sight on this eye candy working hard in the sun (I've always had a thing for painters... not really). Finally, after painting the same spot over and over... and over, he got the nerve to talk to me. I was all ready for him, sitting strategically on my grandmas couch making sure I got noticed- was I showing enough leg or maybe I needed to show just a little bit more. Now was the time to put my mad flirting skills to use. Nate had taken the bate, "So, you visiting your grandma today?". Classic opening line, pointing out the obvious. All I have to say is, "you had me at visiting your grandma today?".

The rest, my friends, is history. I knew from that moment on that this was the man that I needed to father my 13 children. This was the man that would be able to take me, with all of my many imperfections, and love me for who I am; the good, the bad...

and the oh, so ugly.

It took Nate 3 months to propose to me (I was ready to propose the day we met). This was our stellar, hot engagement picture. What possessed me to choose this picture to send out to all our friends and family? I wish I knew the answer to that. "But Ginnie you're not even smiling. Aren't you supposed to be happy that you're getting married?". Oh no, all the professional models will tell you these days that smiling is out. It's more of the slightly constipated look that's in. Nate on the other hand is WORK.EN.IT (snap, snap, snap)! You might recognize this look from his earlier modeling days. This is the Oh ya, you know you want it look.

Hey, it could have been worse. I could have sent this picture out.

I'm not sure what thoughts are going through my head... maybe you could tell me. In my defense, I am blind without my contacts or glasses and I took them off for this picture to reach maximum hotness. I was so blind I couldn't tell how not sexy I looked. I was trying to go for the smoldering look. It didn't go over well.

So it's been seven years and they haven't been all bliss and roses (life's not always like that... at least not my life). But here are some things I've learned during our seven years of marriage;

• The longer we're married the more I fall in love with him
• Ever since we met for the first time we have not gone one day without talking to each other.
• I can't sleep when he's not next to me.
• Every night Nate falls asleep with his hand on my side and our feet touching... love it!
• I keep Nate from being translated and he keeps me from going straight to hell.
• We are exact opposites, which is perfect because we balance each other out.
• He is definitely my better half. But if he’s my better half what does that make me?... Don’t answer that.
• I knew from the first moment I saw him that he would be the man I would spend the rest of my life with. I scored. Nate on the other hand had no idea what he was getting himself into. Poor guy... he never had a chance.
• I look at him everyday and I think of what a beautiful man he is. And yes, I mean beautiful in the most masculine way. Grrrrrrrrr….
• He secretly likes it when I slap his butt, even though he tells me to knock it off (come on honey… I know you like it)
• I still get butterflies in my stomach when I think of him. Double grrrrrrr….

Nate says it best, "When we hug it's like fitting two pieces of a puzzle together. We fit perfectly".