If you would’ve told me when I was 15 that I had already met my future husband, I’m not sure I would have believed you. Or I would’ve imagined that it was my first high school boyfriend. Since I’m a futuristic person I pretty much imagined what it would be like to marry any boy I dated. But I never would’ve imagined that my future husband would be the quiet Filipino kid that I met while visiting my instructor in Vegas. Someone that I didn’t think twice about. And if I did, I was jealous because he seemed close to my instructor, and I was supposed to be the favorite.

Flash forward to July 2015 and I was moving to Vegas to teach Martial Arts. I was fresh out of a casual relationship with a friend from high school. Someone I was convinced had been on the future husband candidate list. I was sad and lonely, but pretty excited to start my new life in Vegas. I knew I would be working with that Filipino kid that I had met freshman year, but when I arrived he was out of town on a family vacation.

On Saturday August 15th, 2015 he came back to work, and I got my first good look at him in over four years. Now, I’m not going to pretend it was love at first sight. Not that I didn’t think he was attractive! I just wasn’t looking at him that way yet. But by the end of the day, I was pretty intrigued. I loved watching him teach class. He was funny. And really pretty cute. Especially looking at how his shirt sleeves fit tightly across his biceps. You can gag now if you want, but I was pretty smitten!

The day didn’t end there. Another instructor working with us at the school was switching locations, and one of the families was throwing a going away party. So I saw Kris (my future husband) there again later that night. I wasn’t 21 yet, but one of the other employees there my age was drinking. So I figured it must be normal for staff to drink around the families, and I did too.

At the end of the night, we were all pretty tipsy and Kris was the designated driver for me, the party celebrant, and his girlfriend. We stopped at their apartment first to drop them off. And the four of us enjoyed some conversation. Somewhere along the way it was determined that I would sleep on their couch. Kris ended up staying too, and since then we’ve hardly been apart.

Except for the month that he broke up with me. But it’s fine, definitely not something I still harass him about several years later or anything.

It’s been a crazy few years. Our two year wedding anniversary is coming up October 2019, and our daughter turns one. Instead of teaching Martial Arts for the rest of my life, I’m going to school for nursing and staying home with my daughter (watching her try to eat boxes while I write blog posts). And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

I think of all the guys I’ve dated throughout my entire life, or all the guys I liked, but never got the chance to date. And there’s not one of them that I would rather be with. My husband isn’t perfect, but he’s one of the best men I’ve ever met. Kris is patient, Kris is kind. He does not envy or boast. Kris is not proud. He does not dishonor others. Kris is not self-seeking or easily angered. Kris keeps no record of my wrongs. Kris does not rejoice in evil, but delights in the truth. Kris always protects me, always hopes, always perseveres. And on some days, Kris fails me. But he always points me back to the love of Jesus which never will.

Happy Anniversary Baby, I’m a better person because of you.