The Big 7!

Derk and I met back in August of 2000. The last day of August, to be exact. I'd just gotten home from my first day of college classes, and my mom asked me if I'd go out and get her some food. I told her I would and asked her what she wanted. She said she wanted a McDonald's burger, which was really rare for her. She's not a fast food person at all, and I can't remember her ever eating McDonalds. She sweetened the deal and told me to grab myself something, while I was at it, so being the wonderful, fantastic, completely awesome daughter I am, I went to get her some food.

At the drive-thru window, this girl starts talking to me. She asked me questions that just weren't normal McDonalds-paying customer type questions like was I dating anyone, did I have plans for that night, what was I studying, etc. At first I thought she was hitting on me and got really weirded out. She laughed, sensing what I was thinking, and corrected me, saying she was trying to find a date for one of her best friends, who was a guy, by the way. Then I laughed at myself for thinking such a thing, and for some reason agreed to meet up with her and said best friend later that evening. She said she'd pick me up after her shift was over.

When Caroline came to pick me up, and she and I became instant friends. She took me over to this house where this guy lived with 4 of his best guy friends. It was the epitome of a bachelor pad, even down to the choice magazines they kept on the back of the toilet. :) She introduced me to Mike. He was super nice and a great guy.

As I was getting to know Mike and Caroline better, this guy comes home from work wearing his uniform. He came in, said hey to everybody, and went into his room to get something. I turned to Caroline, asked her who that guy was, and then asked her to please set me up with him instead. So she introduced me to Derk, and that was it. We were together every day from that point on. I like to say that I fell for a guy in uniform, even if it was just a Pizza Hut uniform. :)

7 years and 3 kids later, here we are. We've learned so much about ourselves and each other along the way. He's put up with me learning to cook and several failed culinary creations he's lovingly named "Hillary Goolash" - as in, "Hill, you're not making Hillary Goolash tonight, are you?" :) I've put up with him learning to put the toilet seat down so I avoid middle-of-the-night-fall-ins.

I think we're a great balance for each other. He's the spontaneous one, I'm the planner. I'm the neat freak, he's, well, not the neat freak. I'm more reserved, he doesn't care who's around to hear. He's into sci-fi, I like romance (certain vampire novels, anyone? 16 more days!!!!). He can't sleep with doors open, I can't sleep with doors shut. But we're united on the important things. Like tonight when we were finalizing what to do to celebrate, we were totally in agreement that we had to be the coolest parents on the face of the planet. And the fact that we're both horribly indecisive. At the same time. That bugs. But we're still united, even in our indecisiveness. Those things totally qualify as "important things".

So, being the indecisive couple we are, we didn't finalize any plans until this afternoon. We were sitting around, thinking about what to do, and it finally hit me. I knew exactly where to go! And Derk, being the totally awesome husband/Daddy he is, instantly agreed and said I was a total genius (okay, maybe he just instantly agreed and didn't say the genius part, but I know he was thinking it).

Yes, we really spent our 7 year anniversary at Chuck E. Cheese.
Told ya we are the coolest parents on the face of the planet.

Happy anniversary, Derk! You've taught me about music, art and literature. You've taught me how a woman should be treated and loved. You've taught me about the gospel. You've given me the 3 most beautiful, wonderful children in the world. These last 7 years have been the best years of my life. Thanks for all the laughs, smiles, tears, hugs, kisses, near arrests, everything. I'm grateful for every last moment. I'd even go down another dirt road with you again if you asked me to.

I love you!