14 years!!!

Today marks the 14^th year that Casey & I have been an “item.”  What’s cool about this year in particular is that we started dating 14 years ago, and on our wedding anniversary in August, we’ll have been married for half of that time together.  I have to say, that it has been quite an adventure.  

Fourteen years ago, a very shy Casey asked me to go see a The Wedding Singer with him.  Of course, I said yes.  Later that Friday night Casey showed up to my house, and met my father.  Now, this was the first time that any of the guys that I dated actually wanted to meet my dad.  He spent so much time schmoozing my dad that we ended up missing the movie.  So, instead of a movie we went to play at the Nugget arcade.  We had an awkwardly sweet time.  

Many years later here we are.  We have had our many ups, and our many downs.  We have worked really hard to make sure that we grow together.  We started dating when he was a senior in and I was a junior in High School. That is a whole lot of changes that we have weathered together.  We are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I think daily we grow stronger together. 

The biggest lesson that I have learned in my relationship with Casey is how important it is for me to allow him to be a man.  I know most people say communication, and I don’t disagree with that.  However, I think many women construe communication as them talking at their husbands, and expecting them to listen to us.  Well, listening and talking is a two way street.  How many of us take a step back and actually listen to what our husbands are trying to tell us?  How many of us can’t hear our husbands because the only one talking is us?  How many women complain, “He refuses to talk!  I don’t know how to make him open up.”?  I know that this is a very old fashioned concept.  But I have found that when I offer my opinion, shut up, step back and let Casey process … Well the result is pretty awesome.  He loves me and I have to trust that he is going to make the best possible decisions for our family.  He takes my opinion into consideration, and usually it gets thrown into the mix, or if not, he usually has a reasonable explanation as to why that didn’t work.  I love that if I give him enough time, he comes to me with answers that he has carefully considered.  I am not satisfied every time with the outcome.  However, I am super satisfied with the level of happiness I see in my husband.  So, basically what I am saying is the biggest lesson I have learned in 14 years is to shut up, and be patient.  

I love my sweet Husby very, very much, and I hope we can have another 43 years together (that would put us at our 50^th wedding anniversary.)  If you are reading this Casey … *SMOOCH* HAPPY (dating) ANNIVERSARY!!!