Married, Not Marred

Tomorrow, I will have been married for 17 years. I was 19 and he was 21 (for 2 more days at least).
I've tossed around ideas of what to say on my blog to commemerate the day. His birthday is Sunday, so I'll use that day to talk all about how great he is. My Valentine's Day post explained how we met.
For this post, I think I'll share with you a few of my favorite moments, so far.

1. On our wedding day, Bryan must have kissed me 3,000 times. Most were just little, chaste kisses. All through the wedding video, you can see he is rainging affection on me. One kiss stands out to me. I didn't realize it that day. In fact I caught in just a few years ago. My back is to the camera (which is a ways away) and Bryan leans in for yet another kiss and just then my friend Jennifer says something to him. Apparently he isn't interested in stopping what he's doing to answer, so by way of response, he sort of lifts his eyebrows twice, really quickly. That's it. I love that simple moment.

2. In 2007, I had our fifth child, a little baby we named Calvin.
By this time, we knew the drill.I check in; I get drugs to enduce labor; I gradually get more and more uncomfortable; Bryan watches ESPN until I am so miserable, I yell at him.That's when we call for the epideral. Moments later, I tell him how handsome he is and that he should come over and kiss me. This is a sure sign that the baby will be born within the hour.
I destinctly remember the moment, the absolute instant,  Calvin was here. As I opened my eyes, I heard what I can only describe as a whoosh! It was Bryan. He had a look on his face that I can't pen.When he spoke, he said, "Wow. You'd think I'd get used to it. After 4 kids, you'd think I'd be used to that feeling. But it'll never get old."

3. Many moons ago, I worked with a children's advocay group. Long story short, we ended up at the same event. He was asked to speak. Those of you who know us, know that in some circles, I don't use my married name. This was one of those cirlcles. While he was up at the podium, he started talking about his wife. Only a few people there knew I was she. Call me lame, but it was some how delightful to see him talking (actually, he was making fun of her...ME!) and we had this little secret. I can't quite put words to that funny moment, but I thoroughly enjoyed that.

4. Once, at a restaurant on Girl's Night Out, he showed up. My friend Cheryl refused to let him sit at the table. So he pulled another table up next to me and sat there. When the waitress came by to offer him a drink, Cheryl emphatically stated that he was not with us and that he didn't want anything to drink. It was so funny and charming. Sorry to all the girlies out there, but I absolutely left with him. Wouldn't you?

5. He has complained, for years,  that I twitch my feet in my sleep. I swore it was all  malarky. Until one day, while putting on a pretty old set of sheets, I fluffed them in the air above my head and I could see how thinned out the fabric was just were my feet fall when I'm lying down. Sounds silly, but some how this deep familiarity is so, I don't know, beautiful. But even now that I realize this, when I start to fall asleep, and my feet are up against his legs, and he pushes them away stating how I twitch, I deny it.

I could bore you with more. And I will. But little Calvin is done with preschool and my diet coke has run dry.

P.S. AB, you are a rockstar.