A love like no other

This year marks the 15th year Bobby and I have known each other.  Most of our friends and family know that we met on a family camping trip.  Camping was something my family enjoyed doing before I started playing competitive softball and it had been a few years since we had gone.  So we were surprised that labor day weekend approached and I did not have to play in a tournament! We weren't planning on going camping but we begged our parents on Saturday morning at the breakfast table and they said yes!  We could not believe it.  We were packed and in the car in less than an hour I think!

When we arrived at camp, my extended family was already set up and we were finding out place at the camp site to park our car and pitch our tent.  I saw two guys throwing a football around and me being a 12 year old girl, i looked a little harder!  He was cute but waaaaayyy too old for me!  What I noticed first were his ears!  I like big ears Then upon introduction, I noticed his eyes!!! His beautiful eyes hazel eyes with a scar on his eyebrow.  I'm a sucker for scars!

All weekend we talked and played hide and go seek when it got dark.  I remember he asked if he could have my number and I said, "Maybe."  My dad always told my older sister and I, "Catholic girls don't give out their numbers."  I guess you can say I took that to heart.  But on our last day, I walked over to his camp site and I was going to give up the digits, but he wasn't awake.  I thought it was divine intervention and sulked back.  On the way back home, I think I may have cried a little.  In those days, I DID NOT CRY!  I was beside myself. Was this guy really that great?  I had just met him. 

Later that week, on a Wednesday, he called!!!  I remember I was watching 90210 in my mom's room and one of my siblings yelled for me to get the phone.  A bit annoyed, I loved 90210, I picked up the receiver.  It was Bobby's sister Ginger on the phone!  I remember she said that Bobby had tracked down my number through a great uncle of mine and that he was disappointed he didn't get to say goodbye to me before we left.  She said she was calling because Bobby didn't know if it was ok to call me.  He didn't want to get my dad upset.  I told her I would love to talk to him.

I was so touched, and frankly a bit weirded out, that he gave so much effort to find me.  Our first date was that Friday, we went to a local High School football game.  My sister chaperoned, as she did all our dates until I was about 14 or 15 years old.  We were an official couple on Sunday, September 8, 1996!  The rest is history......and our future!

The oldest picture I could find of us on this computer. I think this was right after I graduated college in 2006

Our 3rd Wedding Anniversary.