Twelve years and one day ago, K asked me to be his girlfriend. Kind of. It was actually a mutual resolution. Romantic, right? He was a little more romantic when he proposed eight years and one day ago 😉
It’s comical how much has changed since we kicked this off. (Seven years ago I wrote this post about our relationship. Home in on the paragraph about not working well together- hahaha! Thankfully we got over that.)
Over the past 12 years some of my favorite things have blossomed from our relationship. They wouldn’t exist (in my world, at least) if K and I didn’t exist.
Obviously Lylee & Enzo. (And now Bristol.)
We took in Ly four months before the wedding, but it was a joint decision.
Enzo arrived just before our first Christmas as husband & wife. I hate that our time with Lylee was cut short, but I wouldn’t have wanted to share her with anyone but K. Bristol was a family decision, but I don’t think I’d have looked her direction without K’s dog-loving heart guiding our family.
My relationship with K’s family.
I feel like I’ve grown up in K’s family. I’ve known them since I was 16 and they’ve been around for all my major milestones- birthdays, graduations, etc. Because of that, I never feel out of place when I’m with them. I’ve been around for over a decade and watched his cousins and siblings grow their families, too.
K’s relationship with my family.
Likewise, K has known my family just as long. I know it’s tough to let your little girl date- especially when it’s an older boy- but it didn’t take long for the (over)protective men in my life to see what I saw in K. And now he’s so dang engrained in my family I sometimes think they’d pick him over me.
The business.
Not to say that K wouldn’t have started PI without me in his life, but considering he first opened shop in my dad’s truck garage and we’ve had support from my (as well as his) family along the way, I think the journey would’ve looked much different if not for our relationship.
My friendship with Erica.
One of my very best friends & her husband were essentially introduced to me through K. Their kids are our godchildren ♥ I don’t know what I’d have done without her love and support the last 10+ years.
Countless concerts & trips we’ve experienced.
Who knows? Maybe I’d have seen those bands or gone on those vacations without K, but they’d have been such different experiences. I’m grateful for all the things we’ve done together and the memories I have from those together moments.
My personality & confidence.
I met K when I was 15 & we started dating when I was 17. For the most part, there are very few instances where he was a bad influence. I had questionable friends and did questionable things when we started dating, and K wasn’t into that stuff. For the past twelve years he’s been a stable moral compass for me. And on top of that, he has always given me a huge dose of confidence. He supports my decisions and backs my dreams- he believed in me to march an independent drumline and supported me studying abroad in India and encourages me to write down the countless stories that enter my head. Maybe I’d have found a partner like him some day, but the person I am today is largely because I’ve spent the last 12 years by his side.
Last but not least, our future kid.
I always thought I’d have a kid as soon as I got married (especially when I dreamed of a future with K). I won’t lie- I’m glad I didn’t. I’ve enjoyed these past 6+ years as husband and wife. And now I’m so excited to add a perfect little combination of the two of us to the mix. I’m nervous to share our life with a new human- it’s been just US for so long- but I wouldn’t want to grow a family with anyone else.
So that got mushy and gushy but this is our last “anniversary” without a tiny human stealing our attention so I won’t apologize 😉
Thanks for 12 amazing years, Kyle. He’s to 12 dozen more of them ♥
Life as Louise 
What a journey you’ve had together! It’s obvious you guys are a great team, and are better together. A dozen years is definitely enough to see huge differences in your relationship/surroundings. I know the next 12 years will be just as exciting!
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Thanks, Kristen 🙂 It’s been a great team to be a part of. I’m definitely excited/nervous about the next 12 years. Haha!
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This made me cry. What a wonderful journey and life you’ve created. I loved reading about how the business started in your family’s garage- wow, how special. I also had many bad influences around me right when I started dating Chuck and to be honest, he was one of the only “good guys” I dated. I was always in to bad boys and the wrong ones for me, LOL…but something obviously stuck with Chuck that made me part of who I am today. I loved reading about your adventures and dogs, so so sweet. To the next wonderful and exciting 12 years ahead! xoxo!
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No heat… no internet… That garage set up blows my mind now as I sit in my office. Haha!
Ughhh. My friends were terrible influences before K and even after we started dating. I know he plucked me out of a few toxic situations. And the guy I dated before K? YUCK. So so terrible.
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Isnt it so funny to see how life changes & how YOU change – individually & as a pair? Love that this little adventure of yours is about to get even more exciting!!!!
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It’s so funny to look back on the change! Growing up together and not growing apart is a special thing 🙂
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Happy anniversary! You two are such an inspiring couple. I love that you do so many things together and are so supportive of one another! I always wish Jerry and I had had some more “us” time before starting our family, but we jumped right in. I don’t have any regrets about our wild Caleb man, but we got pregnant (on purpose) just six months into our marriage! I think you’ll always be grateful the extra time you had just the two of you!
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It’s funny how it works out differently for everyone. I didn’t picture my life like this 12 years ago, but I’m glad things unfolded how they did 🙂 You’ll have lots of “us” time when the boys are a little older and you and Jerry are still young enough to play and adventure!!
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Happy Anniversary to you two! It will be 12 for us in March. And what an exciting year you have coming up!
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Twelve seems like such a milestone! Congratulations to you two, too! It’s so fun to look back on the years.
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Happy anniversary! You two have the BEST relationship. It’s weird thinking about how different our lives would have been if we hadn’t ended up with our significant other. I doubt I would have ended up living in Switzerland for one thing!
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Thank you, Bev. After 12 years I can’t imagine where I’d be or what I’d have done if I hadn’t dated K. I assume college and good things would’ve been on my horizon, but who knows? And I really did have some bad influences back then so who truly knows. Yikes! Lol.
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Awww! I.love this. It’s so important to celebrate out relationships!
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I think so, too, Ashley!
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Aw, I love this. Happy Anniversary! I think it’s great that the two of you kind of “grew up” together in a way. I’m sure it has shaped who you are and the things you love in a lot of ways, and that’s awesome! 🙂
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
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Thank you! I am SUCH a different person than I was 12 years ago. I think K and I are both happy about that. Hahahaha! Same with him 😉
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Happy dateiversary! Or however you want to spell that lol. You guys have created such a wonderful life together, and you have the biggest journey yet coming soon!!! So special!
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Thanks, Nadine! Our biggest, scariest, most foreign journey EVER coming soon. Haha!
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Awww, what a love story you guys have!! And it’s only getting better!!
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Thank you so much, Julie!
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