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 ♥
