Happy 5th Anniversary!

I first met Jon in 1999 when I was working as a server at Outback Steakhouse. A friend of mine invited me to the movies one night and brought him along. I don't remember what movie we saw or really anything else about the night, but I do remember meeting him. As I shook his hand outside AMC Cantera, I remember thinking that he was cute, but definitely shy. A few months later, I met him again when he started working at Outback. He actually started on Halloween, and I was dressed as a bar-tending nun. He was sitting with his "trainer" in booth number 1 and I sat down and said "hi". Little did I know, he would follow me around like a little lost puppy for the next year. Every morning, bright and early, he would call me to see what I was doing that day. (Now that I know Jon, I think he must have set an alarm or something because there is no way he would wake up that early on his own!) Even if I told him I was going to the store to buy feminine products, he would say "OK", and then there would be a long pause...finally I would ask if he wanted to go...and he would say "OK!" Or he would just randomly run to my house from his apartment and then ask for a ride back. We didn't even live in the same town! I guess that should have been my first clue that he liked me, but for some reason I felt like he thought I was too loud and crazy, probably because he was always so quiet. During that year, we spent a lot of time together as friends, most of the time hanging out before/after work at his messy apartment because I still lived at home with my parents.



In the summer of 2000, a bunch of us decided to take a trip to Europe. Jon's best friends Ryan, Dan, and Jeremy, as well as Jen, my best friend from high school, all went together for a 3 week trip to London, Switzerland, Italy, and France. I guess I should have known by the way he was looking at me in this picture at the airport that he liked me, but I missed that too...



But I do remember walking the streets of London and thinking that despite the fact that he was wearing scrunched down tube socks, that Jon had really nice calf muscles. (Don't have a picture of that, sorry)!





And from that point on, I think I finally started to realize what I had in front of me for so long. We spent a lot of time together in Europe and it was there that I knew he would always take care of me. Like the time when I had to move from the "smoking car" of the train because it made me feel nauseous and he followed me. Or the time I had an unfortunate bathroom incident in France and he waited outside for me while the rest of our group went on to the beach. Or the time that I almost died of boredom in The Louvre and he almost died with me.





He also made me feel safe trying new and scary things...this is one of my favorite pictures of us.




We got married on June 6, 2003 and went to Belize for our honeymoon. Hannah came 10 months later, and the rest is history...in the making...






There is one thing that I know for sure and that is our marriage would not be as strong as it is without Jon's enduring patience. It is one of the things I have come to love so much about him.
Here are some other things...



Jon makes the very best french toast and grilled cheese sandwiches (he calls them toasted cheese sandwiches, but they aren't toasted, they are grilled in a pan so they are really grilled cheese sandwiches).


Jon doesn't get angry...even when I want him to and try really hard to make him.


Jon never EVER EVER complains about taking care of the kids if I need to get out for a while.

Jon does the laundry, cleans the house, takes out the garbage, takes care of the plants, and washes our sheets without me ever having to ask him, even once.


Jon has happily gotten up with all three newborn babies, even when he has to work the next day, and even if he's tired, just to help me.


Jon is the best navigator and can find his way anywhere without a map.


Jon calls his parents daily and is one of the most loyal people I've ever met.


Jon is strong where I am weak, and gives me peace.


Jon will make dinner, clean it up, give the girls baths, put them to bed, and make brownies all in one night.






Jon is, by far, the best daddy I could have ever dreamed of for my children, and the best husband I could ever wished for myself. I am truly blessed!

Happy Anniversary!