5 Years Ago

Saturday, July 3, 2004

It was a humid, hot, but sunny, day five years ago today when Rob and I got married. I really don't know where the time has gone. It seems like not so long ago that Rob was knocking at my dorm room door at Penn State, which was probably the first time we met. Rob was coordinating our interest house's IM sports' team and the team was short girl players for a volleyball game one evening. Maybe I felt bad that the team would have to forfeit the game if they didn't have enough girl players or maybe it was because Rob seemed so nice that I decided to help out.

Most interactions that we had together at Penn State involved IM sports or the occasional meeting in the elevator or hallway. We really didn't get to know each other until we were invited to a wedding of college friends the month I graduated. Rob headed over to ask me to dance just as I went into the bathroom...I didn't realize that he was waiting outside for me and I bumped into him as I came out. I couldn't say 'no,' right? He was persistent and patient.

Looking back on that day, I realize that he showed me a lot of the qualities that I love about him today. He was polite, nice, and had a genuine interest and concern for me. He was also funny (in an engineer kind of way) and had that young Tom Cruise-look going on (sorry Rob, I know you hate that). After exchanging emails, we starting "visiting" each other (you might recall that I did not like to call it "dating").

For Rob's first "visit," we went to City Island in Harrisburg to ride the Riverboat, rollerblade, and walk around. He was so easy to talk to and I liked that I could be myself without having to try to do anything fancy to impress him. It was when I visited my friend, Irma, in Mexico when I realized that Rob had the qualities that would make him a great husband. I told Irma that eventually I would be looking for someone who was funny, smart, a hard worker, caring, and put family first. She noticed that I talked about Rob a lot and after talking about a positive quality, I would always say, "Oh, Rob does/is like that." We've come a long way from that first date (I mean, visit)--we've purchased 2 homes and cars, seen many places together, earned a Master's degree and Professional Engineer license, and have become parents. We have been through many transitions, some of them challenging (especially for me), but we go through them with each other---I wouldn't want to change, grow, and learn with any one else. I look forward to many more years and am excited for what's to come.


Here are some of my favorite memories from the past 5 years or so:

• our first dance at Matt and Erin's wedding
• walking to Baskin Robbins for ice cream in the freezing cold
• visiting Pittsburgh together and riding the incline
• playing darts in Rob's apartment
• making dinner in his little mini kitchen
• learning how to drive stick shift from Rob
  
• his thoughtful gifts---giant heart pretzel for Valentine's Day, notes on the counter in the morning
  
• meeting Rob for lunch in the city
• going to baseball and hockey games together
  
• cutting down our Christmas trees
• playing racquetball (to 100...or at least that was Rob's goal)
  
• buying our first (and second) houses
• building our deck
• sitting outside on our deck, and now porch, talking or reading
• Rob drinking a starch water smoothie
• eating in diners
• working around the house together
• doing crossword puzzles or Sudoku in bed
  
• finding out we were going to have a baby, and then actually meeting her
• seeing a nurturing side of each other as a mom or dad
• going to the beach
  

formal night on honeymoon cruise


Bermuda in front of the ship


evidence of Rob's goofiness---he was the smallest guy to participate in the belly flop contest aboard the cruise (that's his splash...notice the size of the other contestants sitting poolside)


Virginia Beach vacation


Rob is known for taking time to carefully select the best card for the occasion. Here's one of my favorite cards that he got to cheer me up when I misplaced my car keys and couldn't get to work.


Here is a card that we laugh about---it was a beautiful Valentine's Day card....from the "mahogany " line (notice the girl on the front)




Happy 5th Anniversary, Rob!
I love you!