Four Crazy Years

April 3, 2004. I can hardly believe that it has been 4 years since our first official date. Being the true romantic, Ryan let me pay for dinner for our first date. Did he forget his wallet? Nope. He won a bet - A bet that I pretty much knew I had no chance of winning, but would finally make him have dinner with me. We were out at happy hour in the middle of the NCAA Men's Tournament and were watching one of the games, and I had this bright idea that we should bet on one of the games. So, stupid girl that I am, I took the underdog and told him that if my team won, he'd have to pay for dinner, but vice versa and I would pay. Wouldn't you know it, my team lost. I can't really say that I regret losing that bet. It's kind of amazing how things turn out. Somehow, our brand-new relationship even survived a long-distance relationship while he moved to Cambridge, England for a few months to learn how to drive stick shift on the wrong side of the road and pretend to do some accounting for a new company. The last 4 years have truly been a roller coaster ride and through it all Ryan has been my rock (even from across the pond). I can’t imagine how I would have ever gotten through all that has happened in our lives without him. Although, he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve like me, all I have to do is take a look around and see all the nice things he does for me and everyone else and how he manages to take care of most of the annoying details of life that I don’t have the patience to deal with to know that he cares so much. He is so kind, patient, and caring, and I know that I am definitely the lucky one in this relationship.