11 years ago ...

In my dorm room. Probably 1999.

I went to Paducah with an acquaintance + ended up meeting my husband. OK, so, Greg and I didn't get married that night, but we started to get to know each other. And from there, we went on a date the next week, broke up a couple of times over the next few years because of my insecurities, had a long-distance relationship across the state during his first year of law school, lived closer together but still not in the same town, got married, lived in an apartment, moved to our current house, experienced a trying time of trying to have a baby, adopted our beautiful daughter, started a real estate company ...

I suppose that covers the past 11 years.

Yes, 11 years. That seems like a long time.

But in other ways it seems like just yesterday when Greg + I struck up conversation at Steak-n-Shake in Paducah surrounded by his friends, my friends + our mutual acquaintance. I say "mutual acquaintance" because Feb. 7, 1998, was the only time either of us hung out with Darryl. Turns out it was a good social outing, considering we really haven't stopped talking since.

After Steak-n-Shake, Greg + I talked the entire ride back from Murray (That's about 45 minutes, for those of you unfamiliar with the drive ...) while we were two of three passengers in the back seat of a small car. I remember being impressed he knew where Oldham County was. (Little did I know that geography would be one of his many trivia specialties!) And I remember not being impressed with his tapered-leg jeans. But I knew that conversation + character were important than his fashion.

After my friend + I got out of Darryl's car in front of my dorm, I was on my way to the door when I heard Greg asked for my number. I said told it to him quickly, as I kept walking. He ended up calling a few days later, after some convincing from his friends Laura + Sarah who became my friends, and asked me if I liked ice cream. Um, yeah, I suppose. I didn't mention that it was February + maybe there was a more suitable dessert. We made plans for a date to Baskin-Robbins on the following Saturday, which happened to be Valentine's Day.

To be continued ...