Five Reasons Why I Love Brooke - #5

Brooke is going out of town for a few days with her brother to visit the family in Alabama. I never like it when Brooke is gone. Rather than just mope, I thought I'd post five reasons (one for each day she is gone) why I love my wife.

Reason #5
Well Baby, writing this each day has helped.  I miss you terribly, but being able to talk about the things I love most about you has made it a little bit easier.  Today, I want to talk about "I love you because of the life we have built a life together."  I think I said it the first day I started writing five reasons...there is no me without you.  It would be hard to define who I am without you.  Yes, there are some things that are definitely "Rob things" and not "Brooke things", but my life is all about the life we have built together.

I guess we were still kids when we met at Christ for the Nations.  Your parents were paying for you to be there and my parents were paying for me to be there.  That's where our life together started (in separate apartments, of course).  We met while playing those dorky orientation games.  You were just happy to meet all of these people, I was irritated because you were keeping me from winning the game!  Our paths first crossed that day, and then the next in the winding lunch line.  You laugh at me because I would stare at you every time the line wound around and we were next to each other.  I was just looking at your ID badge that said "Angela" and I knew that was not the name you had told me.  So in typical people-loving fashion, you introduced yourself to me again.  I guess that helped me get over my awkwardness enough to start hanging out with you.

We had mutual friends and "the gang" we hung out with that first year.  Things were going great until you messed with my organized little world again.  I was not going to CFNI  to date or find a girlfriend...but then you "happened" to me.  I told God how much I loved Him and how I did not want to be distracted from all He had for me.  Over time, I learned that He was trying to tell me how much He loved me, too, and YOU were part of what he had for me.  (Is that cool, or what!)

And this is when we found "our song" by Geoff Moore Friend Like You.  We knew then that in some areas we were as different as black and white, but we knew we were destined to be together.  We found our church and started working with the youth (weren't those fun days at the beginning!).  I met your family, you met mine (totally different experiences).  And the day finally came when I asked your Dad for permission to marry you.  (Of course, that was the same visit your Dad and I were alone in the living room and some of that good southern cooking came back to haunt me...the intestinal discomfort was was quiet on the way out, but as the wallpaper began to peel, it became obvious what had happened.  And it was just your Dad and me sitting there...it's not like I could act like it was someone else!)  Despite all of this, your Dad gave his blessing.

So the day came I when I got you up on the stage at church under the guise of a youth announcement and proposed to you in front of our church family.  You never actually said yes, but after you quit hitting me and took the ring, I figured it would all be ok.  So our life as husband and wife started about 8 months later, right?  We were off to Puerto Vallarta for our honeymoon and then back to real life at Payless Shoes and Lerner's.

So I guess we slowly started to grow up.  We had our first apartment and the we got Thumper. The apartment was small and the neighbors were "interesting", but life was good.  Eventually we moved and adopted Sabrina.  Then we moved to our house...that was super cool!  Of course it was hard on you because you were so tired all of the time.  And then came another milestone in our lives, the night we found out why you were tired all of the time...Amanda was on the way!  We called our parents scared enough to cry but happy nonetheless.

And so Amanda was born and we became a "family" and not just a "couple".  We learned how to be parents (well, we're still learning that) and we learned how to change a diaper without gagging (you pull your shirt collar up over your nose, and change it QUICKLY!). It seemed like no time at all before Amanda was in Pre-K and we started referring to her as a "big girl".

So now Amanda is a 1st grader, losing teeth and our puppies are Boo and Sully.  We've built 14 years of memories together, and I'm looking forward to MANY more in the future.  I'm so glad I have you by my side as we walk through this adventure called life.  We have no idea what the future may hold, but you can rest assured that God will ALWAYS be there and so will my love for you.

I can't wait for you to get home tomorrow evening.  I miss you, but I've enjoyed having an opportunity to let out a little bit of what is inside my heart for you.  Hurry home, Baby.

Love,
Rob