Eighteen Years Today...

Today is an anniversary of sorts for Garth and me. Today we have been officially boyfriend and girlfriend for 18 years. Is that not crazy!!!! Well because we have met so many new people and because we are such nerds here is a recap of Garth and Nat...

I first saw Garth in August of 1991 standing in the lunch room when we were in middle school at Stigler, Oklahoma. I remember thinking to myself who is that cute, nerdy boy standing with Cale Dunn? Cute, because he was... and nerdy, because he had on these home made cut-off jean shorts... enough said. And that would probably be how I would describe him today... he is sooo nerdy cute and I love it!

Garth first noticed me at Lacy Huggin's pool party which was also in August. Misty Rowell and I kept throwing him and Cale into the pool. Later that night he and Cale rode their bicycles over from Cale's house to jump on the trampoline.

And so our friendship began.

We remember the first time that we "officially" decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend at the State Basketball tournaments in March of 1992. We were all wearing our middle school jackets and all of my best friends were there, listening in of course with Garth's best friend Cale. So funny... although Garth likes to tease me and say that it was March 17... not March 11.

We laugh and celebrate this day because it reminds us of our journey. Throughout the years we have celebrated every New Year's Eve together except one, we have dated other people but have never been apart for longer than 5 months, even during the times apart we were still pretty good friends... he would listen to how my dates went and I would listen to how his dates went. I think we both knew that we would end up together... but when you are so young you have to make sure. Neither one of us regret any step in our journey because it has led us to today. We have survived and thrived through middle school, Garth moving to Alaska and back home, High School, undergrad, marriage (almost 8 years!), both of us in graduate school (while working full time and building a new house), Natalie's many career changes, Garth working full time and graduating from TU Law, the birth of two beautiful girls, a move to Austin, Texas and whatever else life has thrown at us. We are best friends, parents and still think the other is still hot... even after 18 years!!!

Today is a fun day for us and we wanted to share it with you. Here are a few pics of our journey to make you smile.

Middle School Football game, sharing chili frito pie

Olan Mills pic... what up big perm!!

Christmas Formal

Prom 1995... again with the hair!!!

Prom 1996

Senior Pics

High School Graduation

Phi Sigma & Tri Sigma Luau-- Undergrad NSU 2000

(thanks mom)

Wedding

Oklahoma State Graduation

Just back from Cabo loving each other!!!

Our first family pic with Izzy

Getting ready to have Sophia

Our life in Austin

If you have any fun pics of us feel free to email them to us. I need to scan some in from our college years.

Enjoy your best friend today... we know we will!!

***on a side note Oprah is re-running a very important episode about food!!!! RECORD IT!!***