My Husband

My husband Shawn and I have been together for eight years and married for five of those years, and boy what an adventure it has been thus far.

We met while we were in high school but we never really hung out. There was a class called JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) that we were both involved in throughout our high school years. JROTC is a leadership training class that is military centered. A portion of this class revolved around volunteering and community service opportunities within the community where we lived. There were parades, Salvation Army drives, and various other activities throughout the year in which we participated in. The class also offered after school opportunities that pertained to JROTC such as Drill Team, Raiders and Color Guard. I won’t go into those topics today but we both participated in Drill Team for a time together and were able to socialize some that way. The day that really changed things for us though was at a Salvation Army Christmas drive; you see before this we didn’t like each other, like at all. I thought he looked scary he thought I looked mean (hello resting bitch face). The morning of the Christmas drive a lot of people were meeting up at a friend’s house and we were all going to go over together. It being ungodly hours of the morning Shawn ended up falling asleep on our friends couch so when it was time to go, out of nowhere I had placed my hand on his cheek and said, “Wake up sleepy head”. We hadn’t spoken more than like four sentences to each other before than really but after I did that it changed things; over the next few months we talked when hung out with friends and started texting (oh em gee).

Fast forward to the summer after I graduated high school, we went to Assateague Island. The hope was to watch the sunset and look at the stars but the entire ride there it was so cloudy we weren’t sure if we would see anything at all, I convinced him to keep going anyway. We sat in the sand and played hang man while we were waiting for the sun to set and he asked me out. As night fell the clouds opened up and there was this perfectly framed view of the stars. Assateague Island is where we started dating, and it’s where he asked me to marry him, it holds a special place in our hearts.

Don’t get me wrong though it hasn’t always been cupcakes and rainbows we have had our fair share of shit to shovel through over the years; but I am very lucky and thankful I have a partner who wants to have a connection and who is more than willing to do what we need to get that connection back when it starts to lack. Shawn is who when something happens I want him to be the first person I tell, whether that is good, bad, or boring. I can tell him anything, that doesn’t mean that he always wants to hear it… but he will listen if it something important to me and vice versa. We have seen each other at our absolute worsts and even when we get pissed at each other we still love each other. He was there right in the thick of things when we were having our children (I am so thankful he has a stronger stomach than me, I don’t think I could have done that if our positions were reversed). All the work he does for his kids, our family and for others is incredible. I don’t tell him nearly enough how much he is loved and appreciated. Shawn is the hardest worker I have ever known, a fantastic father, he is exceptionally driven, and more intelligent than he realizes. We have seen a lot in the years we have been together; births, deaths, love, and life. My marriage is in no way perfect just like everyone else’s isn’t perfect either but perfect or imperfect, I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else.

Here’s to more adventures, I love you!