NINE YEARS.

Nine years ago today, I remember knocking on the door of a guy I met not too long ago and I had serious feelings for him. I was so nervous that I almost ran back to my car. Good thing I didn't. He opens the door and leads me to the dinner table where he has cooked spaghetti and meatballs (very much Lady & the Tramp vibe going on here) with a single rose right by my plate. After dinner, we turn the television on where the only movie that was playing was Knocked Up so we watched that. In between commercials he mutes the movie and says to me, "I hope you enjoyed dinner. I'm good at making pasta dishes and soooo I kinda like you a lot so maybe I was thinking do you want to be my girlfriend?" And I know he said these exact words to me because I have it written on my journal on 10/11/2009 with lots of hearts around it.

Nine years flash forward and here I am literally knocked up with twins on the way. Earlier today, he leaves the kitchen asking me, "what do you want for lunch, sugar plum?" I walk away and laugh out loud and he mumbles "well that's the last time I try to be sweet" and gives me the same smile I first fell in love with. I hear our Emma yelling in the background, "Daddy, where are you!?" and when she finds him, she hugs him tight as if she hasn't seen him in days. The crazy thing is that I envisioned our life exactly the way it is now nine years ago. I only knew Kevin for a few months and I knew he was going to be the one I marry, the one who I adopt fur-babies with, the one I find a home with, the one I raise children with, and the one I will grow old with. I knew all of that before he knew it himself and I didn't tell him that until after he proposed. OBVIOUSLY. I mean I didn't want to scare him away, but I knew. Before you, I thought I knew love, but I had no idea. God knew I needed you. Love is what we have now, what we've built together for the past nine years, and what I know we will have for years to come. Happy 9 years, mi Amor. I love you.

With love, 

Ale