10 {whole} years

Today is our ten year "dating" anniversary. Josh claims that this anniversary doesn't count. Which I suppose is correct. But it is still a day that holds special meaning for me. So I thought it was post-worthy.

We met in March of 2000 in our American Sign Language (ASL) class at Mountain View High School. I was a student in the class, and he (since he knew sign language from having been raised with a Deaf sister) was the teacher's assistant. One of the first things he said to me was that I looked pretty. Aww!
After flirting a bit in class, we went on a class field trip, during which I gave him my phone number. It happened to be spring break, so we decided to go to the movies. We also went to the traveling carnival that had set up in the Target parking lot. Shortly after those first few dates (on April 11, 2000) I told Josh that I wanted to make things official and be his girlfriend.
I loved talking to him, I loved how he could make me laugh, and never made me self conscious. He accepted me as I was. I loved that about him. I remember talking to him about his {large} family, and wondering if I would EVER be able to memorize all his sisters names (something I have since mastered :).

{Junior Prom, May 2000}
Our first BIG date was for Junior Prom in May of 2000. I felt like "Andy" from Pretty In Pink in my dress, and we had a wonderful time together.

{Senior Homecoming, October 2000}
Our second BIG date was Senior Homecoming. This date was still really fun, but Josh had just had his first grand mal seizure and was forbidden from driving. This really bummed him out and I had to drive. It wouldn't be until two years later that he would be diagnosed with epilepsy.
P.S. That hair took TWO HOURS to curl!

{Winter Tolo, December 2000}
This was a pretty laid back dance, and we just got chinese food beforehand. The next day Josh was barfing his guts out and he swore off chinese food for years after that.

{Sweethearts Dance, February 2001}
I felt really beautiful at this dance, and at this point we had been together nearly a year, and were at that point where you're just really comfortable together. It was nice to reach that point.

{Christmas 2001}
Just typing the number 2001 brings a lot of memories. 2001 was the year I graduated from high school. Josh had not completed enough credits to graduate, although he had attended for twelve years. Fall of 2001 he decided to join a second-year-senior program to complete his diploma when September 11th happened, and he never went back.

{April 2002}
Our second anniversary we spent in a cabin at Long Beach. We had so much fun, sight seeing, walking along the coast and taking these fun pictures in a photo booth at the arcade.

{August 8, 2002}
We got engaged during a road trip to Vancouver, BC in Canada after we had been on a short break. We knew we were meant to be together and wanted to spend the rest our lives side by side. I was currently working on my associates (2 year) degree at Clark College and Josh was working full time and living on his own.

{Fall 2002}
Our engagement party was held at my parents house, and was a very memorable night. My dad gave Josh "condolences" for choosing me. He meant to say "Congratulations"... I think. (ha!) I felt gorgeous and we were really excited to start the next phase of our lives.

{Engagement Photo Shoot, Fall 2002}

{This is the one we put in the wedding invitations}

Two weeks before our wedding, while going to get our marriage license, Josh had his second grand mal seizure, and was later diagnosed with frontal lobe epilepsy. Thankfully it is controlled with medication.
Our wedding was held August 8, 2003, one year after he proposed, and it was a great day. Our honeymoon was awesome, spent in Newport at a beachfront condo.
I graduated from WSU with my bachelor of science in psychology in 2005. And Josh became an ASL interpreter at an elementary school.
In 2006 he began his education at Clark. He was also hit by a drunk driver that year.
In the fall of 2007 I was turning 25 and wanted {desperately} a baby.
June 2008 we welcomed two bundles of joy into our family.
And now (in five short weeks) Josh will graduate from WSU with his Bachelor of Arts in Education. And in less than two months we will be celebrating our twin boys' second birthday.

In the last ten years we have made a home together, a life together, and I am so happy to have done it all with him by my side. I love you, baby.

{Remember: click to enlarge photos}