7 years.

Its taken me all day to find the words to express how much I love Leif Hightree. April 30th marked our 7 year Wedding Anniversary. But it feels like eternity.

I remember when I first met him. We both worked at Kmart in 2002. I was 17 and in my Senior year of High School, he was 21 and going to school at KVCC. Ill admit, I didn't really like him at first. I kind of thought he was weird, and he was older and not really "my type"....as if I really had a "type".....

I didn't really talk to him much until I got transferred to the dreaded K Cafe where he worked. I remember always getting mad at him because every time I would come into work there would be dishes to wash. He would claim he didn't have time to do them, I would think he just didn't want to do them and would make me!

We started developing a friendship after working together daily. He would sing oldies songs, I would complain to him about my boyfriend. We would joke around about the current movie Kmart was playing on the big screen. We even hung out after work sometimes. ( Totally platonic because I had a boyfriend at the time!) We went to see the movie Collateral Damage one evening after work. I remember thinking Leif wasn't so weird after all. Well, except for the fact that his name was Leif Hightree, but that's another story! The next day my boyfriend and I broke up......totally unrelated! But after I told Leif, he for sure thought he had a part in it!

I remember after a few months I started to feel like I kind of "liked" Leif. But I had never really pursued a guy before. My past boyfriends both asked me out so I wasn't really sure what to do! So, naturally I started strategically going to Kmart at the same time he was working. Checking his schedule and trying to get mine changed to work the same time as him.....I even skipped a class one day at school to go say hi to him at work. (Sorry Mom!) Finally I had come up with the master plan of asking him to go with me to my Prom. However, I couldn't actually ask him myself.....I wanted him to ask me!

So, since I knew when he would be at work....now that I think about it I was kind of borderline stalkerish.....I went into Kmart one day and found him and started giving him a sob story about how every girl in my school had a date to Prom but me....I believe my exact words were " I swear every girl in my school has a date to Prom except me!" Not really sure what his reaction would be I was very surprised when he pulled this next sentence out....."Is this where I become your Knight in Shining Armour and take you to Prom?" I know....corny..... But what this story has led up to is sharing why I Love Leif Hightree. That line sums it up.

He rescued me.

Yes, he may be corny but he is MY corny! I have loved him since the day we started dating. I love everything about him, even his faults and his corny little lines! He is my soul mate. He holds the other half of my heart. He is my partner in life. He is the love of my life. I know I can be difficult but he has stuck by me through thick and thin and I know I never have to question whether or not he will be there. He is an awesome father, a wonderful husband and my "baby-waby".

I am so blessed to have been with him for 10 years and married for 7 and look forward to the next 7 years!

Leif, I Love you with all my heart. Happy 7 Year Anniversary.

"Poohie-Whoohie"