Eight Years Ago...

Eight years ago today, Ben and I went on our first date! Our parents dropped us off at the St. Matthew's Mall, and we walked around all night without going in any stores! He gave me a rose when I first walked up- what a sweetie! He bought me Sbarro's in the food court and a cookie from the Great American Cookie Factory. While eating our cookies, he told me I was so beautiful it was killing him. :) He also turned bright red seconds later! Even then, my heart was forming a spot just for Ben, and I could tell we had something special- it sounds crazy, but it's true. We fell in love so young, knowing so early we were meant to be together. A lot of people thought we were crazy when we decided to get married young, too, but me and Ben knew...we knew all along it was the perfect path for us. We knew we were better together than apart, that what we had was more than a "fling"- our love was deep, it was Christ-centered, it was sincere, it was a conscious decision, it was an exciting decision. I praise God every single day- every one- for bringing Ben into my life. I praise God for giving us such a special love, for allowing us to be each other's first and only love, for bringing us together at such a young age. I praise God for the passion that Ben brings to our marriage, his devotion to me, and his desire for our marriage to be all that it can be. I praise God for these eight years Ben and I have had together. I praise God for the places we have seen together. I praise God!