Seventeen years ago today, Trent and I became a couple. Before you think we are really old and stuff, we started dating when we were 14 and 15 years old. I will let you guess who is the older one of us (but I am not older by much!). I had always felt in my heart I would meet and know my soul mate immediately. And that's kind of how it happened.
I had actually "seen" Trent for the first time at a Babe Ruth baseball game and thought he was pretty cute. But I realized that he already had a girlfriend so I kind of forgot about it. But I did go home and write in my diary about him and how he just stood out to me. We didn't meet or anything. I just saw him out on the field.
A few weeks later, I was spending the night with my best friend and she was going to the summer cotillion party. So I went along with her. I didn't really know anyone (you know, since I was a year or two older than most of the people there). My friend wanted to dance with her boyfriend and I begged her not to leave me alone. So she got her boyfriend's best friend to sit and talk to me. And guess who that was - Trent. We sat and talked and even danced a few times that night. An instant connection.
I can't remember if we talked after that or not much. But a few weeks later, I attended the same best friend's 8th grade graduation (that really makes me feel old!) and since she and Trent were in the same class, I ran into him again. We talked and he promised to call. And he did.
I went out of town for my cousins graduation soon after that and I remember when I got home that weekend, Trent called and asked me out (I don't know if they even call it that anymore?? I am really showing my age now....). We started dating then and have been together ever since.
If I think back over the past 17 years, it's hard to comprehend all of the things we have been able to experience together. Good things and bad things. We were together when I got my driver's license and we didn't have to rely on parents to drop us off anymore. I picked him up after school pretty much his whole 9th grade year even though I went to school in another town. We went to 4 proms together and have been through 4 graduations together. Lots of ballgames, deer hunting, dance recitals, phone hours, etc. Promise rings, engagement rings, and wedding rings together. We have been through deaths together and now a birth together. We have dealt with sadness and happiness, stress and excitement, good times and tough times. We have built a house, a marriage, a business, and a family together. We are parents together. We make 99% of all decisions together. We have just done so much TOGETHER in 17 years it's really hard to put it into words.
The best thing we get to share together now is Claire. What a blessing she is to us and obviously the best thing thing that has ever happened to us together.
I have been so blessed to have Trent in my life. I know he is my soul mate. He puts up with me and has for 17 years (hey - he is about the only one who has never made a comment about my hair twirling habit....). He does everything he can to make me happy and now Claire happy. He is a great husband, best friend, and awesome father. To say that I wouldn't know myself without him in my life would be an understatement. He makes up half of my heart and Claire makes up the other half. They are who I am.
This picture is from 1995 right after we started dating. Who knew that 17 years later, we would be where we are today. Thank God for putting us together. So we get to celebrate 2 anniversaries a year - June 18th when we started dating and October 5th when we got married! :)
Love,
The Scott Family
