Happy Birthday, honey. You're older than me.

Matt and I met in High School. Or, actually, Jr. High. Although I don't really think that counts. I never actually talked to him in Jr. High, I don't think. And don't you have to talk to somebody to have it count as meeting them?

The first actual real interaction between us was in 9th grade. It was, shall we say... less than romantic.

Matt was a very serious musician, even back then. And I was a musician who had fallen off the band wagon -very literally. I quit band as we entered high school because I was too. cool. Band just wasn't up there on the cool meter.

I was in choir. Now, that. That was cool.

We were both involved in CYT, our local Christian Youth Theater. In 9th grade, they were doing a production of The Wizard of Oz, and all of my friends were in it. I wanted to be in it SO bad, but my parents wouldn't let me because my grades weren't good enough. I was SO upset.

BUT then the glorious call came. From Matt. He had heard that I played the flute, and he was organizing a little pit "orchestra" to accompany the musical. Would I play flute in the pit?

Several factors worked in my favor here:

1)My mom was bummed that I had quit band. She knew I was talented and really wished I would have continued to play my flute. She saw this as an opportunity to get me interested in it again (which TOTALLY worked, BTW).

2)ALL my friends were in this play, and having a social life WAS my life. If I could play, I could have a life again.

3)Matt was desperate. They REALLY needed a flute player.

My mom agreed to let me play. Oh, yay, I say, that day.

During the rehearsals, there were many many times where the pit orchestra needed to practice (Imagine that? They needed to practice at a rehearsal??!! Whatevah)and... Jenny was... nowhere to be found... I was off... talking to my friends!! Shocker, I know. Matt would have to go track me down and drag me off to the rehearsal.

I went home and told my mom, "ALL Matt EVER wants to do is PRACTICE!! He is SO BOSSY!"

Matt went home and told his mom, "ALL Jenny EVER wants to do is talk to her FRIENDS! She is such a FLAKE!"

Can't you see the love story in the making??

HA! They say opposites attract. We're pretty much totally opposite in personality.

He is THE most hard working man I know (affectionately known in our friend/family circles as the Energizer Bunny). He is diligent and dedicated, sometimes to a fault. (At least to this happy-go-lucky girl!! Ha.) He loves our children in such a way that I get teary just watching them with him. He's really amazing.

In 10 million years I never would have thought that bossy boy would some day be my sweet, amazing husband. He's changed so much, and yet, somehow, he hasn't.

His hair for sure hasn't changed. He really should offer to give some of his hair follicles to balding men.

I love you, Matt. Happy Birthday.

(You're older than me now)

(For 4 more months)

(haha haha haha)

All About My Man

A while back, Missy tagged me for this meme, and it's a really fun one. It's fun, cause, well... it's not about me!! So, brace yourself. It's an unauthorized biography...



1. Who is your man? Matt, aka Mocha Man.

2. How long have you been together? Dating since Aug. 1993. Married Aug. 1997. We were high school sweethearts turned college break-ups turned lifelong partners.

3. How long dated? I guess I'll let you do the math. Minus about 9 months there in the middle.

4. How old is your man? 31. He's 4 months my senior.

5. Who eats more? Ummm. We both eat a lot. But I think he eats more. If this question said "Who enjoys food more?" the answer would be a big fat, ME! But that wasn't the question.

6. Who said "I love you" first? I honestly don't remember the first "I love you", but I can not imagine that I would have been so bold. I am sure he did.

7. Who is taller? He is, by a couple inches.

8. Who sings better? He definitely sings better. No doubt.

9. Who is smarter? Oooh. I plead the fifth.

10. Whose temper is worse? Mine. All mine. He is no fun to fight with, actually. He rarely gets mad. Sometimes I wish he would so our fights would be even. It's no fun fighting with someone who's as calm as a cucumber. Try it sometime. It is NO FUN.

11. Who does the laundry? Depends. Lately since Operation Family Laundry, it's been all me. Before then, he did a lot.

Speaking of OFL, I am happy to report that I have NOT fallen off the wagon (yet)!!! Yay! I have no piles of laundry alternately on my bed and then floor... and then bed and then floor! They're all in the drawers or on hangers! AND, my children were all wearing underwear today! Hallelujah!

12. Who takes out the garbage? Usually him.

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me. I've offered to switch places a couple of times for different reasons, and he'll have nothing of it. He says he'd never be able to sleep.

14. Who pays the bills? Me. Almost all of the time. The other part of the time, nobody does. :) Oops.

15. Who is better with the computer? We're pretty matched, but I might be a smidge ahead.

16. Who mows the lawn? He always does. I've never worked the thing.

17. Who cooks dinner? I always do. He can make a mean grilled cheese, though.

18. Who drives when you are together? Depends. If I need to put on my makeup, he does. If he needs to make some business calls, I do. If I feel like driving, I do. If he starts being a backseat (passenger seat) driver, I pull over and he does. :) Kidding, kidding.

19. Who pays when you go out? It doesn't matter. Mi dinero es his dinero.

20. Who is most stubborn? mmm. I think that award goes to Matt. But it's not over stupid stuff like the stuff that I'm stubborn over. It's over REALLY important stuff like how important it is to have a woodburning fireplace in our house. According to my hubby, it's more important than indoor plumbing. Yes indeedy.

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? I'd like to plead the fifth on this one, too. The short answer is that neither of us like to, but we're learning.

22. Whose parents do you see the most? My mom lives with us in our basement, so we see her the most. Next would be Matt's parents who we see a couple of times a year usually. And least often would probably be my Dad who we see once a year or so.

23. Who kissed who first? Our first kiss could have been in a chick-flick movie script. It went like this:

We were sitting in the car outside of my house after a date, talking, and it suddenly got quiet.

Me: What are you thinking about?

Him: (Leaning in) I'm trying to decide if I should kiss you.

Me: (matching the lean-in) What do you think you'll decide?

Him: I think I will.

Mwaaaaaaaah.

It was beautiful.

24. Who asked who out? Our first actual date was to Junior prom. His mom made him ask someone, and I was the lucky girl. Don't know if he was actually interested in me at that point or not (I think only mildly). Our first real date once he really was interested was to a Padres game.

25. Who proposed? I have proof:

This was back in the day when you could *gasp* go past security at the airport and meet your family/friends at the gate. I was returning home from visiting my family in California. I was... NOT expecting it.

It was New Year's Eve, 1996. The sign reads "Jenny, Will you Marry Me in 1997?"

Dazed and Confused.

"Wha?"

Two indisputable facts:

a)It's hard to kiss while smiling

b)Matt is kissing my teeth in this picture

"OK, I think I know what's going on now."

(check out the people in these pictures! They're hilarious. Especially the guy to the left, he's clapping and he doesn't even know why. He's not even looking at us.)

"Larry! Soon to be Father in Law! Taking my picture!"

Dazed and in Love. But still dazed.

Here's proof that I said yes:

26. Who is more sensitive? Me, of course.

27. Who has more friends? I guess me, again, of course.

28. Who has more siblings? We're even. He has one sister, I have one brother.

29. Who wears the pants in the family? I hate this saying. We both wear pants. Jeans to be exact. The question means "Who is the leader in your family"? Matt is most definitely the leader on all the big issues in our family, and issues that he feels strongly about. I will put in my .02 cents and defer to him to make the decision. It works best that way. Sometimes I have to sit on my tongue. Sometimes I argue my side. He always listens graciously. But our tradition is that he is the leader. We don't generally fight over the big things. It's biblical, and it works for us.

On the other hand, however, on issues of the daily grind, what-makes-the-home-go-round issues, Matt almost always defers to me. Which I appreciate.

I love ya, Mocha Man.

I tag Sarah and Jenna.