feb 18

dustin &  i skip valentine's every year, choosing to celebrate a more important day instead.  february 18th.  february 18th is our "engagement anniversary" and has become our favorite february holiday!  twelve years ago on valentine's day we talked with my parents about us getting married.  i think my dad asked something about a ring, and dustin said he was going to be saving to buy one.  in response,  dad pulled out $10 and said, "here, start saving".   knowing that we were poor college students I figured that i'd either have a twist tie engagement ring or be waiting a long, long, long time for some sort of diamond.  BUT, four days later, in the basement of our church following a wednesday night service, dustin gave me the surprise of my life!  on bended knee he asked me to be his wife...diamond ring and all!  i had no idea whatsoever and was 100% surprised, which has happened only a few times in my life.  at the time i'm sure there were more than  few people that thought we were absolutely insane.  afterall, dustin & i had known each other just a few months.  on the couple occasions dustin came to visit my family, he was known to do things like climb in bins of bird seed and dance wildly at the court restaurant.  who was this guy that jessie met at fairmont?  and what???  they're getting MARRIED???  ha!  but, it was just something we knew.   as opposite as opposite can be, we are alike in the things that matter and are kindred spirits.  we could see in us what most could not.  twelve years later, we remember that night of our engagement when our plans for our life together seemed too huge to ever come to pass, and we marvel in knowing that we are living our dream.