It Has Been 11 Years!

As I get older, I realize how time flies.  I remember back to my elementary days (first grade I think), standing in the lunch line thinking, "When is this year going to end?  I've been in the first grade FOREVER!"  (Note: I have no idea why I remember this, but it's very vivid!)  As I got older, and my perspective changed, especially about time, experiences started to fly by.

Thirteen years ago, I met my best friend.  We were both teachers at Thornhill Elementary School in Oakland.  I was a fifth grade teacher, and he was the music teacher.  When I first met him, I thought his last name was Swinhart (like a pig) and proceeded to call him that until my students corrected me.  I'm sure I actually called him Mr. Swinhart to his face, but he never said anything.  (Ahh, what a nice guy!)

After clearing up the situation about his last name, flaking on 3 dates with him, and giving each other awkward colleague hugs (once I actually showed up for dates,) we soon made plans to travel to Peru together and once we got back home, I proceeded to ask him to move in with me, and a year after that asked him to marry me.  Now, it's been eleven years since we've been married (today!) We have two very awesome girls (with a boy on the way), we've laughed (boy have we laughed), and we've cried.  It's been the quickest eleven years of my life, and it's the one area that I wish would slow down, because I'm having to much fun!

So Eric, this year on our anniversary, I'm not writing how amazing you are in a card... you get a whole blog post!!! Thank you for teaching me to:

1) Take risks:  This guy moved out to California, got a day job, and started playing in multiple bands.  My favorite band he played in was STUNG: A Tribute to the Police... They still play (minus Eric), but you should still check them out!

2) Follow Passions:  Eric has BIG IDEA's.  Whether it be growing 12 hops strains in our backyard, raising the back of our house, or starting a Music Education Research Project for the kids of Oakland, he does it.  Eric is amazing at seeing a problem, making a plan to try to fix it, and implementing it.  

3) Be Kind to EVERYONE:  Eric is one of the nicest people I know.  He can turn anyone's frustration or bad day into a great one with his corny"Middle School" jokes, smile, and damn those dimples... apparently he's been getting out of trouble since preschool by flashing those dimples!

4) Give Loyalty/Support to Others:  Eric is a great supporter.  Without his support, Handbrewed Soaps wouldn't be here.  He pushes me to focus all of my energy on my passion of beer soap!  He comes up with new ideas for me, and is usually the brains behind our shenanigans.  And he sticks with you, through good and bad times. He does this for all of his friends and family

5) Laugh:  I have never laughed so much with a person.  Eric has a talent for using  his corny-ass humor to deflate conflicts and brings humor to serious situations that may not need to be so serious (if you know what I mean.)  He is goofy ball.

6) Care:  Eric is very caring, so much sometimes that he worries himself to death.  He cares for/about things that many people would look over.  But this is what brings him back to his passions.  And if it's a passion, Eric will pursue it!

There are many more things he has taught me, these are the big six!  Thanks Eric for these past 11 years...  I can't wait to see what the next 11 will bring! Happy Anniversary!