Maybe it’s the hormones, or maybe I really am just feeling grateful. I’ve been contemplating the last few days about how lucky I am to have a partner who truly adores me. That may sound a little over confident, but I am pretty sure I am right about this one.
I met my husband 10 years ago, December of 1999. At that time, my future husband-to-be had been divorced for two years, and I had just moved back from Los Angeles after a devastating break up with my college boyfriend. Our mothers are friends, and they took a trip to China and Japan with a group of girlfriends in the summer of 1998. What do our mother’s have to do with us meeting? Well, a lot. They sat on the plane ride over to China and discussed the possibility of introducing us and what our future together would look like. When they came home, my mom excitedly talked about Suzanne’s son, Kelly. She told me broken bits and pieces about him- he had been married very young, right out of college, didn’t work out, and had been divorced for two years now, dating off and on. For months, I was dying to meet this Prince Charming, and kept wondering when it would happen, knowing deep down inside that once I met him, it would be all over- my single life that is. I had this feeling he would be the boy I was going to marry.
Our mothers formally met through a charitable organization called, Assistance League of Las Vegas, though they had lived on the same street in the same neighborhood for years (and still do), and my younger brother and sister went to school with Kelly’s younger brother. We all grew up in Las Vegas, and have the same memories growing up here. And our paths may have crossed here and there, we had the same swim coach and attended the same cotillion, but I was four years younger (I love saying that!) then Kelly, so we never officially met. The closest I ever came to meeting him before we were destined to, happened when I was a 6th grader at St. Anne’s Elementary School, and he and his best friend, Steve Garhardt, were juniors at Gorman High School. Everyone knew Steve because he was the hot guy who played football and everyone wanted to date him. Plus, he and his girlfriend went to my church, and later taught religious studies to my younger siblings. One day I was at my best friend’s house, and we were visiting one of her neighbors, who was a sophomore at Gorman, and that night, was also attending the Girls Reverse Dance with Steve Garhardt! We were so jealous and excited…we went over to her house to see her dress. Come to find out, years later, when I was going through one of Kelly’s old photo books, I came across a picture of that neighbor, in that same dress, with Steve, and another couple…her friend and Kelly. They all went to the dance together. It was the closest I came to running into my future hubby.
Fast forward to Christmas of 1999. The Assistance League of Las Vegas was dedicating their new building, and all the families were invited. This is where I briefly met Kelly, stuffing my face with Swedish meatballs (I was hungry, and food has never gotten in the way of anything for me!). I say briefly because true to KVA form, he was off and running to the next thing, usually something for work, or maybe he had a date, who knows really, I’ve actually never asked him. And I didn’t see him again until July 2, 2000, at a mutual friends’ wedding. That was it. I never dated another person again. We married May 4, 20002.
In exactly one week, we will have been married for eight years. And though I am totally head over heels for him right now, it hasn’t been the easiest road the whole time. It is true though, what people say, if you can make it through the hard times, you grow closer, wiser and stronger. It’s been eight years and thanks to the fabulous economy, we have learned some very valuable lessons. We have both achieved amazing results in our careers. Kelly left one career for another and has been very successful at it, loving every minute of his job and his life. We have travelled to great places: Bali, Thailand, Anguilla, Hawaii…and when we couldn’t afford our own trips, we were still able to road trip it to Telluride and Dana Point, thanks to our parents. Eight years later we have two beautiful children and two more on the way. We’ve bought and sold four houses between the two of us, and six cars.
So why is he so amazing? For starters, he takes so much pride in his work. And he does so with the intention that he is making a life for his family. I trust him completely. I know when he has to go out with the boys (his bosses), and have drinks at the nightclubs, he is doing it to further his career, not meet some power hungry hoochie mama. I know he really wants to come home and be in bed with his son and his daughter. He loves to show them off at work, when he gets the chance. Everywhere I go people congratulate me on the twins, and this is because Kelly is so excited about it, he can’t help but tell everyone we meet. At the ACMAs, I got up to use the restroom, when I came back the rows in front and behind us were wishing me best of luck with the babies! He is the most attentive man I know, so much that sometimes it drives me a bit crazy. But he’s the man…he gets the drinks, he gets the cars, he gets the doors, he makes sure everyone is happy and having a good time. This is why he is so great at his job, and why I feel bad when we go out because he doesn’t skip a beat with me, but this is what he loves to do. Take care of people. When I had to stay in the hospital for dehydration (not to mention both hospital stays with my children), he slept on the most uncomfortable “couch” in the room with me for two nights in a row. Guilty confession, I am not sure I would have done the same thing. Now, yes. Two months ago, I don’t know. He never complained. He packed his bag and said, “OK, let’s go.” I told him to go home and sleep, but he said he wouldn’t leave me there alone. If I ask him to do something, he does it. It may take me nagging him for weeks, sometimes months if it is something he truly has no interest in, but when he gets it done, he really gets it done. On the other hand, if I ask him to run to the store in the middle of the night for peanut butter cookie dough, or a burrito from Taco Bell, I don’t have to ask twice. To top it all off, he still thinks I’m hot in my 4 months-pregnant with twins-glory, and keeps bringing me home nighties from the lingerie store at his work. I think, “Really??? I can’t possibly look amazing in this right now,” and he thinks, “Really! You do!”
I love watching him when he is so happy and in his element. As you know, we get opportunities to see sold out concerts and shows, 
;get in to the most exclusive nightclubs and bars, eat at the best restaurants in town. I am generally more excited about this than he is, but because he knows I love it, he makes it happen. Even when he couldn’t care less. Recently, we were invited to attend the Eagles concert with some guests. My husband was so excited. He’s definitely loosened up since we first met…he was singing the songs and standing up to rock out even if I wasn’t. He was genuinely having a great time. He looked great in the shirt I picked out for him, his Filmore jeans and his new cowboy boots. He was mingling with “the boys” and enjoying spending time with his guests. It was so good to see him this content.
For a long time, I thought all husbands were this way. What I’ve come to learn is that I am lucky. I am fortunate. I have a partner who in so many ways is my best friend and more. I couldn’t imagine my life without him. We are so equal in where we stand with each other, in how we make our decisions for our family and our goals for our lives. I have come to realize that I don’t need anything. I have everything I need.