I remember the day I met Dave very well. It was Friday April 10th, 1998 and it was Good Friday to be exact. I went to happy hour at 67 West on Chippewa with Christine and some of my other friends. We were standing near the front of the bar and I noticed Dave walk in with his friend Ed. I immediately said to my friends "oh my gosh, look at that guy over there, he is so hot!" I then proceeded to say if you asked me to describe the perfect guy for me I would say look up the word "perfect man" in the dictionary and his picture would be right beside it! My friends laughed but I was serious. I was like I could marry this guy and I never even met him before. I remember making eye contact with him in hopes that he would eventually approach me. I couldn't help but keep drooling, I mean staring at him. He was dressed very preppy, he had on khakis, a checkered button down, a Ralph Lauren jacket and loafers with no socks. The no socks thing really did it for me. He looked so confident and self assured and even looked like someone who was really important in this world.
After about 45 minutes of making serious eye contact with each other, I was saying to myself come on, come over and talk to me already. He saw my girlfriends and I were being approached by, may I say, other suitors. I could tell he wanted to step in but didn't. I was hoping he didn't seriously think I was interested in these random guys. So I decided to break our eye contact competition and said to him "Well are you going to save me from these guys?" Trust me, that comment was very uncharacteristic of me to even say, I think my voice cracked a few times. Dave replied "Really, well Hellllo then!" and he put his arm around me. It worked and the guys got the hint and walked away. From there, Dave and I talked the whole night, non-stop. Our friends were super annoyed. It was after midnight and they wanted to go home but we kept saying just a few minutes longer. Christine was a champ but I think she knew I really didn't want to stop talking to him so she stayed for as long as I wanted. To spare our friends we decided to say good bye. He asked for my phone number and I happily gave it to him, written very clearly on a cocktail napkin. I said "put it in your pocket right now and don't loose it." He promised he wouldn't but as I left I was like he's a guy, he's had a few drinks and it's after midnight…there is a good chance he may loose it. I hoped and prayed he wouldn't.
Late Easter night, when I got home from my Aunt's house, I saw the light blinking on my answering machine. I listened to my messages and there was a message from Dave! I was jumping up and down doing the jiggy dance. I immediately called Christine and said "Dave called!!!" She said "That's great but why are you calling me? Call him back!" I was like "oh ya, I should, bye." I called him back and he asked me to go out the next day. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and walked around by Niagara Falls. I still make fun of him for suggesting the Hard Rock Cafe. I don't think he and I have ever been there since! From that date forward the rest was history and we were a couple. I knew early on that this was the man that I wanted to marry, the man I wanted to have children with, the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
Luckily he felt the same way I did. On Christmas Eve of 1999, Dave proposed to me. We exchanged Christmas presents at his apartment before heading to my mom's house. The first gift he gave me was an omelet pan. I loved it, seriously! I made the best omelets and he wanted to get me the best omelet pan out there. Remember, I love to cook so any kitchen accessory was an amazing gift to me. Then he gave me one more gift. The box looked like a ring box but honestly I wasn't expecting an engagement ring. He got down on one knee, and I was like oh my gosh, I opened the box and he said "Will you marry me?" I was shocked and really had no idea he was going to propose. We talked about getting married but never once looked at rings. The ring by the way is one of the most beautiful rings I could have ever asked for. A solitaire cut; it was a classic Tiffany style ring. Stunning. He made me the happiest girl in the entire world. Dave was mine forever!
On April 7, 2001 we were married at St. Louis Church and our reception was at The Buffalo Club. It was the most beautiful ceremony and reception. We celebrated with all of our loved ones and it was a day that we will never forget. My brother wrote and sang a song at our wedding titled 67 West! It also helps we have it all documented on the finest VHS video tape. We couldn't stop talking about our wedding reception on our honeymoon. We went to Bora Bora for two weeks and it was magical in itself.
13 years ago today, I married Dave, my eternal love. They have been the absolute best years of my life. Every year that we celebrate our wedding anniversary I say our life together can't get any better, but yet it does. To this day, I still feel the butterflies in my stomach like I did on the first day we met at 67 West. That butterfly feeling has never gone away. Dave I love you so much, I love our boys, our life, our hopes, our dreams and our future. You are my eternal love, as engraved on the inside of your original wedding ring. Salute to you, to us, to our family, and to many many many more years! I love you infinity circles! Happy Anniversary!
