"So, tell me about yourself."

10 years. A decade. A lifetime.

10 years ago today, I met my best friend, my husband, my Matthew. (Ten years?! Where did the time go?) We met after one of my friends from high school arranged a reunion of sorts at a Columbia College basketball game. My friends Meredith and Courtney were at Mizzou, another friend Krista was at Columbia and another friend, Trisha, was a cheerleader for McKendree College, Columbia's opponent that night. Meredith, her now-husband Eric, Courtney, Krista and I went to the basketball game to watch Trish and have a EHS mini-reunion. Matthew had just ended a relationship, so Meredith, who lived on his floor, invited him along to set him up with Trish.

Long story short, Matthew didn't make it to Trish. Eric was asked to leave the game during the national anthem so Meredith followed, leaving Matt with a group of girls he had never met. I felt bad for him, so I went up to him and said, "So, tell me about yourself." We talked the rest of the night. And the rest is history.

We started dating almost immediately and were "official" a week later. He was my first kiss, my first boyfriend and my first love.

Excuse the poor picture quality- this was taken on my first digital camera in a basement apartment circa April 2001. It's the first picture I have of the two of us.

We dated all through college and he proposed in April of 2004, the same week I found out I was accepted to Washington University School of Law.

Our engagement picture

We had a long distance relationship for the next two years, me in St. Louis, him in Columbia and Kansas City, until we were married May 27, 2006.

Our first dance to "Moonlight Serenade", the first song we danced to while watching Sabrina in my parents basement

We rented a great apartment in South City, right next to Uncle Bill's Pancake House. Together we explored the city and began our life together. We traveled when we could and somehow survived on almost nothing. Our monthly grocery budget was $150. I'm still amazed we were able to do that. We went to San Diego for our honeymoon and stayed in our apartment until I graduated in 2007.

On our honeymoon at Hotel Del

Right after I graduated, we bought our house, a wonderful first anniversary present. I spent the summer studying for the bar and then right after I took it, we went on a two week trip, first to Clearwater, FL with my family and then on our own backpacking adventure in the Smoky Mountains. Amazing.

In October of 2007, a month or so after I was sworn in as an attorney, we received one of the biggest (and most exciting) surprises of our life- we were going to parents! Charlotte joined our family July 22, 2008.

Our first family picture

Life was good. Charlotte changed our relationship in a way I never expected. I watched my husband become a father and there is nothing more amazing than that. In September of 2009, we received another unexpected but pleasant surprise- another child was on the way! Audrey was born June 15, 2010 and added even more to our little family.

Our most recent family photo

And now here we are. 10 years later. A beautiful family, a home, jobs. Life moved quickly and had many unexpected turns, but what a great place to be. I love this family. I love my family. 10 years? That's nothing. Here's to 50 more.