The Story of Us

Here we were…

     
                    Me – age 3                                       Nick – age 3?

So how did we get to be us? Was it love at first sight?  I can answer that with a big fat N-O!  This is how the story goes…

We had the hangout house,  you know…the one where all the kids come and hang.  I have two older brothers.  Nick was a friend.  He showed up sometime shortly after he and my oldest brother, Jason, graduated from high school, circa 1991.  I was almost 13.  Since Nick lived in the same neighborhood, he quickly became one of the “regulars.”  Even if my brothers weren’t home, he and another one of their friends could often be caught hanging out with my mom watching “Days of Our Lives” – back when Marlena was possessed.  Because he was cool like that

We also had a computer.  Back in the day of AOL and dial-up internet connection.  Those of you who know Nick, know that he is a computer geek.  Back then was no different.  He would spend hours on our computer.  So what does that mean to a 13 year-old girl?  Ummm….it means he was on my phone line and he was interfering with my social life!  I could NOT stand him.  I can remember shouting from my bedroom,  “GO HOME! Get on your own computer!” And of course to him, I was just the pesky little sister whom he enjoyed tormenting. 

Fast forward about 6-7 years. I’m grown…in college doing my thing.  Me and my friends actually started hanging with my brothers and their friends/girlfriends from time to time.  This is when Nick and I became friends.  Seriously just friends.  If you want to know the truth, I might have been still a little grossed out by him.  After all – he was Nick!  It wasn’t until October of 1998, that he came in my bedroom while I was studying (yes, he was still hanging out at my house) and the conversation went a little like this…

Nick:  “Kami, do you think we could ever date?”

me:  (after picking my jaw of the ground…seriously in shock) “uh…that would be weird Nick.”

Nick:  “Yeah, yeah, that would be weird.”

The very next day, I started thinking.  "hmmm…he IS kinda cute (which I had thought all along, but he was just NICK…gross) and he is a good guy.  He is a Christian…”  I mean, really, HOW could I resist this face?

So I gave him all the signals that I was interested and the rest is history!  It was a  shock to everyone!  It was fun for us to tell people we were dating and get their reactions.  All they could think of was how much we used to fight and how much we “hated” each other.  It was SO weird for everyone, it earned us this spot on our family picture wall at my parent’s house. 

It was even weird for us in the beginning.  We would look at each other and say, “Ewww…you’re Nick” or “Ewww…you’re Kami!” – probably something that is not typical and NOT what you want to hear when you first start dating! Haha! 

A few pics from our dating years…

It really only took me about a month or two – I can remember the exact moment but not the date – when I realized he was the man that I would spend forever with.  We dated for 3 1/2 years, and were finally married on this day of 2002.  (So I guess the moral of this story is – that we need to HAND PICK Rocco, Madden & Jagger’s friends! I kid, I kid.)

Our first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Lambe

Never on that day did I ever imagine – NOT in my WILDEST dreams- we would be here 7 years later…

and here 9 years later…

Nick,
I am so blessed to be celebrating this day with you today.  There is no one I would rather spend this crazy, chaotic, joyful, and beautiful life of ours with.  You make me laugh and I love you for that.  Thank you for loving me always.  Thank you for my children.  Thank you for these nine years.  I love you with all my