EIGHT: How I Met Your Father

There are likely countless journal entries in those diaries in my garage from my 15 yr old self gushing about Chad Sellers.

The first time I saw him, I was sitting outside school in the fall of 1994. He pulled up in a huge white beater of a car, hid his keys on top of the driver side front tire, smiled at me and told me not to steal his car.

The next time I saw him was on the cross country course. I was running my first meet and he happened to be standing right where I stopped to take a walk break (so embarrassing). He cheered me on and told me to keep going. I still managed to run 2 miles in 15:05. Sure wish I could do that now.

Then in 1995, my sophomore year, he walked into my English class, as I was taking 11th grade English. He sat one desk to my left and one desk back (behind Megan Anderson) and made witty comments all through class.

The next month was spent plotting how to get him to ask me to Homecoming. Another girlfriend was in his geometry class so she was my spy, finding out if he had a girlfriend, a date, you know important intel.

Our first date was October 9th, 1995. Chad and Zach picked me up from my friend Ingrid's house and we went to the football game.

And that, kids, is the story of How I Met Your Father. And "Uncle" Zach is still around too.

A lot happened between then and 2003. We dated through high school, then went our separate ways when Chad went to college. We maintained a friendship over the years, through college, relationships, break ups. Eventually Chad came back to Des Moines.

On February 19th, 2003 we went on our first grown up date.

On April 11th, 2003 we were engaged.

And on November 15th, 2003 we were married.

It certainly doesn't feel like it's been eight years, it does make me feel ancient to think it's been that long!

Eight years of marriage has not always been easy. We have our moments like anyone else. But it has always, always been worth it.

Love you, Chad. Thanks for letting me sink my claws into you.