I love my man.

Okay, so I always REALLY love my man. But sometimes, it's like BAAAM. I get the pitter patter and feel like I'm 16 again when I first fell in love with the buff, '55 Chevy truck drivin', tight white t-shirt wearin', side burn sportin' guy (for all those that roll your eyes at young love....pshhh, roll away).

Like this weekend.

I was preparing one of his V-Day gift's. Which really, I guess, was more of a gift to me. Or rather, a gift he gave me, and I re-gifted it back to him.

You see, Cliff and I started dating almost TEN years ago. I was 16, he was 18. Seven months after we started dating, he left on a two year mission for our church. Regardless of my social life happenings, I never missed a week writing him, and he never missed a week writing me. He collected all of my letters and kept them in a binder during the two years. People made/make fun of it, because it looks like he scrap booked it. But really, I wrote every single letter on scrap book paper, so he did nothing more than put it in a binder. I, on the other hand, stored every one of his letters in a Care Bear suit case my grandmother (Nena) gave me when I was little. I figured it was time to organize them, so I gathered all 100+ letters, organized them, and put them in a scrapbook. I re-read through many of them. My eyes watered up in some, I laughed in others, and that 16-year-old lovin' feelin' beat loudly inside my chest.

A lot happened during those two years, and reading his encouraging, uplifting words he wrote nearly nine years ago was amazing. I can't believe it was a nineteen year old boy that wrote so well, knew exactly what to say, and continuously bore his testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Though we never once saw each other in those two years, our relationship was strengthened in a way I can't really describe. We made it a point to keep our letters G-Rated, as he had the gospel to focus on. However, they were each filled with love, and some letters here and there hinted of a magnificent future together. ...especially as his mission came to an end.

He always says he had hoped I'd have had a boyfriend when he returned so that he could fight for me. Instead, we quickly clicked again, and were engaged a few months later.

What can I say. I'm a lucky girl.

***

Here was my first Valentine from him on his mission....