*Note from TheHusBlog : I wrote this a couple nights ago and I just returned to re-read it before setting it to post and I have to say it is a little personal.  Honestly, I would say it feels like it fits more in line with a Husband Trials post, but there are bullet points and there is a over-riding theme, so I am going to keep it as a guide.  Just keep in mind as you read it.*

When my wife and I first started dating we took tons of pictures.  Some of them contained shots of us hanging out with friends, or out for a night on the town, however some of them were more about us, pictures of us in our pj's sitting on the couch or hanging out watching tv.  We decided to create a scrapbook of those simple memories (ok some of the pictures are a little naughty, don't judge!).  While cleaning out my office closet I came across this scrapbook and I immediately stopped what I was doing to turn the pages and remember those times.

It was trip down memory lane, sure the pictures are only from a few years ago, but I had lost the memories to the hectic lifestyle of our time now.  Each picture reminded me of a time when we really just enjoyed each other's company...

The truth of the matter is, you do not have to have a scrapbook to remember some of your best memories, but it does help...

TheHusBlog Defintion Pause : What You Need to Remember in your Mental Scrapbook :

• First Kiss : That one is easy, the night my wife and I met at "The Blue Goose".  We were out on the patio and I kept buying her shots of Tuaca, in hopes that she would get drunk enough to accept my advances...
• First Visit : (My wife and I started our relationship long distance) : I got to the airport an hour early to greet her so that once she got to baggage claim she would see me.  She wore green which did and still does make her eyes look amazing.
• First Conflict : In the car, of course, when I did not know where I was going and got snippy...  Also the first time she saw me as human and not perfect...
• First Time I Said I Love You : I was hosting a party for her friends, we were all totally drunk and I said "I love You!!!" Loudly and proudly because she told me she was waiting for me to say it first, I was shocked she was concerned I would not return the feeling because I did and still do, feel like she is too good for me...
• Best wedding Picture Ever! : I was supposed to lay my head on my wife's lap in some sort of longing, gazing pose, I did not understand the photographer's commands, so I put my head on her lap and then put two thumbs up...  She laughed, it is my favorite wedding picture.
• First Time I Took Her Side Above All Others : My grandmother said something to my wife that made her feel "less than."  I got angry for her and burned a bridge with my family that is still healing.  I would not take that back for the world.
• First Lie : I tried to quit smoking and then hid my smoking from my wife for several months...
• Longest Time Without a Cigarette : With her encouragement I kicked the habit for several years now...
• First Health Conflict : I needed to be on medication for my blood pressure and fought it over and over again...  She never gave up, I succumbed, and now I might live long enough to enjoy retirement.