5 Years Ago Today...

Five years ago today, I woke up in my tiny Los Gatos, California, cottage, taught a full day of fourth grade in Campbell, and went back home and changed into a first date outfit. I then drove back to Campbell to Michi Sushi where I was meeting Max Klein for a semi-blind date that we had arranged on match.com. I didn't know a lot about this Max Klein character going into the date (we had spoken on the phone just once). From his online photos I had the impression he was an oceanographer (he was in fact an electrical engineer and had just been working with marine type equipment). 

We sat across from each other at dinner at an enormously long table that only seemed to taunt the fact that yes, it was a first date. I remember listening to Max's dive stories and thinking I would never SCUBA dive! That sounds sooo dangerous! I remember being impressed that he was taking an EMT course at night "just for fun" while also working on a Ph.D. during the day. And I remember that it was the restaurant owner's birthday, which meant a round of beer for everyone on the house. 

Had I known at the time that this date was with my future husband, I would have written down every little detail and saved something from the night to remember it by. Chopsticks perhaps? Although, taking a memento from a first date might have sent up red flags signaling crazy girl so perhaps it's best that I didn't ; )

Max walked me to my car at the end of the date (lots of bonus points there) and a few short months later I was head-over-heels in love! Exactly one year after that first date, Max walked into my Campbell, California classroom (the same city where we had met and had our first date) and asked me to marry him : ) I had never been more surprised, or more happy. 

Max has given me the opportunity to be a Mrs. and now a soon-to-be mommy, two titles that mean the world to me : ) I'm so grateful to have such an amazing partner in life, one I admire and respect, and of whom I'm often just in awe. I've had the best five years, and am so excited for our next chapter: Parenthood! 

Max, Mande and Baby Klein at 19 Weeks