Today is my ten-year wedding anniversary. For those of you doing the math, yes that means I got married at the ripe old age of 21. I know. Believe me, I got a few raised eyebrows back then too. Especially since I'd met my dear hubby on the internet--which a decade ago was quite a scandalous thing to do. It was before the days of match.com and such. We met in an AOL chat room and ended up IMing about LSU football of all things. Eight months later he picked up and moved from Dallas to Baton Rouge to be with me. *insert Awwww... here* :) Two years after that, we were hitched.

So I was well aware when I was standing up there at the alter that there were people in the audience watching us like we were the After the Rose ceremony of The Bachelorette. You know the--"Yeah, this will never last. She met him on AOL for God's sake and she was only 19 when she *thinks* she fell in love. Poor dear has no idea what she's getting into."

Well, to them, I say ninny-ninny-boo-boo. Sometimes the young and stupid get lucky. :) And I at least knew a good thing when I saw it.

Here's how I knew it was love:

1. He could quote lines from Sixteen Candles and knew lyrics from both Metallica AND Debbie Gibson songs.

2. We chatted for months online and never once did he ask me my cup size. (Which back then was like the first question out of every guy in an AOL chatroom.)

3. He could make me laugh so hard on the phone that I did that unattractive snorting thing and didn't care that he heard it.

4. He wrote me old school type love letters (via email) that made me feel like I was in my own romance novel.

5. On our first date, he asked permission to hold my hand.

Photo by paddynapper

And why we're still ass-over-elbows in love ten years later...

1. He has never, not once, left the seat up in the bathroom. Ever.

2. He can be a total badass but also is the most soft-hearted guy I've ever met. Yesterday, we almost hit a turtle trying to cross the road. Hubs pulled over, got out the car, and in 108 degree heat headed back to where the turtle was to pick him up and walk him back to a nearby pond.

3. We have our own sides of the bed. I don't care how in love you are. When it's time to go to sleep, everyone needs their own zone.

4. He tolerates supports the fact that I spend my work time writing about imaginary heroes with perfect abs and posting pictures of Boyfriends of the Week. (see his take on it here)

5. We still make each other laugh daily, which I think when it comes down to it, is the most important ingredient of all.

So to my husband, I say Happy Anniversary and thank you. If I didn't have my own romance hero in my life, I would've never been inspired to write the books that I do.

Now, I'd love to hear what you guys think are the keys to a good marriage? And how did you know your significant other was the one?