Meet The Keoughs

Portland is home to the country's first all women's sports bar. Naturally, that's where we met. Kaitlin was there with friends that happened to include an old co-worker of mine who was in town. Unbeknownst to us, I was invited as a setup but for someone else. Needless to say, that didn't land but our interest in each other was piqued. I thought she was a babe. She thought I was entertaining (talked a lot). An Instagram follow later, she was subtly flirting with me, but I didn't realize it. Nine months later, I noticed her on the dating apps and decided to shoot my shot, which led to a first date. The second naturally included our dogs, and when her solo play seven year old Penny became best friends with my one and half year old Jeep, we knew something special was brewing. It didn't take long for all four of us to be inseparable. With an assist from a winter ice storm and Portland's growing traffic problem we moved in together, and on our second anniversary we got married. When you know you know.

I didn't really buy the whole "I married my best friend" shtick until I met Kaitlin. I wouldn't put anyone I previously dated into best friend category, so I really thought it was a bunch of BS. But Kaitlin changed the game. She's my bestie+. She's the person I want to do mundane tasks with, adventure with, or do nothing at all. She's patient, SO PATIENT (I'm tough), whip smart, and funny. She's a natural nurturer and to my surprise and delight is the bigger day-to-day caretaker of the two. She is why we always have delicious nourishing food and toilet paper! Outside of Tina Keough, I've never known someone who I adore and can't' imagine my life without equal to how much they drive me absolutely bonkers. I took that as a sign. And speaking of Tina, my favorite thing about Kaitlin is how much she immediately took interest and care of all my people. She's so engaged with my family and friends. She's the kids "fun aunt" and I'm okay with it. Hard to argue with them because she's the absolute best.

Gina is everything I am not in the best way possible. She is exuberant, craves the energy of a crowd, she finds and shares joy in all the things worth finding joy in and will take care of anyone and everyone for no reason other than it being the right thing to do. She has brought balance and light to my life and I do not want to know what my days would look like in her absence. I am grateful for her love - even on the days when she is driving me absolutely crazy - and I can't imagine laughing and crying my way through life with anyone else. Thank god our dogs got along.