I was 9 years old, he was 10. Cutter & I had just finished our 8th annual Christmas tree hunt with our families (We'd missed one when Coleman was born) and were at our regular restaurant up in Snoqualmie. We had been playing hide 'n' seek, Nerf guns, and he'd been teaching me how to shoot small pieces of ice at people through a straw. Naturally, us kids got into an all-out "tiny bits of ice" war. How could we resist? It was so much fun and I realized that this was my favorite event of the year... Of every year. (Despite the fact his childhood goal seemed, to me, to be making me angry with him; From using me like a sled down steep snowy ledges, and shoving snow down my back when I turned, to chasing terrified little me with snakes and bugs.) We were goofballs together, loved to laugh, and I adored his family. That night I had been humming as I attempted to keep a spoon suspended on my nose as he'd taught me. He grinned and told me "You have a really pretty voice, Laura. I like your singing a lot." *spoon forgotten* On the trip home, I couldn't stop talking about him. From that day on, I had a crush on Cutter Wurl. Through the years I tried my best to drop hints, and at the age of 16, flat out told him I liked him... He'd turned and smiled at me saying, "I like you too, Laura. You're so much fun." ...Friendzoned. *Mental Facepalm* That was it. I was convinced we'd forever be "just friends". The distance, the only seeing him once a year... the fact he didn't seem to have any interest in me whatsoever. I'd determined we'd remain friends and was more than happy to be his childhood buddy. At the same time trying to take the "Childhood Sweetheart" thing out of my mind. At 18, I asked for his number and was excited for the chance to become closer friends. Our weekly texts turned daily, then swiftly became hourly. Soon, he was making trips over and we were officially dating. My childhood sweetheart had finally become my lifelong sweetheart. The rest, as they say, is history.