Michael was gone for CTE the last 10 days. The first week we did great! Our routines held us through the transition and helped keep things from feeling too ‘different’.
There were some moments of big emotions and missing Papa, but overall we were on top of things. Until both boys got sick. Then everything hit the fan. Ted was out of school for 4 days, due to an on/off fever. Neither boy was sleeping well, so neither was I (which is extra awful when you’re 37 weeks pregnant). We were blessed enough to have my Mother in Law visiting those 4 days, so we weren’t totally up the creek, but it definitely threw us off.
Now that we’re all feeling better, and Michael is home, we are ready to have a fresh start into our routines before Baby Girl gets here & throws it all out of whack again!
Let’s start a the very beginning, it’s such a nice place to start (Name that movie!). It’s a hot day at the end of April/beginning of May 2015. I just came inside from doing yard work (read: sweaty mess), when I was volun-told by my friend to join a sand volleyball game that her friends were organizing. I staunchly refused, stating my obvious sweaty appearance and need for a shower as reason not to go. I was overruled. So I gathered up some lemonade and a cooler, because, dang it, if I was going to go embarrass myself in front of strangers, I might as well be hydrated. And off we went.
When we arrived, I greeted the people I knew, and we loitered around waiting for the organizers/people with the volleyball to show up. Mid-conversation, up pulls their car, and they get out. Great. Cute boys. Exactly what I wanted when I’m sweaty and haven’tshowered. Well, there goes that opportunity to make a good impression. I guess I’ll just make the best of it. Literally my train of thought as Michael & Friends approach. So I resign myself to being the sweaty, stinky friend and have a blast attempting to play volleyball. At the end of the day, we all exchange numbers and agree to set up another game in the future.
The day we met. Sweaty, stinky friend in full force. Remind me again why Michael was interested??
A few weeks later, Michael texts me that the group is going to see Age of Ultron and asks if I want to join (Clue #1). I’ve already seen it, and being a poor college student who can’t afford to see the same movie twice, decline. I did check in the next day to ask his opinion of the movie though!
A few weeks later, Michael texts me with extra tickets to Country Stampede (a 3 day music festival in town) and asks if I can join him (Clue #2). Unfortunately, I’m out of town that weekend visiting friends.
A few weeks later, Michael texts me asking, direct quote: “Do you want to copilot a food adventure to the new BBQ place?” (Clue #3) My response, “Heck yea! I love BBQ.” (I’m the sweaty, stinky friend, remember?) So Michael picks me up (Clue #4) and drives to the restaurant. It’s not open that day, so we pick another place to get lunch. We sit down, have a great meal and even better conversation. Then it’s time to pay, and Michael takes the check (Clue #5, realization is dawning). On the drive home Michael sees the gears turning in my brain and helps me out. “I like casual dates, like this. They help you get to know each other better.” (Clue #6, a neon sign flashing ‘YOU’RE ON A DATE, DUMMY!) Total facepalm. That is the story of what we call ‘Michael’s First Date’.
My first date came about a month later, in August 2015, an invitation to a Military Ball. I was appropriately nervous and dressed up, as you should be for a first date. As I went to get into the car to drive to the event, I hear Michael yell from behind me ‘You touch it and you die!’ as he proceeded to get in front of me to open the car door. We have a great time, eat good food, and meet lots of people. Over the course of the evening at least 2 different people ask how long we’d been married, looking awkward and shocked when we told them that it was our first date. I guess it was a sign, huh?
Did I mention I got this haircut that week? 16 inches gone, just like that.
We had been dating for a few months by the time Halloween rolled around. Michael was back home in Virginia on leave visiting his family, and I had a bunch of girlfriends in town for the weekend. Unbeknownst to either of us, we were having similar conversations with our friends/family. I was told ‘You’re going to marry this guy, aren’t you?’ to which I responded, ‘You can’t say that, we’ve only been dating a few months. Only a crazy person would marry someone they just met.’ Notice it’s not a ‘No,’ It’s a ‘I won’t say yes, because I’m not a crazy person.’ Michael left out the ‘I’m not crazy’ bit, and just admitted what we both already knew.
Our first Christmas together. Michael was on duty that day, but swung by before work to exchange gifts.
He proposed January 17, 2016 after a visit to my parents’ house in Texas. We were walking through the grounds of the Houston Temple, when he made me turn around because ‘I missed THE spot’, and he got down on one knee. We set the date for July, and navigated through a whirlwind of a 6 month engagement.
We did it!
On July 2, 2016 I said the easiest ‘Yes!’ of my life in front of our friends and family. It was a great day, and I couldn’t ask for a better person to spend eternity with. We are now in year 4 of forever. We have 2 kids and a dog. We have lived in (soon to be) 3 states. We have learned and grown together, but I think we will always remain the girl who was too oblivious to know she was being asked on a date and the guy stubborn enough to keep trying anyway.
Living in Plaid 