Our Love Story

We got our engagement pictures back! I love all of them! Our photographer did such a wonderful job! I wanted to share some with you...and as you can see, had a difficult time choosing which ones!

But, be warned-this is a very long post!

Here we go...

In third grade, I had a crush on Bryan. I was the shy girl and he was the popular, outgoing boy. He didn't look twice at me. I stole his school picture off the teacher's desk and hung it on the bulletin board in my bedroom ;)

Time went on, my crush eventually faded away, and we went to different schools.

 He went through approximately 573 girlfriends and a million kisses.

I went through 0 boyfriends, one peck on the lips, and two kisses. 

Flash forward to seven years after I developed my third grade crush.

 In true small town fashion, two of my friends and I were bored and drawn to Wendy's for the free frostys they were giving away. After our second trip through the drive-thru, we realized nothing exciting was going to come of the trip. We were sitting in the parking lot, when a Cadillac Escalade pulls up. Being 16 year old girls, we were impressed. Suddenly, a familiar looking face steps out from the Escalade. It was him. Bryan, who I went to elementary school with. He recognized me too, and came over to our car. He invited my friends and me to go to some party he and his friends were on their way to. Again, being 16, we happily jumped in their car. I tried to sit next to him, but ended up shoved in the back. We got to the party, a bonfire in some strange guy's yard. He stood around the fire, while I stood with my friends, wondering what we were doing there. In a moment of courage, I walked over to him and started talking. I assumed he had a girlfriend, he was too cute. Somehow, we traded numbers before getting in the car and being dropped back off at our car in the Wendy's parking lot.

A few days later, I got my first text message. I didn't really even know what a text was until he sent me one. Those first few weeks, we ran up a $30 bill on my grandparent's cell phone plan. I stood next to my bedroom window as we talked on the phone. Our first date was the movie 'Monster in Law". I took his hand and led him to our seats. We ended up leaving early, we said it was because the movie was horrible, but in reality (at least on my part), it was because I wanted to be alone with him. A few weeks later, he took me to watch a track meet and gave me his sweatshirt with his name on the back to keep me warm. We ate Panda Express in the food court at the mall. He dropped me off at home that night and we just sat in his beat up old white grand prix. I took a pen and wrote my name on his skin. We ended up drawing all over each other, like two...sixteen year olds. I asked him "what we were". He asked me what I wanted us to be. I wanna be your girlfriend! Duh!

And so we were officially "going out".  

I realized I loved him after three months. I realized I was in love with him on New Year's Eve. A year after we started dating, he gave me a promise ring. At seventeen, I knew I wanted him for the rest of our lives.

After waiting (not so) patiently for almost five years, I knew he had to propose. I just knew it was going to be at Christmas. So when Christmas came and went with no sparkly ring, fits may or may not have been thrown. (oops!)

On New Year's Eve 2009, Bryan and I went out to eat and were planning on welcoming the new year at my house. After we ate, we stopped by Starbucks. On the drive home, he told me there was some light display in the park that we could check out if I wanted to. I told him sure, we didn't have anything else to do. We got there and he led me through the snow covered the ground to the middle of the park. I was cold and the ballet flats I was wearing weren't doing a very good job at keeping the snow off my toes. I didn't see any light display, and Bryan said maybe it was on the other side of the park. We stood there for a minute, his arms wrapped around me. The next part is pretty blurry, but the next thing I know, he is down on one knee in front of me, holding open a box with a ring inside. I said yes! and he put that gorgeous ring on my hand. The rest of the night was the best of my life thus far. I had never been so happy. 

This guy is my best friend. My prince charming in a cowboy hat.

His carefree, easy going personality balances my obsessive one. We are total opposites, yet exactly the same in so many ways. We constantly pick at each other and can argue like none other. I like to think that it's because we're passionate ;) But we always make up. I know he is always going to be there. I know, no matter what, he loves me. Love is a learning experience, even more so since we've been together since we were both 16. We learn and experience everything together. And I'm so thankful for that.

In 207 days, we will be husband and wife. I couldn't be more ready :)