Our Love Story

February 16, 2012

Our Love Story

Ok, fine, I'll do it.

A couple of my friends have posted this to their blogs, so I figure I'll go ahead and play along. I realize Valentine's Day has passed, but there is no reason not to celebrate love every day!

(You can find the original here)

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

Since December/January-ish my sophomore year of college...so about 11 years. Neither of us were into celebrating "anniversaries" until the real one, and we never had an official first date.

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

Well, it was surely not love at first sight. We had a class together...one in which I was very talkative and social and totally digging on an older guy in class, and in which (now) hubby sat quietly in the back with his stocking cap pulled down low, trying to be a tough guy. We met on the first day of class due to an icebreaker game. We had to write an interesting fact about ourselves on a notecard and then the notecards were passed out randomly to someone else. We had to read the interesting fact and try to guess who it was and introduce ourselves to them and find out more information about that person. Lucky me, I got a notecard with the interesting fact. "I play football". At this point, I hardly knew our college had a football team, let alone did I think that was interesting. I was easily able to determine who the card belonged to and quickly did my interview where I learned his name was Chance and that he was from Palestine...and he was quick to correct my mispronunciation....it is Pales-teen, NOT Palast-eye-n. Whew! He was not trying to impress me, that's for sure. The semester goes on and little do I know that he is starting to take interest in me. At the end of the semester, we were matched up for a group project (which I did most of the work for), and he started flirting with me and we got to know each other a little more. We'd seen each other at some parties, and started hanging out...just in time for winter break. Many long-distance phone calls, a Little Mermaid snowglobe, and a $700 phone bill later, we were "us". Happy ever after.

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}

We have been married for 5 1/2 years...6 in July.

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? If not, where would you like to get married? And will it be big or small?

We were married in Kansas City, Missouri, where we were both living (together, much to his parents disapproval, and to my parents' request) after college. We had a pretty big wedding...about 200 guests. The ceremony was at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. I'm not a religious person, but it was important to Chance that we be married in the Episcopal church and I was happy to do that for him. We both became active in the church and made a few friends. And it was beautiful!!!

The reception was just a couple blocks down the street at the Marriott Country Club Plaza. It turned out to be the hottest day of the year, so there was no bubble-blowing getaway...but everyone was able to get a headstart on cocktail hour while we took some pictures. I loved my wedding and wouldn't have changed anything about it!

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

Mine: T, Hoover, (when he's not being nice) Aunt Linda His: Chancho Mutual: Buddy, Billy, Betty

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

He is funny, hardworking, and very family oriented

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

He took me out to dinner at Olive Garden (which was lovely) and convinced me that we had to go to Baldwin (the town where we went to college) for something that would just take a little while (of course, I was convinced this was an excuse to hang out with his football buddies). But we drive the 45 minutes out there and he parks on campus (where we never park) and says we should go for a walk (which we never do), and I still have no clue what's happening, and I'm thoroughly confused, but I play along. He takes me to the building where we had class together his freshman year (yup, see above, #2) and asks if I remember this place (of course I do)...this is where we met, and he was giving me another reason for me to remember it...all I remember next is one knee, shiny ring, tears...I don't think I even said yes, I was just in shock. But obviously I agreed at some point, and the rest is history.

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

Neither really. I keep telling him he should be more romantic, but he thinks he already is. He's a flowers only kind of guy. He hates fruit...so the strawberry thing is out of the question and probably too sappy for him. But he does surprise me with champagne on random occasions...I don't know...I think he just wants to get me drunk. Hmmm.....

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

I'm an all-of-the-above kind of girl. Movie on the couch is more of a realistic date for us, but I love the dinner/beach thing too. I like variety...doing different things and trying new things together.

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

Go on an African safari. I wanted to do that on our Honeymoon, but he was having no part of it!

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

V-day has come and gone this year, but we had no plans. He sent me flowers on the 13th, and I gave him his gift on the 14th. He picked up take-out and we watched tv. I've been having killer back pain, so I think I drugged myself up on muscle relaxers and dozed off in the chair. So romantic.

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

Nope. I never do. I'm always happy with the flowers he gives me.

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

Learn each other's Love Language. Seriously. Do it.