The brief version is we were high school sweethearts, the longer version is God has a sense of humor for sure. And this should be a huge reminder to my kids: You don't always get what you want, but often you get something much better and then realize it's what you wanted all along, you just didn't know it.
I dated some before and during high school (as much as kids that age can date, aka "going out" but actually never even kissing) and I always said I'd never date a guy younger than me (actually turned a guy down over 2 months) and that I wouldn't date anyone with blonde hair and/or blue eyes. Yep crazy I know, but I was pretty much planning to find the male version of myself brown hair, brown eye, pale, and older than me. I was a very shall we say "artsy" type and was not looking for an athlete, but was more into the rebel types. And I had already planned out all these relationship requirements before even getting a first kiss.
My public high school was one of the worst ranked in Georgia so my parents sent me to boarding school in NC for my Sophomore year. It was okay and I made friends (still the artsy crowd mostly) but didn't feel too attached to it the following Summer. I went to a couple summer programs at other private schools and my parents and I decided that I would switch to a different school for my junior year. We put in the paperwork to withdraw from the first school....and it was 1 day too late. It was a choice of losing a lot of money or me putting up with that school for 1 more year (and like I said it wasn't horrible just nothing special at that point). So we talked and with a very negative outlook I returned to the first school. And now I'm so thankful that we were 1 day too late.
Everything was different that year. I found new clubs made loads of new friends though still spent the majority of my time doing the arts and with that crowd. At our boarding school you had to have an after school activity and I decided for my Winter quarter to try out for the school play. I didn't make it and had to find another activity. All the arts ones were full so somehow I ended up in swimming. I honestly am horrible at swimming (I wouldn't drown but I'm nowhere near fast either) so I offered to manage. The first week managing this very cute guy I'd never met before started staying after practice to help me out and walk me back to the dorms etc. I was amazed how attractive (physically and mentally) I thought he was because he was totally not my type.
Blonde hair, blue eyes, tan, muscular, into sports, science, math, and engineering (versus I loved english and the arts). No artistic bone in his body, preppy, heck even QUIET. Yep my complete and total opposite and to top it all off I found out he was younger than me too, even in a whole different grade! But no matter how much I tried to deny it he was perfect. I never believed in the opposites attract thing until then and since I'm a huge supporter of the concept. And all of our friends always said how we benefited from each other. We seemed like two halves of a whole.
We both opened each others eyes up to new sides of the world it seemed and we still do. And even though our initial interests were so different we both grew through each others interests. We officially began dating and had our first kiss March 2003 (we were each other's first kiss ever and hope to be the last). We kept together through Summers when he was in Indonesia and I was in Ga and when I graduated and went to SCAD and then when he graduated and went to GT and we finally ended up back in the same city again. I was going to graduate college a year early thanks to APs in Spring 2007 and we planned to get married the following Fall or Winter. Well November 2006 I got an unexpected BFP and we moved up the date. We were married outside on a Mountain in March 2007 (4 years and 2 weeks after we began dating), C arrived one month after I received my degree, and the rest is history I guess. This March will be 8 years together, 4 years married, and 3 blonde adorable kids, and we're still a lot different but surprisingly alike too. I'm also still waiting to see if one of our kids get hubby's gorgeous blue eyes too, but no luck yet lol.
I'm so thankful I found my soul mate so early in my life, and that I'm married to the love of my life and truly my best friend. He's an amazing person, father to our children, and partner in life. I love him more and more each day, even when we're arguing I can't help but smile occasionally, and I hope my children are as blessed to find their other halves someday as well
And now some glances back
One of our first dances
Our wedding day
A bit more recent
Expecting E (One of our amazing Maternity pics taken by Nathan Fowler)
In Labor with E he was my rock :) (Picture taken by our amazing doula Talitha)
Almost 8 years and 3 kids later we're still head over heels crazy in love :)
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