High School Sweethearts?

I'm getting so ahead of myself with DIY projects and wedding details that I never mentioned how we actually met! I know my head isn't on right sometimes!


Well it's actually a story you have all heard over and over again. Boy meets girl, girl wants to date boy, boy and girl hang out, boy dates someone else, girl hates boy, girl moves four hours away for school, girl comes back home five years later, boy wants girl.....you know, pretty basic. 


We met for the first time in 11th grade social studies. Because of our last names, and how we sat alphabetically, he sat right behind me. He had gone to a Catholic school until 8th grade, but knew my best guy friends and cousin from playing little league football with them growing up. I was smitten the first time I had to hand papers back to him. But back then I was shy when it came to boys. I just assumed fate would take the reigns and he would ask me out and it would be wonderful. Dumb highschool girl. 


(**Warning: You are about to witness cheesy highschool pictures in all their glory! And because I was too lazy to scan the pages you can deal with my crappy camera pictures of the book itself, enjoy!)

Acting tough football pose

He was on the football team, so during season I would always go to the games..to "watch the game" of course. I was also a jock in highschool, I was always involved in sports my whole life and could never sit still. In high school I was on the track team and swim team. Conveniently, our swim practices got out the same time as football, so we would hang out or he would drive me home. 

Me in my sweet track uniform

Swim team picture

Everything seemed like it was going great, and I expected to be Mrs. Football player any day. (I know, looking back I laugh at the story and how young we were too!) Then he goes and does the unthinkable, he starts dating someone else, an older someone else. I did what any highschool girl does....bitch to her girl friends, and all her guy friends on the football team. And when that didn't work, I steered clear of him like the bubonic plague. 

 

That would be me on the right...even a goof back then.

Fast forward about five years. I was just about to graduate with my Bachelor's from the University @ Buffalo. I was going to live home over the summer before leaving in the fall to start grad school at THE Ohio State University. (yes the THE again) I would come home occasionally, and I would always see him, since we were in the same group of friends. We had both grown up and moved on with our lives, but there was always still that attraction there. He started working right after highschool and had a pretty secure job. We would always hang out with no problems or grudges, it was all good. 

That March before graduation I came home for spring break. Being from a small town there isn't much to do, and being we have two bars in town, that's where I was with all my friends. I said I was going out for a quick drink, I had to get up early to catch a flight to Texas; I was working on an alternative spring break project in North Padre Island for a week. Well one drink led to two and more...this is what happens when you never see your friends! He texted me and came out to the bar. He offered me a ride home, and I took it. As I was getting out of the truck, preparing mentally for the hour of sleep I would be getting before having to catch my flight, he grabbed my hand and kissed me. And seriously that is it, we talked over the phone every night I was in Texas and then hung out everyday from the moment I went back home. We made it official and have been on this crazy ride ever since.


In retrospect, I'm glad nothing ever happened in highschool. We were both too immature and had a lot of growing up to do. We both needed to find our way before we could have had a strong, healthy relationship. We talk about those old days now and laugh, he always tells me that he knew we would end up together somehow. He was just waiting for the right moment.

See, totally grown up!