What 11 Years Ago Looked Like...

(1 month before the big date)

I was 16, he was 18. We met when we were preteens. We spent a pretty large junk of our formative years close to one another. Band, church, band bus, church bus...you get the picture. We liked church and band. (We still do!)

Kent was that boy for me in high school that would ignore me for sport. He didn't dare look my way. Or if he did choose to speak to me, it was only for a second. Always leaving me wanting more. I secretly loved it. I thought the chance of us ever being boyfriend and girlfriend was gone when he graduated high school. He was (at that time) going off to Auburn, I was still a measly high schooler.

I underestimated the power of a Summer romance. I think he considered asking me out many years prior, but after finding out that I listened to rap (95.7 Jamz), he backed away. Oh to be young! This time was different. I was mature. I was a Senior. I was...still listening to rap. So, we decided to jet off to Birmingham for a movie and ice cream. Boy, was I nervous. I think I doused myself in massive amounts of perfume and citrus lotion.

We saw a not-so-typical first date movie, Road Trip. We had a great time. Holding hands, laughing, nervously laughing. Then, it was off to Baskin Robbins. He got a chocolate cone, I got a mint chocolate chip milkshake. Gotta keep the breath fresh for the first date make out session! I think that first date kind of set the tone for our relationship. It's not fussy. It's relaxed and unpretentious. I like that.

It's a little sad that we can't visit these spots anymore. But, I still have this:

I keep all of my movie stubs and write a little note on the back reminding me who I saw it with. It's such a fun way to relive our dating years through movie stubs, because there are LOTS!

The Summer of 2001 was filled with: late movies, drives to the lake, Sarah Mclachlan, DMB, Third Eye Blind, swing sets, writing notes in church and endless flirting. The Fall came so quickly, but we kept it all going (for the most part).

And here we are. I'm so thankful that Kent finally asked me to be his girlfriend, so that I can now be called his wife.