Our Love Story

It's February. The month of love. I'm not sure I've ever really divulged the deets on Hubs' and my relationship. So, today? That's what I'm doing. I'm linking up with Becky at From Mrs. to Mama to bring you...Our Love Story.

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

We're coming up on 9 years in May! 

Hubs and I circa 2005 (Hubs is on the left) His college roommate, Rich , is on the right.  Hi, Rich!

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

Ah, yes. Our love story. Well, it was my junior year of college (2004) and I was coming off a bad break-up with my highschoolturnedcollege boyfriend of 4 years. I came back from that summer single and ready to have some fun for a change. 

My best friend and roommate, Pam, introduced me to Nile and his crazy pack of friends (who, now, happen to be some of our best friends.) And from the night I met him, I knew he was something special. Perhaps it was his beer-drinking, visor-wearing, crazy-laughing personality? From that night on, we started hanging out all.the.time. But? He had a on again, off again girlfriend that was going to study abroad. What turned into a crush and flirty relationship with us, quickly faded when he realized that he might still have feelings for her. Fair enough. So we cooled it off. 

Then? She came back from overseas and he realized that they didn't have the relationship they once did. So, it was back on for us. We started dating casually. Until he decided that it wasn't time for him to be in a relationship. Gah. Boys, right? Fine. We went our separate ways. He dated some other people, I dated some other people.  Most girls would have thrown in the towel. The beginning of our relationship was tumultuous at best. 


Then, one Saturday night, it finally began. When he called me to his room, took a deep breath and told me that he loved me and couldn't live without me. Yep. He said it. 21-year-old hubs exclaimed his love for me. And that, my friends, was all she wrote. Senior year we were always together. Then when he got a job in Jersey right after graduation I followed right behind him. Moving into our first apartment (which eventually burned down a mere 4 weeks later, but that's a story for another day.) Six months later? We were engaged with a Pug baby named Wiggles.

3. If married, how long have you been married? 

Married for 5 years in May, engaged for 1.5 years, together for 2.5 before that.

At our wedding in May 2007.

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding?  

We had a modest-sized wedding of 100 people in my very small hometown in Central PA. It was the perfect size. The perfect friends, family, music, food. Overall, the perfect day.

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

We've never really been big on nicknames. It's just not our bag, (baby!) Ha!

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

His sense of humor. The man can make me laugh like no one else can.
His ability to push me to be a better person.
His butt. True.

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

He proposed on Christmas Day 2005. I'd been asking for an iPod for Christmas, so he was a sneaky little bastard. He got an iPod box and put the ring inside. Wrapped it up and put it under the tree. We were opening gifts on Christmas morning at my parent's house when I unwrapped the iPod. Secretly, I really wanted a ring, but an iPod was perfectly fine. Apparently, however, I showed disappointment all over my face. He told me to open it up and show my parents how it worked. I wanted nothing to do with that. But, finally, he convinced me. Well, when I opened the box, there was no iPod inside. Instead, it was a ring box. He got down on one knee and proposed in front of my family. It was so special. And I reacted like a crazed monkey. See?

Crazy crocodile tears. 

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

Usually, he's a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy. He's typically sent me flowers to work (you know, to make everyone jealous.) 

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

Both? I'm very much a putonamovieandputonmysweatpants type girl. But at the same time? I'm also a sucker for all things romantic.

Riviera Maya, Mexico - Our honeymoon

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

We'd really, really like to go to Europe. And travel hop. Italy, England, Ireland, France. We were thinking about doing it this year, but then realized that it's expensive and stressful. So instead? We went to Costa Rica and played with the monkeys.

Costa Rican sunset 2011.

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

We actually have a Valentine's Day tradition dating back to 2008. We were living in Jersey and there was a huge ice storm. We'd been stuck in the house all day and really wanted to go out and get dinner for Valentine's Day. Once we dug ourselves out and got on the main roads, we realized that nothing was open. Nothing except this one tiny Indian restaurant. Which was amazing. Every year since, we've gone out for Indian food. It's a tradition we look forward to every year!

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

Nah. We save gift giving for Christmas and Birthdays. Just some Chicken Tikka Masala for me.

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

Laugh. If you can't laugh together, then what's the point? We like to have fun and we don't take life too seriously.

Also, date night. At least once a week. It's important to make time for just the two of you.

Us not taking life seriously on Halloween 2008.

14.  Show us a picture of what love means to you.

You may think this is strange, but I think it's perfect. This picture (from college toga party, clearly) illustrates our relationship. Always laughing. <3