~the story of us~

I did not hear about the "Story of Us" link-up from last week until too late, but it was too good to miss out on completely. So I improvised and used it as inspiration for my Valentine's Day post.




1. How long have you and your significant other been together?
We met in July 2000 and officially started dating in August 2000, so we’ve been together a whopping ELEVEN! years. Yep, high school sweethearts. He was a junior at the HS in a neighboring town, I was a sophomore, and we were both fifteen and couldn’t even legally drive. In some ways it seems like that was just yesterday, but in other ways it really does feel like we have been together forever. I can’t imagine my life without him.




2. How did you meet? {What’s your “love” story?}
My best friend Ashley was dating a guy named Shane from Clint’s high school. To our good fortune, Shane was sixteen and had a driver’s license. (Go Ashley- a b/f with a DL was basically like hitting the lottery when you’re 15!) Shane and Ashley arranged for me to meet Clint via a blind date on July 21, 2000. I was spending the night with Ashley that night, and I can still vividly remember singing “Cowboy Take Me Away” by the Dixie Chicks and primping for our double date. The boys picked us up at Ashley’s and we headed to The Red Barn, one of the few “date-night hotspots” in our little hometown area. We had a nice dinner talking and joking about Clint’s green hair (the result of too much chlorine on his blonde hair during lifeguard duty). Afterwards, we spent some time at a local park getting to know each other a little better. And yes, you filthy animals, I mean getting to know him in the literal sense. I mean, what kind of girl puts out on the first date, especially a BLIND FIRST DATE?!? I cannot say that it was love at first sight, but it was definitely the beginning of a lasting friendship from that first night. We hugged goodnight and that was that. I dated someone else for a brief period towards the end of the summer, but nonetheless, Clint and I talked on the phone every day after our first date.

My summer fling fizzled pretty quickly, and shortly after the breakup, Ashley and Shane convinced me to join them in attending Clint’s high school football game. Cue the glare of the stadium lights, the cheering fans in the stands, and the electric atmosphere of a Friday football game night- this, my friends, sets the stage for what I like to call- love at SECOND sight. As we walked into the stadium and began to look for a seat, I glanced down at the sidelines and immediately spotted #52. Just like something out of a movie, he pulled his helmet off all slow-motion-like, shook the sweat out of his hair, made eye contact with me, and gave me a quick wave and a sheepish smile. Melt. And that was basically all she wrote. At the ripe-old-age of 15, I was a taken woman. With the exception of a brief dating hiatus in college (during which time we still remained close friends) we have basically been together since that night. And since then, we have effectively shattered two assumptions: A) That blind dates don’t work out and B) That high school relationships never last.



3. If married, how long have you been married?
We have been married for almost 11 months. We got married on March 26, 2011.



4. If you are married, where did you get married? Big or small wedding?
We were married in a medium-sized (150-200ish guests) ceremony at Trinity Episcopal Church in our hometown Demopolis, Alabama. Our reception was at Lyon Hall.



5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!
I call him “Boo” or “Babe” (which kinda sounds like “Beb”). He also calls me “Boo” or “Doll”…but mostly, he calls me “Walter”. Before you get all weirded out… he used to call me “Sweetness”. Apparently (according to my sports-obsessed husband anyway) this was the nickname for legendary football-player Walter Payton. Hence, the Walter monicker that started out as a joke but has somehow just stuck. I don’t mind.



6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.
I love his devotion to his family and friends and his genuine care and concern for others. But mostly I love that he is hands-down the smartest and wittiest person I know. I love being married to a funny man! And he gives me chocolate, so that doesn’t hurt either.



7. Tell us how he proposed?
He proposed on Friday, September 18, 2009. We went to dinner at Village Tavern, one of our favorite restaurants in Birmingham. We had a lovely dinner and a great bottle of wine. Afterwards, we went back to my apartment and as I walked inside, Clint muttered that he forgot something or needed to run back to his car or I don’t know- something. Anyway, he headed back down the stairs and I went on inside and began to watch tv. A few moments later, I heard a knock at the door and wondered if I had accidentally locked him out. When I opened the door, he was down on one knee holding strawberry cupcakes from my favorite bakery that spelled out “Will you marry me?” It was such a beautiful evening, and I loved that it was a really private moment that was just for us. The next day was an Alabama game and Clint had invited many of our friends over to his place to watch the game and celebrate our exciting news. It was a perfect weekend.



8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?
Umm… I don’t really think he is either of those. ‘Specially not the teddy bear type of guy. We always try to do something special or fun to celebrate Valentine’s Day, like go to dinner at a favorite restaurant or have him cook something really yummy. He has sent me flowers on Valentine’s Day several times in the past, but I wouldn’t say that’s always a guarantee. Whether he sends flowers or not, he always tries to get me something that he knows I’ve been wanting. It’s never anything over the top, but he does make it a point to acknowledge the holiday and make me feel special. He has joked for as long as I can remember that Valentine’s Day is a corporate holiday invented by candy and card companies.



9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?
I’m not sure this is a fair question because I mean, duh. Of course, I’m a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl! But do I live close enough to the beach to just have a spur-of-the-moment date there? Sadly, nope. We love the beach- we try to go at least a couple of times a year and our tropical honeymoon was definitely a week we will always cherish. But on a regular day, we love to pop in a movie, pour a glass of wine, and just relax with one another.

10. Tell us one thing you’d like to do with your significant other one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?
There is a verrrrrrrrry long list of places that I’d like to travel with him. We do little mini-trips quite a bit and we have traveled several places separately, but there’s so many other places we would love to see together- NYC, Chicago, Breckenridge, etc. He and I have also discussed recently how we would really love to get a group of friends together for another all-inclusive Caribbean getaway. Our one year anniversary is coming up very soon (how did this first year fly so fast?), so we are working on a trip to celebrate that milestone. More on that later as preparations are made!



11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine’s Day.
Since Valentine’s Day is on a Tuesday and I am traveling for work, we’re going to celebrate Friday when I get home. Honestly, I’m not sure what he has planned. He is pretty awesome on the grill, and I wouldn’t mind a nice bottle of pinot and some red meat (hint, hint).

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine’s day?
I may have mentioned a couple of things here and there that I “need”. I’m not sure he always listens, but he usually does pretty well in the gift area.



13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.
Laughter is the best medicine. Even in the midst of an intense argument or discussion, Clint can make a funny face, crack a joke, or tickle me and reduce me to giggles. If we were arguing, I can’t help but lose track of what we were fussing about and suddenly it doesn’t seem so important anymore. Don’t sweat the small stuff, pick your battles, and always, always remember to laugh.

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



Happy Valentines Day!!!