How We Met: A Love Story...

My wedding anniversary is this weekend. Justin and I have been married for 6 years. Together for 7 1/2 years total. So in honor of this anniversary, I thought I'd post on how we met.

It was 2004 and I was in college, I was 21 years old. I was working at Cracker Barrel as a cashier/hostess and my best friend was Jennifer. Jennifer had a brother, named James. She set me up with her brother and I went out with him once. James mentioned on our date that I was like a girl version of his best friend, Justin. He said he liked me and that I was really sweet but he thought I'd get along better with Justin. So, Jennifer and James started telling Justin about me. They gave him my number. He never called. They gave his mother my number...he never called. I pretty much forgot about him as I got busy with school and work.

I had a date with a new guy, Mark. I met him once, he was nice...but I needed to study for an exam, so I cancelled our date and stayed home to study. Then my cell phone rings. I didn't recognize the number but I answered it..."Hello?!" "Hey, this is Justin...James' friend."

Justin had been seeing a girl for the past several months which is why he never called me. He doesn't believe in dating more than one person at a time. They had recently broken up and he had recently broken his LEG in a dirt-bike accident. He was laid up in bed and found my number on a post-it note in his wallet and figured he had nothing better to do that night, so he called me up.

We spent the next 3 hours straight talking on the phone. The call lasted so long that I had to plug my phone in to charge during the call. It was instant. A spark I've never felt with anyone, in person much less over the phone. We talked about everything that night. We planned to meet in person the next day. He worked down the road from Cracker Barrel and would come in for lunch on his break. As I hung up the phone, my heart was racing, I was totally, head over heels, in love with him.

The next day, I put on my cutest black pencil skirt and my burgundy apron. I nervously awaited him. Lunch rush started coming in and I stared at the doors wondering when he was going to walk through them. My friend Renee was working with me that shift. Suddenly, I see a pair of crutches push through the doors and my heart stopped when I saw him. He was gorgeous and TALL and I turned bright red as he hobbled toward me on his crutches. I leaned over to Renee and told her "I'm going to marry that boy!" She laughed at me...I dated a lot and she just rolled her eyes at that statement. But I just knew.

We talked as much as my work would allow me and made plans to meet again the next day at a park for a picnic. We must have spent hours at that park, talking about all kinds of things. We had our first kiss at the park (he was actually in his car, about to leave, and I walked over and pretended to fall in his lap and kissed him- he was shy). On my way home, I called Jennifer. I gushed about how wonderful he was and how much I liked him. I found out later, that Justin called James on HIS way home. So Jennifer and James were each on the phone with one of us. They just knew, too.

I went on vacation for a week to Florida with my family. The day I got home, I met up with Justin to meet his parents. He drove me to his house and I met his family. I loved them instantly and KNEW I belonged with this family. We said "I love you" to each other that night (our 2nd official date) and the next night we went out to an Italian restaurant.

On our way to the restaurant, we picked up a blank journal at the book store. While we waited for our food, we wrote in this journal. We labeled it our "Love Book" and the first entry is this:

"We chose this book together. It's to document our life together. Use this book to speak what's on your mind and in your heart. Draw pictures, write letters, or just doodle, so later on, we'll have a collection of our love for each other to pass down to our kids. A journal to look back on during tough times and a lovely reminder during slow times. I love you with all my heart."

Starting on that 3rd date, we planned our future wedding and life together. The book is filled with love letters to each other, petals from flowers he gave me, tokens of our love are pasted and glued on the pages. Even the paper table cloth from that restaurant is in there. My  name is written on it...his last name tacked on to the end. Only a week since I had met him, my soulmate.

PS: The guy I cancelled on the night Justin called me...Mark? I introduced him to a friend of mine the night of my Bachelorette party...they are happily married to each other and best friends of ours.

Next post...the OFFICIAL proposal...

Comments

Michelle said…
Lovely! Thank you for sharing that. Meeting my husband was similar but different. We exchanged our "I Love You"'s our second time meeting as well, although I can hardly call flying to Colorado to spend a weekend with him, a date. :) Happy Anniversary!
Cyrena said…
Aw!!! That's a great story!!!
Omi said…
What a precious story for you to share and remember throughout the years. Best wishes and Happy Anniversary.
Anonymous said…
your story is beautiful made me cry I'm so happy for your finding each other
Unknown said…
That's such a beautiful Love & Life Story,I'm weeping tears of joy and happiness for you both too! (I thought people might think Mike and I were crazy we knew as quickly too!) God Bless you both and your family,may you have a continuing Wonderful life together and God's Best Always!! Beautiful ,beautiful story <3

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