Nate and I met the first day of 10th grade... we spotted each other while I was on the payphone calling my mom and he was walking by. Nate then walked by a couple more times checking me out. Truth be told, I was looking pretty good (1990's good!) in my plaid shorts, button-down blouse and loafers. We ended up going to a few high school dances, seeing some bad movies at the drive-in and spending hours in his basement listening to Santana, Counting Crows and U2. We crushed on each other for most of high school and part of college but never really tried dating exclusively until our junior year at CSU. From age 15 to 20 we spent many excruciating hours sitting next to each other, hearts pounding, nervous gas-bloat building in our stomachs, unable to even hold hands. It was as if we KNEW it was too special to take lightly. At 20 we dated for a while and even talked eventual marriage but ultimately I wanted more adventure, more edge, more BAD BOY. I moved to Seattle and found the edge and the bad girl in myself. Nate and I didn't talk for years at a time but would connect over the phone randomly here and there. My mom would always be asking "how is Nate?" "why don't you talk to Nate?" "Nate is the nicest boy you've ever known, do you think he's single?"...
Nate wasn't single and neither was I, we were both in long-term relationships with people we had settled with for one reason or another. When I was 30 I moved from Seattle to Austin to get away from my someone and unbeknownst to me Nate had moved to Houston to get away from his someone. This wouldn't be THAT weird except that growing up in Colorado you are raised to believe Texas is THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH you would ever want to live. I actually loved Austin and adored being single. I had just decided that being alone WAS my destiny and that was more than A-OK with me. Of course, that's just when love falls in your lap. In 2007 Nate and I found each other in Texas in January, were engaged in April and married in August. It didn't feel rushed or crazy or impulsive... it felt RIGHT and PERFECT and BLESSED!
Our wedding was insanely amazing and special. We were married in my parents backyard and didn't follow the wedding industry's insistence that you need every little bell and whistle to have an appropriate wedding... we did what FELT right, what honored our families and what was true to our story -- nothing extra, nothing frilly and nothing forced or fancy. The thing is, people STILL tell me it was the neatest wedding they'd ever been to... that it transported them to another place... that it inspired LOVE! I have to watch the wedding video a few times every year just to be sure it wasn't all a dream.
Our love story is still evolving and growing every day... we've known each other for 22 years but I still feel like I'm 15 years old around him sometimes. He is hilarious and kind and handsome, he is warm and hard-working and protective... he loves our son more than I could have dreamed and he treats my parents with respect. He is the quintessential husband that makes sure his family is provided for and he is genuine and trustworthy. I do believe God showed me undeserved grace when he gave me my WONDERFUL, my Nate.
Senior prom 1994
I just had to be the first to comment!!! Loved reading about you and Nate - it never gets old. Keep writing, Sissy- God blessed you with the gift. Love u, M
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