Happy Valentine's Day!
In honor of this day of romance, I thought I would share the story of how my husband and I came to be. You can read more love stories here.
1. How long have you been together?
We began dating in February of 1995. This picture was taken around 1996. I was 19 or 20 and Marcus was around 22. That is a scrunchie on my wrist :) We dates for 4 1/2 years before he proposed and were engaged for 9 months.
2. How did you meet?
My husband and I met on September 25, 1994. I was a freshman in college and was interviewing to join the university's student council. My husband was a junior and already on the council. He didn't vote for me- I was "too perky". I ended up joining the council (despite him!) and he was my weekly office hour partner. We were friends for about 5 months before I asked him to be my boyfriend. He then told me that girlfriends were a liability. Seriously! We went back to the location of that liability conversation a year later and he told me I was an asset. Good recovery, Marcus!
3. How long have you been married?
Marcus and I have been married for 13 years this summer.
4. Did you have a small or big wedding?
We had a really small wedding, less than 50 people. We were married the summer after we finished our Master's Degrees from Texas Tech University and lived in Lubbock at the time. Our wedding was in Wimberley, Texas near my hometown which was 8 hours away from our college friends. We also had a really small budget, so a small wedding fit the bill. Being an event planner now, there are so many things I would do differently!
5. Do you have any nicknames for each other?
We don't really have nicknames- we are pretty private with our affections; however, Marcus will tell you that when I call him "sweetie" or "honey" it is typically followed by a request, like "honey, will you unload the dishwasher?". I do call him Marco a lot and he jokingly calls me his "baby mama".
6. What are three things you love most about your husband?
His sense of humor, his active role in parenting, and his gift of mercy. He truly feels for other people in a way I haven't seen before.
7. How did he propose?
He proposed during halftime of the Homecoming game at our undergraduate Alma Mater. We were in our second year of graduate school and coming back to college for Homecoming. He had asked my Dad for permission a few weeks earlier at my sister's wedding and told all of my girlfriends who were there with us. I also secretly knew because I found the ring receipt and then searched until I found the ring. The fun a surprise for me is finding out before it is played out.
8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy?
Teddy bear- no. Flowers- yes. But, we don't do flowers on days like this and certainly don't spend money to have them delivered. I get them at random times and I really like that. I always have flowers waiting for me when I return from an event/business trip.
9. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your husband one day in the future?
Retire together. We both come from divorced parents, so making it to retirement together is a big deal. I plan to be married to him forever.
10. What do you plan to do for Valentine's Day?
We celebrated with dinner on Friday night when our church was hosting Parent's Night Out. We had a lovely dinner and tried not to talk about work or Abby. That is the hard part as parents! We also plan to have brunch together this morning and will exchange gifts over cupcakes tonight after dinner at home.
11. Did you ask for anything special?
Special- only to me! I asked for a butter bell from Sur La Table. We are really practical gift givers and always share a wish list with links in email. It works for us.
12. What is one piece of advice you have about keeping a relationship strong and full of love?
Always be willing to learn from your spouse. Be open to improving. Talk to each other. Take classes together. Find tips from other couples that will work for you.
13. Show us a picture of what love means to you.
That little girl has joy written all over her face and his face shows a protective love. These are the people I love the most and I cherish how much they love each other and me!
