Be Mine*
There was a time when Valentines Day meant picking out the perfect Valentine for the boy I had a crush on, giving it to him, and wishing he'd ask me to be his Valentine. When I was in school, no one ever asked me to be theirs.
There was a time when holidays like Valentines Day were the only days I might not get yelled at or pushed around by my ex. I looked forward to those days for different reasons than what Hallmark intended.
There was a time when I thought Valentines Day was stupid. Just another day invented by companies who benefited off of all the suckers who bought cards, candy, lingerie, etc. I resented the day because I did not believe in it, because I didn't think there was such thing as the love the day was supposed to represent.
And then I met Daniel shortly before Valentines Day 2003. We had conversations about how silly we thought the day was - all the pink and red and "I love you". We balked at the day because I think we were afraid of it. When the day finally came, I gave him handmade Valentines (four) and he gave me a lovely book with a sweet note inside. We sat on the floor of his apartment and ate PB&J sandwiches with Cheetos and had the best Valentines Day I'd ever had. And I think that was the day I became a romantic.
In the spirit of love, I decided to do this survey I grabbed from my "live" friend and somewhat new blogger, Melissa :
1. Where/how did you meet? The first time I saw Daniel was in August 2002. We were both sitting in the audience at a local theater watching 'Crimes of the Heart'. He was with some people who were laughing obnoxiously and I kept turning around to look at them, but noticed him. He came up to me and my girlfriends after the show and sort of hit on us and invited us to come see him perform at the theatre about a month later. My friends dragged me away because they were sure he wasn't even 18 yet and thus, off limits. I didn't go see him in his show and pretty much forgot about the whole thing until months later when I met him "officially".
It was the beginning of January, 2003 and we met in the basement of the Spotlight Theatre during a rehearsal for this show:
We kept looking at each other from our opposite sides of the room and neither of us could stop smiling. During break we introduced ourselves and the rest is history. We ended up remembering our first meeting about a month into our relationship.
2. How long have you known each other? Officially, since January 2003 - so five years. But it feels like longer, in a good way.
3. How long after you met did you start dating? A week or so. Our first actual date was January 18th. I think we "officially" became a couple around Valentines Day 2003. We had both said we just wanted to be friends, no relationship, no commitment - but we both started to realize we wanted more after this date:
4. How long did you date before you were engaged? Officially? We started dating January 18th, 2003 and Daniel proposed on December 3rd, 2004. Unofficially, I asked Daniel to marry me on December 31st, (his birthday) 2003 and he said yes. Months after the fact he said he thought I just meant, "Will you marry me?" someday. I ended up anticipating a proposal for the next six months never knowing when it would come.
5. How long was your engagement? Six months. After all that waiting for the proposal, I couldn't wait.
6. How long have you been married? We will be married three years in June.
7. What is your anniversary? June 4th (2005)
8. How many people came to your wedding reception? Oh, I don't know. The perfect amount. Maybe 100? It was a lot of fun and just our style.
9. What kind of cake did you serve? I think it was a white cake with raspberry filling. I can't remember, but it was pretty:
10. Where was your wedding? At the Antique Rose Emporium in San Antonio, Texas. We'd originally wanted to be married outside, but it's sort of hot in San Antonio in June. Go figure. We did take some nice pics on the grounds though:
11. What did you serve for the meal? Mexican food, of course! We had a buffet with chicken and steak fajitas, rice, beans, guacamole, and queso (Daniel's favorite). It was really good:
12. How many people were in your bridal party? Five girls, six guys. One of my bridesmaids wasn't able to make it, but she was there in spirit.
13. Are you still friends with them all? Of course! They're all a part of our extended family even if we don't get to see them as much as we'd like to.
14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony? We both did. I think I started crying as soon as I saw him and started walking towards him. He was teary by the time I got to him (which could not have been fast enough) and we both cried while we said our vows.
15. Most special moment of your wedding day? Oh, I don't know. The entire day was perfect. We each wrote our own vows separately and when we heard them for the first time in front of our friends and family, it was just perfect - like we'd written them together.
16. Any funny moments? The bus ride on the way to the ceremony. We rented a shuttle for all of the bridal party and us to ride together and it was practically falling apart on the way - hysterical.
17. Any big disasters? Not really. I made the mistake of getting my hair and makeup done and I hated it. I looked like I was going to be in a pageant - big hair and lots of makeup. I ended up taking off most of the makeup and redoing my hair so I looked more like myself.
18. Where did you go on your honeymoon? We stayed the first night at a bed and breakfast place across the street from Daniel's parents house (and the reception). The next morning we got up really early and got on a plane to Portland, Oregon. We spent a few days there and then drove to Ashland for three days to see Twelfth Night at their Shakespeare Festival.
19. How long were you gone? Four nights in Portland, Three in Ashland, One more in Portland.
20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change? Not a single thing... well, I would have loved it if my Nana had been able to be there. She had been very sick and it wasn't long after the wedding that we found out she had cancer.
21. What side of the bed do you sleep on? The left, but I switch to the middle or completely to the right every time Daniel gets out of bed.
22. What size is your bed? Queen. We need a King. Seriously.
23. Greatest strength as a couple? We enjoy life and love each other completely. We're honest with each other, have a sense of humor about all the obstacles we face together and we make it a point to really communicate and take time to be together, just us as often as we can. We're each others best friends and we thrive on our commonalities and our differences.
24. Greatest challenge as a couple? Health issues have been taxing, but we've never lost sight of what is important to us and we've been able to get through everything together. Even on the days where I was barely conscious, we still managed to laugh and enjoy being together.
25. Who literally pays the bills? We pay them together, but he's the one who actually gets a paycheck. I work for love, baby.
26. What is your song? 'Come Rain or Come Shine' We've been singing it to each other since we were dating. We used to serenade each other in bed before we fell asleep.
27. What did you dance your first dance to? First dance ever? Probably something by Gaelic Storm, but our first dance was to 'Come Rain or Come Shine' - the Eric Clapton/B.B. King version.
28. Describe your wedding dress. It was ivory and I bought it right off the rack and only had to have it hemmed a tad and hooks added for a bustle.
29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding? These:
and these:
30. Are your wedding bands engraved? No. But Daniel has a antique pocket watch that I had engraved for him and gave him the night *I proposed*. You know, the night he didn't realize I meant I wanted to be engaged right then. ;P
Happy Valentines Day, everyone!
Daniel and I will be spending the day with our little Valentine, playing, watching movies and eating PB&J with Cheetos. I hope you all have a lovely day, I know I will.
* "From the very first moment I saw you
That's when I knew
All the dreams I held in my heart
Had suddenly come true
Knock me over stone cold sober
Not a thing I could say or do
Cause baby when I'm walking with you now
My eyes are so wide
Like you reached right into my head
And turned on the light inside
Turning on the light
Inside my mind..."
-David Gray 'Be Mine'
There was a time when holidays like Valentines Day were the only days I might not get yelled at or pushed around by my ex. I looked forward to those days for different reasons than what Hallmark intended.
There was a time when I thought Valentines Day was stupid. Just another day invented by companies who benefited off of all the suckers who bought cards, candy, lingerie, etc. I resented the day because I did not believe in it, because I didn't think there was such thing as the love the day was supposed to represent.
And then I met Daniel shortly before Valentines Day 2003. We had conversations about how silly we thought the day was - all the pink and red and "I love you". We balked at the day because I think we were afraid of it. When the day finally came, I gave him handmade Valentines (four) and he gave me a lovely book with a sweet note inside. We sat on the floor of his apartment and ate PB&J sandwiches with Cheetos and had the best Valentines Day I'd ever had. And I think that was the day I became a romantic.
In the spirit of love, I decided to do this survey I grabbed from my "live" friend and somewhat new blogger, Melissa :
1. Where/how did you meet? The first time I saw Daniel was in August 2002. We were both sitting in the audience at a local theater watching 'Crimes of the Heart'. He was with some people who were laughing obnoxiously and I kept turning around to look at them, but noticed him. He came up to me and my girlfriends after the show and sort of hit on us and invited us to come see him perform at the theatre about a month later. My friends dragged me away because they were sure he wasn't even 18 yet and thus, off limits. I didn't go see him in his show and pretty much forgot about the whole thing until months later when I met him "officially".
It was the beginning of January, 2003 and we met in the basement of the Spotlight Theatre during a rehearsal for this show:
We kept looking at each other from our opposite sides of the room and neither of us could stop smiling. During break we introduced ourselves and the rest is history. We ended up remembering our first meeting about a month into our relationship.
2. How long have you known each other? Officially, since January 2003 - so five years. But it feels like longer, in a good way.
3. How long after you met did you start dating? A week or so. Our first actual date was January 18th. I think we "officially" became a couple around Valentines Day 2003. We had both said we just wanted to be friends, no relationship, no commitment - but we both started to realize we wanted more after this date:
4. How long did you date before you were engaged? Officially? We started dating January 18th, 2003 and Daniel proposed on December 3rd, 2004. Unofficially, I asked Daniel to marry me on December 31st, (his birthday) 2003 and he said yes. Months after the fact he said he thought I just meant, "Will you marry me?" someday. I ended up anticipating a proposal for the next six months never knowing when it would come.
5. How long was your engagement? Six months. After all that waiting for the proposal, I couldn't wait.
6. How long have you been married? We will be married three years in June.
7. What is your anniversary? June 4th (2005)
8. How many people came to your wedding reception? Oh, I don't know. The perfect amount. Maybe 100? It was a lot of fun and just our style.
9. What kind of cake did you serve? I think it was a white cake with raspberry filling. I can't remember, but it was pretty:
10. Where was your wedding? At the Antique Rose Emporium in San Antonio, Texas. We'd originally wanted to be married outside, but it's sort of hot in San Antonio in June. Go figure. We did take some nice pics on the grounds though:
11. What did you serve for the meal? Mexican food, of course! We had a buffet with chicken and steak fajitas, rice, beans, guacamole, and queso (Daniel's favorite). It was really good:
12. How many people were in your bridal party? Five girls, six guys. One of my bridesmaids wasn't able to make it, but she was there in spirit.
13. Are you still friends with them all? Of course! They're all a part of our extended family even if we don't get to see them as much as we'd like to.
14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony? We both did. I think I started crying as soon as I saw him and started walking towards him. He was teary by the time I got to him (which could not have been fast enough) and we both cried while we said our vows.
15. Most special moment of your wedding day? Oh, I don't know. The entire day was perfect. We each wrote our own vows separately and when we heard them for the first time in front of our friends and family, it was just perfect - like we'd written them together.
16. Any funny moments? The bus ride on the way to the ceremony. We rented a shuttle for all of the bridal party and us to ride together and it was practically falling apart on the way - hysterical.
17. Any big disasters? Not really. I made the mistake of getting my hair and makeup done and I hated it. I looked like I was going to be in a pageant - big hair and lots of makeup. I ended up taking off most of the makeup and redoing my hair so I looked more like myself.
18. Where did you go on your honeymoon? We stayed the first night at a bed and breakfast place across the street from Daniel's parents house (and the reception). The next morning we got up really early and got on a plane to Portland, Oregon. We spent a few days there and then drove to Ashland for three days to see Twelfth Night at their Shakespeare Festival.
19. How long were you gone? Four nights in Portland, Three in Ashland, One more in Portland.
20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change? Not a single thing... well, I would have loved it if my Nana had been able to be there. She had been very sick and it wasn't long after the wedding that we found out she had cancer.
21. What side of the bed do you sleep on? The left, but I switch to the middle or completely to the right every time Daniel gets out of bed.
22. What size is your bed? Queen. We need a King. Seriously.
23. Greatest strength as a couple? We enjoy life and love each other completely. We're honest with each other, have a sense of humor about all the obstacles we face together and we make it a point to really communicate and take time to be together, just us as often as we can. We're each others best friends and we thrive on our commonalities and our differences.
24. Greatest challenge as a couple? Health issues have been taxing, but we've never lost sight of what is important to us and we've been able to get through everything together. Even on the days where I was barely conscious, we still managed to laugh and enjoy being together.
25. Who literally pays the bills? We pay them together, but he's the one who actually gets a paycheck. I work for love, baby.
26. What is your song? 'Come Rain or Come Shine' We've been singing it to each other since we were dating. We used to serenade each other in bed before we fell asleep.
27. What did you dance your first dance to? First dance ever? Probably something by Gaelic Storm, but our first dance was to 'Come Rain or Come Shine' - the Eric Clapton/B.B. King version.
28. Describe your wedding dress. It was ivory and I bought it right off the rack and only had to have it hemmed a tad and hooks added for a bustle.
29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding? These:
and these:
30. Are your wedding bands engraved? No. But Daniel has a antique pocket watch that I had engraved for him and gave him the night *I proposed*. You know, the night he didn't realize I meant I wanted to be engaged right then. ;P
Happy Valentines Day, everyone!
Daniel and I will be spending the day with our little Valentine, playing, watching movies and eating PB&J with Cheetos. I hope you all have a lovely day, I know I will.
* "From the very first moment I saw you
That's when I knew
All the dreams I held in my heart
Had suddenly come true
Knock me over stone cold sober
Not a thing I could say or do
Cause baby when I'm walking with you now
My eyes are so wide
Like you reached right into my head
And turned on the light inside
Turning on the light
Inside my mind..."
-David Gray 'Be Mine'
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