Our love story

This has been on several friends' blogs, so I thought in honor of V-day I'd play along too! 

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

We have officially been together since November of 2006- so 5 1/2 years?  But we also dated for about 6 months in 2004. 

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

We actually met my junior or senior year of highschool (can't remember which) in Springdale, AR.  My brother was at the U of A and was friends with Stephen.  Me and some friends went up to see Joe (my brother) and we were staying at my grandma's in Springdale.  I forgot some sort of toiletry, and around midnight we stopped at Harps (grocery store) to get some.  A truck pulled up to us and Stephen yelled out "Hey, you're Joe's sister!"  Apparently he had seen my picture in Joe's room and thought I was cute.  :)  I was pretty convinced that I was going to marry one of Joe's friends, and I told my friends that it'd be Stephen Billings after we met that night. 

A year or two later I came to college, and I had a big crush on him , but I am pretty sure he had long forgotten about me since I was the "little sister" until we finally actually became friends at Kaleo- Stumo summer project- the summer after my freshman year.  We worked together at Big Kahunas- a water park, so we rode to work and home together every day.  We fell in love that summer.  You aren't allowed to date at the project- but the very last day before we went home, he asked me if he could take me on a date when we got back to Fayetteville.  We were floating in the ocean and he was getting stung by jelly fish.  It was so romantic.  :)

We dated for about 6 months and then I got confused and broke up with him.  I was still crazy about him, but he moved on.  Eventually I did too, but it took a while!  He claims he liked me the whole time :)

A couple years later, after pretty much not even being friends, I ended up needing a ride home from church and he took me home- I knew after that 20 minute drive that he liked me.  He asked me out a couple weeks after that and not long after that we were engaged.  Our (second) first date was in November 2006 and we were engaged in May and married in September. 

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}  4 1/2 years

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? If not, where would you like to get married? And will it be big or small?

We got married in my parents' front yard in Choctaw, Ok.  I'm not really sure what makes a big/small wedding.  We had over 300 people there, but it was a super casual outdoor wedding.  I was barefoot, wore a short dress, and we had barbeque at our reception.  It was wonderful. 

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

The theme I have been reading on all of these is "babe/baby" and we are no exception.  I even try to make a conscious effort not to call him babe when others are around because I think it drives single people crazy.  Married people understand though.  :)  We really don't have any other real nicknames- just embarrassing ones that I wouldn't ever admit to. 

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

He can always make me laugh, he is THE best dad, and he loves God even more than he loves me. 

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

My parents got married in my grandparents backyard.  Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to get married there underneath an apple tree in their pasture.  Stephen came with me to my grandparents one weekend and he asked me to marry him under the apple tree- it was the sweetest.

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

He's a flower and starbucks kinda guy- that's what he got me today.  :) 

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

Both sound wonderful, but since we live in Kansas, with no beach anywhere nearby, we pretty much do the movie and couch- which I love just as much. 

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

I want to go to Hawaii and Europe.  Without children.  :) 

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

We celebrated on Sunday.  We got a babysitter, and did our 5th annual McD's date.  :)  We get dressed up, and dine in at McDonalds.  We even order WHATEVER we want.  :)  Then we drove around and talked, then we came back and put B to bed, then we watched Courageous on the couch.  It was wonderful.  I thought v-day was over, but instead, he surprised me today with a pink rose and a starbucks.  What a sweetie. 

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

Got everything I could ever want.

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

Kiss.  Every, single, day. 

14. Show us a picture of what love means to you
The theme of all of these that I've read is daddy and daughter pics, so I'll stick with it.  But seriously, is that not the sweetest thing you've ever seen?