A few days ago I was listening to the radio while I washed the dishes. Brad Paisley's "Then" came on and it reminded me of us. If you have never heard it, you should listen before you finish reading. Click here
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When someone asks how Matt and I met, the easy answer is "in college."
Here is the real story.
We were in college, and had been for a while. I was "talking," as they say, to one of his friends, who was roommates with his brother. We would all go over to their house on Robey St. and hang out, watching movies and sitting around a fire in the backyard. In true college boy fashion they would tear apart random things to burn.
I had heard of the infamous scoundrel Matt Low, but had never been around him.
(I had seen him sing on stage in a quartet before though. *swoon*)
He was there almost every time. He didn't always make the best impression every time though. But as the semester passed by, I spent more of my time at "The Robey House" talking to Matt than I did the guy who was inviting me over.
His brother told me later that the first time Matt saw me there he nudged him and asked, "Who's that girl!?" Seeing his brother tell the story is much better. It is one of my favorites.
Over Thanksgiving break things fizzled out with the other dude, there was simply nothing there, and I finished out my semester without our fire pit hangouts.
However, right before Christmas this message was sent over Facebook,
Matt: hey i haven't seen you in a while and thought i would see how you were doing... so hey there.
What? Why was the dude from those nights hanging out around the fire messaging me? I was confused, (and of course flattered. This so called ladies-man, that made the girls swoon with his beautiful voice and blonde hair and blue eyes sent me a message.) I casually replied,
Kristin: Hey. I'm doing great now that this semester is over! I'm looking forward to a few weeks of no school. How are you?
To be honest, although I was flattered, I wasn't waiting around anxiously for his reply. However, five days later, (on Christmas Day) I got this message,
Matt: i'm enjoying this much needed break from classes as well. i'm actually in atlanta with some family right now..... merry christmas by the way. when are you going to be back in arkadelphia? we should hang out if you want to... if you want to text me my number is *** *** ****. talk to you later
Seriously, looking back now, how cute is that message!? But guess what? I didn't reply!
(these were copied and pasted directly from facebook, nothing was changed except his phone #.)
Thank goodness he didn't give up! While still home for Christmas break and out at Chili's with two high school friends, I received a text message from a number that wasn't in my phone. It was Matt. He had gotten my number from a mutual friend. Not, however, the other dude. Though I did learn later that before he started his pursuit he did ok it with his friend, following the true "Bro Code."
This time I did reply, and text messaging ensued. Unfortunately, I don't have these messages. How was I supposed to know these were the first texts from my future husband!?
Back in Arkadelphia, I blew him off several times. I did stop by his house one time before we went out, and left with an awkward one-armed side hug.
Then he took me out on a REAL date.
It had been a long time since anyone had taken me out on an honest to goodness for-real date.
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| Forever silly. :) |
We drove to Hot Springs, had dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings, and went bowling. It wasn't a fancy date, but it was a real one. You know, the kind where he invites you, pays for everything, and even opens doors for you?
What were all of those people talking about!? This guy seemed really nice, and not scoundrel-ish at all!
Once we got back to Arkadelphia, we even watched a movie at his place.
I found out later that he thought I didn't like him, because I didn't talk very much. (I am pretty quiet and shy around people that I don't know very well.) If I didn't like him, why would I stick around for the movie!?
After that first date, I was much less reluctant to spend time with my new found friend. We began to see each other more and more frequently, and our relationship progressed rather quickly actually. It just felt so natural and came so easily.
That first date was sometime in January, and we were "officially" a couple only a few weeks later. Then I met his parents at their house on the night of the Super Bowl, which was February 1, 2009.
A few weeks later we went on another date to the Little Rock Zoo. It was a week day that neither of us had classes, or maybe we skipped them. I can't remember, but that is entirely possible.
He needed a little extra time getting ready because he had "twisted his knee in the shower." I didn't know this at the time, but my man has bad knees from playing football in high school. And the shower story? Not true, he twisted it stretching in bed, but he couldn't let his new girlfriend know that! The poor guy.
The last thing he needed to do that day was walk all over a zoo, but he never said a word about his knee the entire time we were there. Although I know now that he was in pain the entire time.
We enjoyed a semester of spending time together, watching movies, eating out. Then the summer came and the real fun started. We were both working, but with no class we had more time to spend having fun. There were many, many trips made down the Caddo River, and many meals eaten at TaMolly's.
On June 20, 2010 we once again ate at TaMolly's. Then we drove down to the lower dam picnic area, and he got down on one knee and said some of the sweetest words to me, and I said "Yes."
Four months later on October 2, 2010 we both said "I do"
Now here we are, days away from meeting our son, and ol' Brad was right.
I just thought I loved him then.
