The First Day of the Rest of my Life

I'm not huge into Valentine's Day. There's no decorating or big plans or anything. Me and the kids will be celebrating this afternoon by making heart shaped rice crispy treats and making their valentine's cards to bring to school tomorrow :) 

But this is still a very special couple of days for me. Nine years ago today my life changed forever. But let me give you some back story first....

I was 19 years old and working as a bank teller. I was quite outgoing and never had any problems talking/flirting with guys. I started to notice this cute guy who came into the drive thru every Friday evening. He was from my church but I had never actually really met him before. It turned out, after a little investigating, that he was 7 years older than me. Shoot, there goes that thought, he'd never ask a 19 year old out :( 

So I went about my business while he came in to get his cash every Friday night. I started dressing really nice on Fridays and fixing my makeup as often as possible. Everyone I worked with knew to let me run and help him whenever he pulled up in his black Mustang. But even with my usually outgoing personality I couldn't get myself to say one word to him other than, "Thank you, have a nice weekend!" As he drove away I'd mutter (or maybe yell, I was a ridiculous teenager after all) "Will you marry me?!" But I resigned to the fact that until I was at least 21 and able to go search for him in the bars he must hang out at, it was never going to happen.

To try and be proactive about it, you know with out actually talking to him ;), I told my mom about him. Even though he was 7 years older she was excited that she knew him and his family from church so she helped me out :) One Sunday after church she casually started a conversation with this guy's mom and started asking how old he was and if he was single and that she had a daughter who worked at the bank. Just enough to plant the seed!! But nothing happened.

A couple months later Valentine's Day came rolling around. My valentine's were going to be the 4 and 1 year old boys I babysat every weekend :)

I was, of course, at work in the drive thru on the night before valentines when my crush pulled up. My boss informed me that HE was here, which was the rule ;) But it was Thursday! I wasn't all dolled up! Then his canister dropped in the tube in front of me. It looked different....I opened it to find this:

(photo courtesy of my mom 8 years ago for a surprise wedding shower invitation:) 

It says:

 Hiedi (spelled wrong!:) 

Do you have plans for Valentine's Day?

I almost fainted. I got on the intercom and told him I was babysitting. I then PULLED myself together and told him I would find a replacement and I would love to go out with him!! 

After exchanging numbers he drove away and I ran to the back room and laid on the ground kicking and screaming in excitement.

The next night on our first date the restaurant was taking photos of all the couples for Valentines Day. I was ecstatic, even if he never asked me out again I would have a picture of us together! :)

Well, when he dropped me off that night he asked me if I could go to the car show in Chicago the NEXT night. I was on cloud nine. And I stayed there for a very long time :) 

The next Valentine's Day on our 1 year anniversary we were already engaged and about to be married in just 2 more months. Somehow, someway it turned out that we were absolutely perfect for each other. And we still are :) 

(on a family vacation, married 6 years)

In the end it turned out that Scott's mom started asking him casually about the cute girl in the drive thru at the bank here and there :) He thought I was in high school or something so hadn't really noticed me but that winter I chopped off my super long hair to my shoulders and looked a bit older and he took notice. He thought that I was only a few years younger than him and found out on our third date just HOW young I actually was! hahaha, but it was too late, we'd both already fallen for each other. So he was just going to have to put up with years of teasing from his friends for robbing the cradle ;)

So that's my story :) 

I suddenly feel the need to call Scott and tell him how much I love him!