Making Memories of Us

Maybe it's because I just spent a weekend with him and all my best friends near the Church where we got married.  Maybe it's because I'm inspired by Melissa and Jeny... but I'm feeling extra in love with and reminiscent about my husband and my marriage.

Eight and a half years ago a stranger checked into a retreat that I was helping to lead and he caught my eye right away.  Tall, thin, vaguely nerdy looking... exactly my type.  And he was coming to a Catholic Singles Retreat.  Definite bonus.  Here is a snippit of the beginning of our story that I started writing back when we first met.  This little story occurred a few weeks after the retreat we met on but before we went on our first date.  It was our first chance to really talk beyond the silly flirting we had been doing.

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Monday night rolled around and left the Daisy Girls with a night off from everything.  It had become a pseudo tradition at the Daisy House to just have Monday nights free.  It was the only night during the week when none of the three of us had anything pre-planned.  Mondays become a time of rest from our ministry and a time to just chill as roommates.  This particular Monday seemed a bit quiet.  I secretly wondered what Andrew did on Mondays. I knew he didn’t work. “Was he bored? Was he lonely?  I wish he would call,” I thought.

Tuesday was Mardis Gras.  The Daisy house had sent out emails inviting everyone over for weekly rosary followed by fattening desserts.  Kimmy was sleeping because she had a midnight shift and Lisa had to do something at school.  So I was stuck at the house by myself to watch American idol and make brownies for later.  Andrew called the house at about 6:15 and asked what was going on.  I told him he was welcome to come over early if he wanted.  No one but me was home, but he could help me make brownies. Nerves overcame me as I said this.

He got to the house at about 6:45.  He came prepared with a sack full of goodies and a big white apron for helping to cook the brownies.  I told him I was only making a boxed brownie mix, but it was totally cool if he wanted to help. Before he arrived I had been slightly worried that we wouldn’t have anything to talk about being alone by ourselves for the first time.  That didn’t happen at all.  I barely remember watching Idol we got so caught up in talking.  I learned more about his vegetarianism, and I learned that he watched movies on Monday nights.

He even mentioned that he had driven by the Daisy House on Monday night considering if he should invite us over to watch a movie.  I so wish he would have.  I would have gone in a second I think.  I was delighted to hear that he had thought about us when we weren’t around.  That was very exciting to me.

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Not long after that evening, Andrew called me to see if I wanted to go to a Shocker game with him.  I had no idea if it was a date or a friend thing, but the night before the date I made sure to clarify.  From the game night (and dinner) forward, we were basically inseparable.  One month after we met, we started dating.  Four months after we started dating, we were engaged.  Ten months after that we were married.  And now, eight years and three kids later, I'm even more in love with him than I was back then.  

So this post is dedicated to you, Andrew Christopher.  Thanks for walking into my life back then and being the best part of it ever since.  

May 7, 2006 - Our first full day as a married couple.