Three years ago today — I sent a txt message to a beautiful young woman.
The message read, “standby for a knock at your door.”
She didn’t get the message till 4 or 5 hours later and yet she hasn’t stopped getting my txt messages since.
Yup. 3 years ago today I met my wife for the very first time… (in person that is.)
Before our first face-to-face meeting, I had actually given up on Laurie.
We met online (yes maybe a shocker for some) and had corresponded via the website and email for a couple months before suddenly she “disappeared.”
During our original correspondence we discovered that our parents were both active in the same church and I had even stepped up and asked my parents what they knew about this “Laurie Turner” that I was getting to know.
Yet, after only a couple months, the correspondence stopped. I wasn’t sure if it was something I said, did or if she was simply busy with life, school and work. After several weeks of no communication, with no explanation, I assumed she had moved on and figured I should do the same.
But then as the month of July rolled around a familiar name popped up in my inbox. Laurie was back — and this time she was ready to meet. She asked me out (another shocker! :-)) and we planned our first date for July 8, 2006.
My plans for the evening were simple. Dinner at Blue Mesa and a trolley ride around Uptown. I thought the two events would give us a great relaxed way to get to know each other better — only I assumed those two alone would take up more of the evening than they did.
As the trolley ride came to an end, at 8:30 p.m., and we headed back to my truck, I was certain the evening was a failure.
I felt like I talked far too much and after my original ideas only lasted until 8:30 that evening, I was certain she’d think I had come unprepared.
I’ll always remember Cafe Brazil as my saving grace that night. With nothing else planned, we ended up going there for coffee and deserts to finish the evening. (I’m certain it was either Cafe Brazil or my fine rendition of Aladdin’s “A Whole New World” that saved the evening.)
Honestly, I don’t even remember what we talked about that night, but I remember feeling like Laurie started to let her guard down and really started opening up to me (like she had in her emails) over desert.
Of course that wasn’t the end of my worries. I also had that first date stress over hugging or kissing her good night, which was multiplied since at Cafe Brazil I realized I was getting quite a high fever and thought I might be coming down with a serious bug of some sort.
I like to say she gave me fever and in fact, had the song stuck in my head on my drive all the way back to Waxahachie.
And come to find out later.. she wasn’t a big fan of Blue Mesa and she had a strict one-date rule. If she wasn’t impressed on the first date “you’re done — you’re through” no more attention from her.
So it must have been Cafe Brazil or Aladdin that saved it for me, because we had our second date just a few days later and have never looked back.
Now after knowing her for three years its amazing to think about all the changes that have happened in our lives — and all for the better.
When I think of all the crazy things that she’s changed and done differently over the last 3 years and I still can’t believe it.
She started txt messaging (actually went from a 200 txt message plan, to a 1000 plan, to unlimited), moved to Waxahachie, then Red Oak (moving 30-45 miles from her family and friends), had a smelly guy move in with her (who wants to spend time with her and cuddle and kiss all the time — something she’s not always a huge fan of :-)), she changed churches, she started blogging, started a new hobby with photography (and knows far more than I ever will), she’s on Twitter! (woot!), she finished her bachelor’s degree, changed her plans to become a PA (I think), lost a lot of sleep (due to my snoring) and she did most of that, if not all of that for or because of ME.
I’m not trying to brag that “well I told her to do this or that.”
Folks who know her, know that Laurie doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to do. š
I’m just telling you this because its only a fraction of the many things shes done or sacrificed for ME. And right now I can’t think of one thing I’ve given up or sacrificed for her.
I want that to be different. I want her to know that nothing will come between us and that nothing is more important than her.
I love you dearly Laurie. Thanks for everything you’ve done and given me over the last three years. Every day I wake up knowing how lucky I am. I hope you know how I feel and how important you are to me and how much I love you.
You still give me fever…
