I Must've Done Something Good: Part II- The Courtship

I know it's a little overzealous of me to think that people want to read a multi-part love story leading up the wedding when all you really probably want is some pictures of the day. Too bad. My blog, my way.

(But really, hang with me. I like you too much.)

We left off with my courtship escapades and brilliant first words as Luke's girlfriend: "It's about darn time."

Luke and I went on our first date two days later (if you don't count the E.R. date, which we don't necessarily when telling people about our first 'date-date'. It comes off as strange for some reason...?) After an Advent day-retreat we attended with our Newman friends, we went to Chick's on the Square in Macomb to grab some dinner. Luke had to switch places with me because the TV was in front of him and he couldn't concentrate on what I was saying (a switch that still happens regularly 2 1/2 years later). After this we went to Argyle State Park, where I, in the hopes of looking cute and casual, swung my feet off the side of the dock we were sitting on, and plunged them into the icy waters of the not-so-shallow frozen pond. Prince Charming dropped the ball on my castle-sized hints that my hands were getting cold and offered me a pair of cozy gloves to warm them up.

It is a wonder we are not still sitting on that dock.

Our first kiss was December 11th, after a Newman Christmas party. We stood outside for HOURS trying to get up the courage before he took me home. HOURS, people. We would just talk, and laugh, and talk, and look shyly at each other, maybe hug. I was in a dress and heels. He kept brushing our noses together, sort of testing out the waters. I thought it was cutesy at the time, but really, I should be thankful to him because otherwise I probably would have had frostbite.

I Love You's were exchanged February 24th, 2011 on the floor of the Newman chapel in front of the altar which had become our spot for good long talks and the like.

Luke went away for part of the summer for Airborne School on May 4th, my first taste of military life and too-long absences. I decided being apart from him for any period of time from there on out wasn't gonna fly (haha... Airborne...fly...) with me. I wanted this guy around. For a long time. So I did the only thing that made sense and didn't tell him.

August 26th was the day I finally admitted it. For some very forgettable reason we were getting into a bit of a tiff and the only reasonable thing I could say to explain why I was acting crazy was, "It's because I want to marry you, okay?!" He luckily had returned the sentiment for quite some time, and excused my abruptness for happily agreeing with me. We started making plans that same day.

In the summer of 2012 we were facing another summer apart for more Army training, this time twice as long as the last. On May 25th, two days before he had to leave, Luke got down on one knee on a corner of my family's farm after an elaborate plan that involved all of my family members and a favorite country song. He had caught me totally by surprise, and for as long as I live I will never forget the look on his face: joy, love, excitement, fear, and above all - the "I actually pulled this one off without you having the slightest" look. He had coordinated with my sister Steph to take pictures of it all. He even moved over mid-proposal for a more opportune angle, bless his heart.

He returned on July 17th, and after a month of only talking for short times on the phone, and then another month of writing nothing but letters back and forth, boy did it feel nice to be back in each other's arms. Little did I know, exactly a year from this day would also be the day we moved into our first home (ahem, 800 miles away. Another unknown detail at this time. Never mind that, you could have told me and I wouldn't have cared a wit at that moment.)

We were engaged for 14 months, which proved to be the happiest, most fun-filled, stressful, hilarious, hard, annoying, busy, awesome months of our courtship. I like to laugh at myself when I think of February 24th, 2011. I had no idea what kind of love I was getting myself into, nor did I think it would get so much better than that.

Luke thinks it's strange that I keep all these dates in my head. Maybe you think it's strange, too. But I, perhaps being overly romantic and a story-lover to boot, hope that one day they will be important to someone besides the two of us. Maybe I'll write our story down into a novel someday and make millions, or maybe it'll just be a compilation of favorite bed-time tales for our babies. But I hope one day, when my daughter asks me the question of how I knew her dad was the one, I'll be able to tell her it's because he was my first love and my last love, and I knew from the start that we had a story that would be worth retelling.

Next up: Part III and The Wedding Day!