the boy.

Sorry for my lack of posting. Cadence was sick last week and over the weekend, along with getting prepared for New York (which is in 2 days!), the blog has been the last thing on my mind.

Today I wanted to share with you how mine and Tarl's story began...

It was June 2002. I had been dating a guy who treated me like tee total shit. Sorry for the language, but there really isn't any other way to put it. There is no need to go into details, but let's just say that looking back, I wanted to kick him in the balls for the way he treated me and slap myself in the face for being such a fool staying with him. #YouLiveYouLearn

It was a random week day and I was visiting with my sister at her home in a super tiny town that they live in. We were in deep conversation about my love life, or lack of love and more of a demanding guy who is heartless, when she mentioned 'the boy next door'. Mind you throughout the years when I visited my sister there was always this really cute boy riding his four wheeler in the next yard over. I always looked but that was about it and I never thought anything else of it. 

Come to find out that was his grandparents home and for the next few weeks while laying out in the summer sun in my sisters backyard I would always keep an eye out for cutie patootie and his 4-wheeler, unfortunately I never did see him. 

A couple weekends later, my sister called me, with an ecstatic voice and said, "so Billy (her husband, my brother-in-law) was out cutting the grass, and cute 4-wheeler boy was visiting his grandparents and out riding his 4-wheeler. Billy stopped him, asked if he was dating someone and he said yes.". I immediately interrupted Angela asking her why she was so happy if he had a girlfriend. She then told me that a couple days before she had Billy keep a few pictures in his wallet. Their children, Angela and me. That way if he ever saw cutie patootie, he could say, here's my sister-in-law, she's semi-single and ready to mingle. That's when Angela told me the rest of the story. 

She said Billy looked at cutie patootie, let's call him, Tarl, and said well that's a bummer, here's my sister-in-law (Billy pulled out the picture). She was looking to hang out with someone this summer. Tarl looked at Billy, grabbed a piece of paper, and wrote his number on it. He said, "tell her to call me.". I was ecstatic over the phone. A true 15 year old girl screaming with excitement. To think he had a girlfriend and still wanted my number. 

Then my mind got to thinking. Well if he has a girlfriend and wants my number, surely he's a terrible guy. But then how bad am I if I have a boyfriend (even if he's a douche) and am getting another guys number. Alas, I let my devil sided shoulder get the best of me and said the hell with it, at least I'll make a new friend. I knew without a doubt though that if it ever went anywhere more then just a friendship, I would demand he break up with his significant other first, as would I.

Fast forward to two weeks later. We've only talked on the phone, twice. So.Awkward.

He was set to come out to Angela's that day. When he showed up, we sat on the tailgate of his dads truck and talked for hours. I asked him about said girlfriend, he said that they had just broken up the week before. I told him about douchebag, and that we were over as well because I knew I deserved better. 

Countless phone calls, meet ups and shared smiles later we were smitten with one another. I've been with cute 4-wheeler boy ever since. Now, here we are. Twelve years later, with a mortgage, car payments, one super special little girl and still crazy about one another. 

That my friends is true love. 

Mushy? Maybe. True? Absolutely!

Wanna know something else?

A month before Tarl and I met, my mom had enrolled me in a new school. While she was signing off on the last minute paperwork at the school, I decided to go and watch the baseball practice that was going on at the time. While sitting on the bleachers, this gorgeous guy walked up to the sidelines, bent down to pick up his bat that was lying on the ground, looked up at me, smiled and walked away. I freaking melted!

That guy was Tarl. We still talk about that day. 

We also found out after months of dating, that his granddaddy and my daddy were very good friends back in the day. They used to hang out every weekend, grill and spend time with each other and their families. What a small world we live in!

Senior Prom!

Love this man. 

Love that God chose him for me.

Love that even after all these years he still gives me butterflies.

xo