Here we are with my sisters - from left to right is Ty, Christen, me, and Anna!
Here we are with our faces painted. Can you tell Ty loved ninja turtles?
As we grew up, I always knew of Ty & his family and we would often visit their house when we were in town (we lived in Atlanta, they lived in Birmingham).
I vividly remember once in middle school when dad brought me & my cousin Karlie over to his house & Ty wouldn't speak to us (but we thought he was SO CUTE!!!) so we played with his sister Casey instead.
Ty graduated high school in 2004 & went to Shelton State (in Tuscaloosa) & When I got to college at Alabama, dad would often say "why don't you go find Ty's house? He lives somewhere by you!"
Um, no thanks Dad.
He even drove me around one time and said "hey I think that's his house, let's go knock on the door!" My response was something like "dad drive away now or I'm jumping out of the car and running home!"
Anyways, fast forward to my junior year Thanksgiving break (2007). Ty was home after getting drafted by the White Sox. He was home that fall waiting for Spring Training in February/March. He was also healing from shoulder surgery and doing rehab in Birmingham.
Alabama & Auburn always play the Saturday after Thanksgiving and it was in Auburn that year. We celebrated Thanksgiving Thursday in Birmingham and then were going to drive to Auburn that Friday. Well, we (mom, dad, Anna, and me) start driving and me & Anna quickly realize dad isn't going the way we go to Auburn. He shares with us that we are going to "stop by" the Latham's house & Anna & I have a fit! Visits with the Lathams are never quick. We were so ill because we just wanted to get down to Auburn for the iron bowl!!!
I had my hair up & stupid clothes on and I walk in the Latham's house and there is Ty standing in the kitchen. He was SO handsome!
We didn't speak to each other the whole time I was there but my sister Anna totally talked to him the whole time and I was so jealous!
Come to find out (years later), Ty was supposed to go meet up with one of his buddies that night but texted him saying some "hot girls" were at his house. HA!!!!
My parents invited the Latham's to come to Auburn to tailgate with us for the iron bowl and they did! Again, Anna did all the talking and I watched in jealousy. ;)
A few weeks later I had a date night and was bringing my best guy friend. Before the party, I was sitting at home (in Tuscaloosa) with my roommates & a number I didn't know called. I ignored it & they called back so my roommates said just answer it! I did and it was Ty! He was coming to Tuscaloosa for the night and wanted to hang out. My first thought was how the heck did he get my number (our dads are sneaky matchmakers) and my second thought was oh crap I have a date night tonight!
Luckily my friend I was taking totally understood and we had fun for a little bit and then he took me home so Ty could come by! :) That night we watched baseball and hung out on the couch.
He came to Tuscaloosa one more time before leaving for Spring Training and I successfully got his truck towed and he had to use his Christmas money to pay to get his car back. #futuregirlfriendfail
Once he left for Arizona in February, we talked on the phone and through texts regularly but we "weren't dating". I actually went through a little rebellious stage and was "talking to" a guy from Maryland (yes, crazy I'm aware...that would never work!!!). I was actually in Tennessee at that boy's house (he went to school at ETSU) when Ty texted me telling me he got released and was coming home & going to BAMA in the fall. Uhhhhh....crickets.
Funny fact - my parents kept telling me Ty would never talk to me again if he knew I had been talking to this Maryland boy. I kept saying oh he won't find out, he doesn't have Facebook! Ha! A few years later I found out he totally knew (I didn't think about the fact that his friends had a facebook!). I am very thankful he still gave me chance!!! We joke about that all the time now.
Clearly me and the boy from Maryland didn't work out. When Ty moved to Tuscaloosa that fall (2008), the rest is history!
Here we are before one of my sorority's cocktail parties. This was our first picture together!! (Well, as adults!)
Before formal in November 2008! Heyyyy babies!
It took him quite a while to kiss me. I was quite mortified over it because I had never worked so hard for a first kiss! My girlfriends and I spent hours that fall analyzing why he hadn't kissed me!
New Years Eve 2008. (well, going into 2009!) This was right before he FINALLY kissed me at midnight - with fireworks. :)
A year and a month after we first "re-met", and 4 months after we had really started dating.
I waited a long time for that kiss!!
He says he wanted to wait until he knew we were something special to kiss me because he was so nervous about our parents being friends. He didn't want to screw anything up!
And then, we dated....
(My graduation trip to Boston - May 2009)
And dated...
(Pumpkin Patch -October 2010)
And dated....
(One of my bestie's wedding - July 2011)
And dated....
(Another one of my bestie's wedding - Boston, January 2012)
And dated....
(Gatlinburg Trip - December 2012)
And dated....
(Summer of 2013 at the lake)
And dated...
And then, on December 23, 2013....
This FINALLY happened.
I wrote our entire engagament story on the blog but the short version is this - I was so busy that he tried to propose for DAYS. He had to do it during daylight because Emma (our dog) was helping him. That day, I had been to the hospital visiting a friend, then drove my cousin around town to run errands because she couldn't drive (she had just had surgery). I got to his parents house hours after I said I was going to & then spilled coffee on myself. I was ill, it was freezing & he insisted on taking Emma for a walk to the "mall" (a grassy area in town) to run around. After making me feel bad, I went but almost didn't get out of the car. I finally did and instead of fetching her bumper, Emma fetched a basket. I was so clueless (And still mad. And cold) & didn't realize what was happening until I saw the ring box in the basket when Emma got closer. He dropped down on one knee and proposed with a whistle in his mouth (hahaha)! It was perfect! I get to drive by that spot almost weekly and love to think of that perfect day. I waited a LONG time for it.
(Engagement Pictures - January 2014)
A little less than 7 months later, we said "I do" on a farm with the river in front of us and a barn behind us.
July 19,2014
We spent a week in The Keys on our honeymoon & have settled into everyday life since.
And that's our story! Or just the beginning ;)
I love how much history our story has! It's so fun to meet our parents' high school friends that don't know we are married. They always think it is SO cool! Which it is. :)
Go link up with Andrea at www.momfessionals.com!!!! Would love to read everyone's love stories!
