nostalgic things (it's been six years since Aaron and I started dating?!)

Around this time of year, right before my birthday, I get a little nostalgic. Several years ago (it's really, really weird that I can now classify it as "several years...") around this time was when something started brewing between Aaron and myself.

If I stop to think about it, a lot of those fluttery feelings come rushing back. Aaron and I went from being what I would barely classify as friends to being in a relationship pretty quickly. I was reading through an old blog post I wrote about the beginning of our relationship. Because it's been five years since I wrote this stuff, I'm going to be lazy and assume most people haven't read it or forgot about it. And therefore, I can post some of it again without actually having to re-write what I'm wanting to say today...

Let's travel back then, to 2008. I was a Junior in college, 20, almost 21. Aaron had just been hired full-time at Journey, although he had been leading the kid's ministry for two years while working other full-time jobs. I helped in Journey Preschool and we happened to be in the same small group of which he was the leader. Other than those two things, we had no communication...

The first time the idea to “date Aaron” came in my head was July 3, 2008.  It was not my idea at all.  It was actually my mother’s.  And I quickly put an end to it.

I had surgery that day [to have my thyroid removed].  Aaron and his mom came to visit my family while I was with the surgeon.  They brought me flowers and an awkward stuffed turtle.

But I didn’t get to see them because I was having my neck cut open (sorry if that’s too much information). When I woke up in the afternoon, Aaron came back without his mom.  He sat with me and my family for awhile.  When he left, my mom made a big deal about how he came twice.  “Maybe he likes you!”

I believe I rolled my eyes and thought, “Whatever mom.  We are just friends (barely).  He is too…I don’t know.  We would never go together.”

And that was the end of that.

But, now the idea was there.  I didn’t want to entertain it, but it wouldn’t go away.  So there it was.  Now, I couldn’t quite look at him the same.  And, after all, I couldn’t deny how nice it was for him to come see me in the hospital.  Twice!  And I will admit that Awkward Turtle has slept with me ever since…

So, that was what I consider the very beginning.

In August of [2008], everyone at Journey was busy getting ready to launch Journey’s Northwest campus.  Plus, my small group was busy painting at Journey Northeast.  I remember offering to help Aaron.  A lot.  The more time I spent with him, the more addicted I was.  I just loved being with him.

We spent a day in August painting together.  We spent a day shopping for supplies for Northwest.  I loved one-on-one time with him.  Every once in awhile, a feeling of “I think I might like him…” would creep up, but I would try to ignore it.  We were just friends.  He would never date me.

At the end of August there was a wedding shower for [our friends] Alex and Valerie.  I think a lot of people thought something was going on between us then.  But there wasn’t.  We just happened to be the only single people [at the shower].  So we hung out.  That started some rumors.  I really didn’t mind them though.

[After we spent a day together in September running errands for Journey]....  I couldn’t help it anymore.  I was smitten with him.  I wanted to be with him.  I knew I would be good for him even if he didn’t know it.  I don’t know how I knew that.  But I did.  I couldn’t lie to myself anymore, even if I kept lying to my mom and everyone else.  I did like him.  A lot.

[For his birthday on October 13th], he invited some of us from small group to go out to dinner at 518 West to celebrate.  I sat across from him at the table.  Other people were there, but I was only interested in Aaron.  

I remember just a few of us being left at the restaurant at the end of the night.  I went and sat next to Aaron and monopolized his attention.  (On purpose.  But he gave it to me, so it wasn’t all my fault.)  I reminded him I would be 21 soon.  He promised we would celebrate.

My birthday [that year] was actually [on a Wednesday], and WCA Homecoming/Halloween was on Friday.  On Tuesday evening, I had a class at Campbell.  When I got out, I had a text message from Aaron:  “Enjoy your last day being 20.”

I don’t remember what I texted back to him, but later that night I made up some excuse to call him.  I can’t remember what it was, but I didn’t feel like I could call just because I wanted to talk to him.  We talked on the phone for awhile, and I asked him if he was coming to Homecoming on Friday.  He said he was, and he asked me the same question.  If he was going, I was definitely going.  I told him I would be there.

Somewhat cleverly, I asked, “So, are you still interested in celebrating my birthday with me? Maybe we could do something after Homecoming…”

I held my breath, not believing that I just said that.

He agreed.  Now I was smiling and I couldn’t stop.  After we hung up, I tried to stop my wild imagination.  This was not a date.  It was a mutual, friendly decision to hang out.  As friends.  He was not picking me up.  I would pay for myself.  We were just hanging out.

Well, I'll stop there with the flashbacks. We did hang out on Halloween at Homecoming and went out afterwards (although it ended up being not just the two of us, which actually worked out for the best). The rest, as they say, is history. Aaron "officially" asked me to date him on November 2, 2008. By the end of December, we were inseparable. In the spring, we were already talking about getting married. And in August, just 10 months after it had all started, we were engaged.

It was quite a whirlwind romance, indeed, and we never have looked back!

I sometimes wish I could talk to my 20-year-old self right around the middle of October and say, "Hey. That Aaron guy that seems to creep into your every thought recently...well, get ready. You have no idea how much fun is in store over the next few years."

But, of course, where is the fun in that for 20-year-old me?

Back in the beginning...