A Fall Love Story

I seriously love Fall weather. I love packing up the swimsuits and shorts and bringing out the sweaters and boots and scarfs. I love watching football. I love the way the trees change. But there is another reason I love fall that most people don't know about.

I love Fall because it reminds me of the time in my life when I fell in love with my husband. Cheesy? You bet. But it's true. Patrick and I met through some mutual friends at the Newman Center at Pittsburg State University where we both went to school at that time. I remember the first time I saw him. I went to an apologetics class that the Chaplain of the Newman Center held every Monday night. I was a freshman from Texas that had just moved to Kansas and didn't know a soul. I can't tell you what we were talking about at Apologetics but I remember where he was sitting and that I thought he was cute even though he had a bull cut (which he continues to deny even though there are pictures from that year to prove it).

We didn't even talk that night and he doesn't remember it at all. We didn't even become friends until the very end of that school year when our little group formed. Katie, Josh, Steven, Patrick and I all became friends and the 5 of us started spending a lot of time together. Patrick and I went on a date and for about a week we spent just about every day after our college classes together. I had to go back to Texas for the summer so even though we liked each other I pretty much decided to put all that on hold. We were such good friends... why mess that up?

So what did I do? I ignored him. ALL. SUMMER. LONG.

And then Fall came....

Patrick and I are the two on the right

I remember so many details of that Fall... like being really nervous to sit next to him in the photo above.  It was actually on this night that I told my friend Katie that I liked him and she basically told me to chill out and take it slow ha ha. Pretty good advice since I was a big jerk and ignored him the past few months. Looking back, I really wish I hadn't been so ridiculous but hindsight is 20/20, right!?! Also, we had just planned for Katie and her boyfriend Steven (now her husband!) and Patrick and I (who were supposed to just be friends) to go back to my home in Texas for Fall Break which was a month after that. I didn't want that to be awkward.

Patrick and I in the front, Steven and Katie in the back -in Texas

Well... I decided to not chill out and so we started dating. I just FYI I really hate the term "dating." But courting sounds too formal. Anyways, I was certain at that time that I had never in my life been that happy. Patrick was the most incredible guy I had ever met and it wasn't long before I was starting to imagine a future with him. I was impressed with how easy it was for me to talk to him. He made me laugh A LOT! We went to church together, prayed together, danced, went on walks... it was perfect.

My best friend and I fell in love. I love him more now than I ever have. We have been through some difficult things in the past 4 years and have seen each others' true colors. We know each others' little quirks and what to do to absolutely annoy the living hell out of each other. I cannot imagine my life without him. I love Fall because those feeling of first falling in love come back. So this Fall just like every other one for the past few years, I will remember how our love story started and thank God for bringing Patrick into my life!

Happy Fall Ya'll!