Firsts

March 24, 2008: After a great deal of chatting on Knighthood (we think we met in Feb or early March but that happened in a group that has been deleted), I finally accept his friend request.

August 22, 2008: We meet in person for the first time in Oregon. Maybe I'll tell that story sometime. ;)

Hard to believe, but May 3, 2009 was the first time I can find him commenting on a post (we mostly talked in the Knighthood game and on MSN messenger or Skype).

No wall comments until May 13, 2009 when I link him to the "Jenga gun", ha!

November 28, 2009: Several days after the actual breakup with my ex, I finally declare myself single on Facebook and, well, you can see for yourselves. *smirk*

December 5, 2009: Andrew officially asks me to be his girlfriend.
February 6, 2010 is the first time I see him in person after we start dating.

March 19, 2010: The first "I love you" on Facebook. He said it first in text, on the phone, and in person (all of which were before Facebook btw).

September 29, 2010: He asks me to marry him and...
March 11, 2011: I do.

Such a funny little story we have. :D

Married!

My love and I have gone through a crazy journey, and all along we've done things our own unique way for sure. Now we're at it again...

A couple months back when I got back from my first visit to Jacksonville, my Dad jokingly asked if Andrew and I had just gone ahead and gotten married...we hadn't but that got us talking about the pros of getting legally married before he deployed, even though a big wedding had to wait til after.

I was a little resistant at first, would it take away from the wedding, would people understand? The fact that just being a fiancée gave me no legal status when it came to hearing about Andrew's condition really clinched my decision though. As a wife I would hear all the news, and if *I* got hurt they would potentially bring him home if he was overseas. We decided it was a good idea but that we were only going to tell immediate family for the time being.

This has become a problem because 1) this is crazy exciting and 2) I'm bad with secrets and 3) I started to forget why we were even keeping it quiet to begin with, so, now y'all know!

Andrew and I got married by the Onslow County, NC Magistrate on March 11th...we are still gonna have a big wedding later, but, yeah. :) We went down to the Register of Deeds, filled out our application and got our license, then grabbed another couple that was getting married (also a Marine) and went around the corner to the Magistrate's office to make it all official. The Magistrate also does...I guess it would be called Traffic Court in other places? So in line ahead of us was a gal reporting a stolen car, ha! It was...well, not the prettiest of buildings and offices. We had a ball with our secret little ceremony though, and afterwards enjoyed a meal at Golden Corral where we got stares since we were quite overdressed.



The Magistrate! Classy!



Ecstatic newlyweds outside the courts building



Rings :)

I absolutely could not be happier that I am married to my wonderful husband, and I can't wait to celebrate at the wedding and move to live with him!

Phone call with my love:

Buddy in the background: Hey! Is that Katie?
My love: Yes...
Buddy: Hey! Ask her if you died which one of us she would go for first!
Me: *chuckling* Who says I'd go for another Marine that could up and die on me? Tell him you've ruined me for all other men, I would just go lesbian.
My love: Sorry, she says I've ruined her for all other men, I tend to do that, can't help it!
Buddy: Awww...

I had alot of fun visiting my love and getting to meet people. That buddy of his is the one who warmed up to me the fastest, everyone else was pretty shy. He has accepted me enough to pick on me like a lil sister or one of the guys. Completely cracks me up. :)

By the way that one last Milano cookie I mentioned in the last post? I let my love eat it...now THAT is true love. ;)

Sustenance

Hotel mini-fridge inventory:

Two (2) slices Papa John's pepperoni pizza
Four (4) packets of Papa John's Special Garlic sauce
One (1) jalepeno
Five (5) eggs
One (1) navel orange
Two (2) Cadbury Creme Eggs
One (1) jug Arizona Sweet Tea (nearly empty)
One (1) jug cranberry juice
Two (2) liters 7-Up
One (1) half gallon 2% milk
One (1) small tub salted whipped light butter
One (1) small package cheddar cheese (nearly gone and mostly hard)
One (1) small tub cream cheese

Hotel shelf inventory:

Three (3) blueberry muffins
One (1) blueberry bagel
One (1) loaf wheat bread
One (1) packet maple & brown sugar instant oatmeal
One (1) Mint Milano cookie
One (1) jar honey
One (1) jar peanut butter
One (1) pound pretzels
One (1) box Honey Nut Cheerios
One (1) can butter toffee peanuts

I wonder if this indicates what Andrew's and my future home will be stocked with...

Questions I don't have answers for

Today was a day of me looking wide-eyed and blank at people asking me questions.

I went to my third wedding dress fitting (which is likely the last one) and after the gal got the straps draped and pinned and I got back out of the dress she asked if I was just in town for the day...

"Huh?"
"Well I was just wondering when you wanted to come back for pickup, I don't think I can get it ready today..."
"Oh, um, how soon could I come?"
"Whenever you want! I just have to sew those straps then you're all set."

Like, DONE done? Yeah, not prepared for that reality, I think actually having the dress hanging in my own closet is gonna mess with my mind.

We had a guest at the fitting, Patty Forte Linna, who is an artist my family knows and my parents ARE COMMISSIONING A PORTRAIT OF MY LOVE AND I FOR A WEDDING GIFT. How stinking amazing is that??

She had a million questions about poses and angles and framing and lighting and I swear I just went "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm......" for an hour straight. She took a bunch of reference photos and gushed over my dress and me as befits her warm, larger than life personality. I have the assignment of getting reference pictures of my love when I go to see him next week. Wait til he hears that he has to get into his blues just for a photo op...