Saturday, May 30, 2009

How I Met Your Father: Graduation of Love


A senior picture

Eleven years ago, on the day after my high school graduation, I woke up in my back yard. As I opened my eyes I realized I was staring at a tent ceiling. I remember smelling the morning dew on the grass out side. I could feel the humidity in the air. I slowly began to recall the events of the previous night which had changed my life forever. I was smiling an invincible smile that is plastered on my face and in my heart even to this very day. Yes, I had graduated, but more importantly, your father had finally made a move.

Before I go any further, I must warn you-- this post is rated PC (Pretty Corny) due to cheesy romantic situations, things Fergie said, things I was thinking and incidental kissing references. So if any of this will bother you, stop reading now. Pretty sure everyone wants to keep reading, right? Okay, continuing on...

I had decided that rather than attend my actual class graduation party in a pasture somewhere, I would host my own. I was really close with a lot of people younger than myself and wanted to have a somewhat tame party (no booze). The plan was just to hang out all night in my parents' backyard down by the lake. I know, sounds like a blast. Well, it was.

I am almost ashamed to admit that after the anti-climactic ending to Prom, I was beginning to lose faith in my plan to make your father love me. I had kind of backed off some of the stalker-ish tactics I had previously used and decided to just let nature take its course. Well, apparently the new plan had worked because on this very night, Fergie "the boy" somehow morphed into Fergie "THE MAN."

As soon as graduation was over we all headed to the house. I was standing in the kitchen talking to my mom and some of the girls when it happened. Your father walked up and put his arm around me! Now, it was around the shoulder mind you but hey, it was contact! I was thinking, What the heck? and then, it hit me--How cute... He's gettin' his mack on! He was talking to me about graduating, something along the lines of "you did it... congrats... etc." The simple fact that he was speaking multiple sentences to me should have been baffling in and of itself, but all I can really remember thinking about in that moment is his smile. That is one awesome smile. I'm not talking about the smile he conjures up for family pictures nowadays (yikes!). I'm talking about the genuine, grinning from ear to ear, melt my heart, dimple adorned, Fergie smile. He was flashing it right in my face and I was IN LOVE.

The night progressed and fun was had by all. We had moved the party from the kitchen to the dock when God designated an amphibian to help further my cause. I was barefoot, in the grass, in the dark and I was headed toward the dock where your father was sitting. I was a couple of steps away from him when the divine intervention occurred. I stepped on a frog. As you can imagine, I jumped a mile in the air, screaming at the top of my lungs and where do you suppose I landed? (Cue the Barry White) Yes, indeed I fell right into the lap of your father and let me tell you, neither one of us was moving. With this serendipitous landing, the flirting began. Now, I am not one to kiss and tell but if I was, I would have to let you know that eventually, your father did end up kissing me. A few times. We actually had to have a mediator in order for this to finally happen, but I can't go into that right now...

The bottom line is that in one of the wee hours of the morning on May 16, 1998, I fell asleep under the stars, with filthy-frog feet, in a hunting tent, along side 10 of my closest friends, and one of them was your father. This may seem a little strange, but it was just as perfect a night as there ever was. It was so "us." If I could go back and relive any day of my entire life, this would be the one. It was the night my happily-ever-after began.

To be continued...

Read Part 5

7 comments:

  1. Soooo cute!!! I am loving the stories!

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  2. I just LOVE this series! I also LOVE that senior picture of you. I still have it somewhere. I remember coming to your graduation and you telling me beforehand all about Justin and where he would be during graduation so I could scope him out. I remember getting there and seeing you from a distance and you actually pointing him out to me. lol! You had it bad! LOVE it!

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  3. How fun! Much better than the story I would have with Emma and Brynlee's dad.

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  4. I love details! Filthy frog feet and all! :)

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  5. I love hearing all about you and Justin back then! I have always known you as that cute young girl in Jr. High and in cheer camps....and then skipped to knowing you as being a grown adult with me. I didn't know yall well back then! What sweet stories!!!! Nothing like the BAR SCENE from where my happy ever after story began!!! LOL!

    Love ya girl!!!!

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  6. Yeah, I'm loving these posts, too! The precious details! I can truly appreciate each one. As a mom, it touches your own heart in a very special way to watch your child "morph" into a young adult and fall in love!

    Love!!

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  7. Keelie this is precious, absolutely precious! What a treasure for your children to read this someday and what a joy for your hubby to see how much you love him. What a blessing you are to him. God will honor you for honoring your hubby ;)

    ~Branda

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