Once Chris finally worked up the nerve (you guys, it took him FOREVERRRRR), he asked me to be his girlfriend and we officially started dating. We both got haircuts, we decided it was best if only one of us wore earrings, and we started making memories together. Slowly, over time, what started as a friendship grew into a relationship. That relationship grew until we both realized we had found the last person we would ever date. I sat down to write this post with the intent of sharing the moment when I knew that Chris was “the one”, but it quickly became clear that it was the sum of a LOT of little moments over the course of our four years of dating that made me recognize he was the right one for me. Here’s a little peek into how I knew.
1. He Was My Constant Protector
I don’t know about you guys, but it’s safe to say I don’t do well with being alone. Not that I needed to be in a relationship all the time, but more in the way that if I am alone in my house, especially after dark, I have watched enough crime shows to know I am probably never going to make it out of that house alive. I remember vividly a time where my college roommates had finished exams and gone home for Christmas break, leaving me home alone for several days to study for my remaining finals. I was in my room studying when I began hearing a commotion in my kitchen – it sounded like someone was knocking things off the counters and clanging pots and pans… so I did the only thing there was to do. I locked my door, tried to convince myself it was probably nothing, officially freaked out, cried, and eventually called my boyfriend and told him I needed him to come over and take care of this intruder. He only lived a few blocks away and arrived a couple minutes later, at which point it occurred to me for the first time that I was going to have to leave my room to head downstairs and let him inside (cue more crying). I gathered myself, put my track skills to good use to sprint to the door, and let him inside only to find that his weapon of choice was a TINY MAGLITE. You guys… he brought a flashlight. He had great plans to clock this (obviously) large man in my kitchen while holding this flashlight and assured me it could do a lot of damage. (Or, perhaps he didn’t actually believe there was going to be a man in my kitchen. We’ll never know.). Either way, he bravely checked the place for me only to find that the large man was really a sad little bird that had entered my apartment through the vents. What ensued was a hilarious chase, a heroic bird capture and release, and a lot of cleaning after a terrified bird pooped all over my house. In the end, although I’ll never live down the bird story, he was there for me when I needed him, keeping me safe.
2. He Ate The Brownie Edges
This is pretty self explanatory. I needed a man who was okay with consuming crunchy brownies and letting his lady eat the middle brownies with no crust. I found this man in Chris.
3. He Was an Incredible Dad
How did I know this while we were dating? We tested his dad skills on a puppy. Suffice it to say that, in addition to letting me name our six pound Yorkie Moose, he was completely in love with her tiny little self and proved his dad skills long before we had any “real” children.
4. We Survived Several Road Trips Together
Being in a car with someone for long periods of time can really test a relationship. From being teammates on buses and planes headed to races all over the country to driving everywhere from Gatlinburg to Florida for short getaways, we actually ENJOYED being in a confined space together for long periods of time.
5. I Was Proud of Him
I loved telling the world he was mine (even when he had the long hair and the earrings). He has always been such a GOOD MAN, he was always making everyone laugh, he loves Jesus, and I honestly just had a blast when I was with him. Now that we have been together over 12 years, it’s safe to say I still feel pretty lucky to call him mine.
