The Story of the First Date...

Matthew and I went on a date on Friday night. The plan was to go to Rotier's. Matthew has never been there, and I wanted for him to try it. Well, it was packed, like line out the door packed. It was raining. And, we couldn't find parking. So we drove around trying to find something else. We just couldn't decide or agree on the same thing. We tried Pink Sub Stop (one of my all time favorites), but it was closed. So Matthew got an idea, and didn't tell me.

We drove to Baja Burrito. I know that a lot of your are thinking, but that's the same thing as Blue Coast which is right around the corner from you. But I beg to differ. It is not. There's just something different about that original. Maybe it's my Lipscomb roots, but I can taste a difference every time. Better, I might add.

Anywho, we sat down to eat and Matthew said, "Hey, you remember what happened right outside?" And that's when it clicked.

Matthew and I had our first date at Baja 5 years ago today! (Well, maybe not today today, but Father's day today.) We had just flirted at camp and come home that Friday. We watched a movie, with Jamie, on Saturday. On Sunday, we almost sat beside each other in class.

It was actually pretty funny to relive these events from each other's perspectives. I don't know that we've talked about each detail before...

After class, Matthew got invited to spend Father's day with someone else. Matthew wasn't able to go home for the weekend, I guess because of camp. His only family in town, basically the only people he knew at the time, Brad and Mindy, were away for the weekend celebrating their 2 year Anniversary. But, he declined based on feeling awkward at someone else's family gathering. Somehow, sadly we can't remember this detail, we decided that if my Dad didn't want to do something, we'd hang out. My Dad was working really hard at this time and had mentioned celebrating Father's Day another day so he could just relax all Sunday. I hoped he would feel the same when I called to wish him Happy Father's Day after church. He did! (Thanks Daddy!)

So, Matthew met me at my townhouse, and we wen to Baja. We talked forever! A lot of deep things were discussed at this date. Including pasts. Who does that on a first date?! We saw each other ever day after this date for a few weeks. This led up to The Kiss and The Labeling Event. Pretty big, and funny, events in our relationship.

It all started at this little restaurant 5 years ago today! Pretty fabulous that we ended up there out of nowhere on the very weekend it occurred only 5 years previous. I'm still in shock about it really. We've been together for 5 years! I'm so thankful for this man and for our God who brought us together in a time when we both had sworn off relationships for a year. God took us from brokenness to wholeness. First, by ourselves during our dating, and then together with our marriage. A lot has changed over this time: Matthew, me, our families, our friends, our world. But one thing remains, our God's constant love and presence in our lives. So thankful for that. So thankful for this relationship and this man that I get to spend the rest of my life with.

Thank you to: Baja Burrito, Father's Day, Brad and Mindy for being away, Laurie Sain for the initial set up on the rocking chairs at camp, Daddy for wanting to relax and celebrate later, and of course, God for the plan.