Wednesday, July 21, 2010

how The Hubby and I met

The Hubby and I are celebrating our anniversary today.
We've been married 20 years.
In honor of our anniversary, I thought it might be fun to tell you the story of how we met.
Plus, I'm not a real mushy person (meaning no love poems here).
This seems more my style.

Our story begins the fall of my junior year in high school. That was the year my sister, Alex, left our home in Holland, Michigan and to move in with my dad and step mom in Kalamazoo (about an hour away).

One Friday evening I arrived in Kalamazoo for a regular weekend visit. My step mom was busy making dinner and asked if I could go pick up Alex. She told me Alex was over at Matt's house.

Matt was Alex's new boyfriend who I had never met.
I didn't bother writing down the directions or his address. It seemed pretty simple and figured I could remember.

I pulled into Matt's driveway. The garage door was open so I walked into the garage and knocked on the back door.
I waited a minute or so and then I knocked again, a little harder this time. I could hear music blaring on the other side of the door and I figured they must not be able to hear me. After another minute and still no answer, I knocked again, a little louder this time. Waited some more, no answer, so I banged my fist on the door as loud as I could.

Before I can finish knocking the door flies open and simultaneously the guy opening it yells impatiently "WHAT?!!!"

Oh, this is where I should mention that he is soaking wet with nothing but a hand towel clutched around his waist.

For a very long second I'm standing there, my fist still in the knocking position. The only thing that moved was my jaw dropping open.
I quickly put my arm down (and close my mouth) and try to remember what I'm there for.

I blush, stammer a couple incoherent words and then ask if Matt is home.

Naked Hand Towel Guy is blushing too.

All over I notice.

Naked Hand Towel Hot Guy tells me I have the wrong house. That Matt lives across the street and a couple houses down.

Now I'm feeling really stupid.

Naked Hand Towel Hot Guy With Really Nice Legs must be able to tell how uncomfortable I am.

He starts rambling.
He tells me how he is good friends with Matt.
How he thought the knocking was Matt messing with him.

I start rambling too.

Telling him who I am.
That my sister is dating Matt.
Where I'm from.
My social security number.

Naked Hand Towel Hot Guy With Really Nice Legs And The Most Beautiful Eyes I've Ever Seen makes some more small talk and then points me in the direction of Matt's house.

And I leave.

A little dazed and confused.

We ended up running into each other again later that night.

It turns out Naked Hand Towel Hot Guy With Really Nice Legs And The Most Beautiful Eyes I've Ever Seen Plus Really Great Hair has a girlfriend.

She must have heard the story of our meeting.

I was guessing by the way she glared at me.

But that didn't stop Future Hubby* and I from becoming friends.

*I will call him this now because if I continued to add all the other adjectives for his appealing characteristics as I got to know him better to "Naked Hand Towel Guy"...well, we could be here forever.

And he turned out to be a wonderful friend.

Over the next couple of years we had a lot of fun hanging out. He was always there to make sure I was doing okay.

He showed up at the hospital when Nae was born and I was all alone.

If I heard a motorcycle pull up outside the little apartment Nae and I lived in, I knew it was him stopping by to see how we were doing.

he sold this to pay for my engagement ring. that's when I figured out he must really like me

When my sister, Alex passed away he listened to all the endless talk I did about her and comforted me when I cried.

We started dating not long after that. It only took 3 years after that awkward meeting in his garage.

Hubby says he can still remember what I was wearing that day (he IS the ultimate "detail guy").

And for once, I can say the same.

It was a towel.

A green one.

Or maybe it was blue?

11 comments:

Brian Miller said...

happy anniversary! i love hearing peoples stories!!! smiles.

Travis said...

Happy anniversary.

*insert wittiness here*

Out of all the blogs I follow, yours probably gets read the most frequently. That is my anniversary gift to you.

Slap your husband on the ass for me.

McGillicutty said...

WOAH... I love meeting naked guys with a towel and gorgeous eyes!!! They never marry me though.
Love, love, love this story!! <3

Gaia said...

Love your story ♡ Happy anniversary!

Kelly Polizzi said...

wow, 20 years - congrats! Love the story, you tell them so great haha. Friends make the best hubby's don't they? That's how me and mine started out. And it's so nice to see how God's plans were played out in our lives. If you had only have got the door right and avoided that awkward introduction maybe, you never would have met! So romantic. Love the pics, hope you guys enjoy your special day!

Sheri said...

oh tori, the story is awesome...one of those 'this could never happen' kind of awesome!! i can't wait to heart the rest of the story!! hope you guys enjoy a wonderful day, even though it's about over as i speak.
i don't think i had any idea that you had gone through your parent's divorce, your sister death?, and having a child with no mention of a husband or her father. looks like i'm hooked and will be here for some time to come until i can get the 'rest of the story'.
much love tori :)
sheri

Liz Mays said...

You were so meant to be. That's just the best story. What a fluke that you met him.

Happy Anniversary!

I Love Pretty Little Things said...

Oh Tori! I love your story!!! How wonderful to marry someone who has already proven to be a good and loyal friend!

The "How we met" story is one of the most unusual I have ever heard, and one of the cutest!

Congratulations on 20 years of marriage. Every year that I celebrate in my marriage is proof of God's grace!

Here's to many, many more decades for you and "Hubs"

Joyce

Pam said...

Happy Anniversary! What a great story. Best "how I met my spouse story I've ever heard".

And like one of your other commenters, I didn't know that you had a sister that died. I'm so sorry to hear that. I can only imagine how difficult that must be.

Kimi said...

That is a fantastic story! Honestly how could you not fall in love with and marry 'Naked Hand Towel Guy'. I LOVE IT!!

Sewn With Grace said...

I'm late wishing you a happy anniversary and to tell you that this is the best story of a couple meeting that I have ever heard in my entire life! I think I'm gonna go smack Paul in the head for not having as good a story as that! :)