Priscilla Baierlein Photography

Today, internet world, I received the best Valentine’s Day gift ever. Some of you probably don’t know, but my wonderful husband is quite the talented writer. One of the things that caused me to fall in love with him was reading his beautiful short stories. Everytime I read his writing, I fall deeper. He hasn’t creatively written in a while. Just the fun history papers about Russia for his most recent masters class. When we talk about it he says it’s because he’s happy. Apparently most stories have to have conflict I’ve always wanted him to write a story about us. I didn’t ever push it, but I would mention it sometimes when we would talk about his writing. So, today, I receive an email saying my gift isn’t finished, but he wanted me to know what it was. I instantly started crying when I saw an attachement that read “Our Story”. I was instantly brought back to the first day we met, which was also the first day Bret said he loved me. Of course, he was just flirting then, but little did he know that a few short months later he would be in love with me and I with him. It wasn’t love at first sight. I had a boyfriend at the time and saw Bret as a funny coworker. That all changed the first time we had a conversation. I have loved him ever sense. When we finally started “talking”, we had many long conversations and I fell deeper with each. I had been hurt many times and didn’t fully trust myself. I knew that it felt like I was falling, but refused to say anything. I was so shocked when Bret was the first one to say it after we had only been dating for a couple weeks. He said he was so scared because normally he doesn’t feel like this so soon, but that maybe this was what he had been waiting for. Maybe this was the bells and whistles. Then he said he was falling in love with me. I didn’t say anything right away, I was soaking it all in. A few short minutes later he said he was in love with me. My life hasn’t been the same since. Everything hasn’t been perfect. We have had our bumps, our fights, our challenges. We are, after all, man and woman. We may never fully understand each other. We are opposites in so many ways. I believe in fairy tales and soul mates, he believes in choices. I am more quiet and HATE speaking to groups, he is loud and is as brilliant a speaker as he is writer. I am all over the place with everything and he is a little OCD. As opposite as we are, we are also more alike than most know. We have the same goals and desires in life. We both love being at home and enjoy having a small group of best friends, but a large group of good friends. As much as we both love to be home, we also love to go out with that group of good friends occasionally and entertaining when we can. With all of our opposites, we compliment each other and are…perfect…in an imperfect way. Neither of us could ever be with someone just like ourselves. That just wouldn’t work. We are just the perfect amount of opposite. As unromantic and anti-fairytale as “choices” may sound, it is actually very romantic. He chooses to love me every day. I am the lucky lady who he has chosen to love, laugh, fight, cry, struggle, dance, cuddle…and just live life with. He is the lucky man who my fairytale has chosen. See, through the years, my definition of fairytale may have changed, but my belief in them never has. Most fairytales, the best ones, aren’t the ones you would often read to children, but the ones that are like life, you know…the perfectly imperfect ones. It is our fairytale, with the anti-fairytale  prince and the princess with the wrinkles instead of the perfect skin, the frizzy hair, the sweat pants, and hair in a ponytail constantly.

Now…that I’ve rambled on and on, here’s a little storyboard for you. One of my all time favorite memories Bret and I have together was back when we lived in our apartment. It was the first snow we had in the apartment and I’ve always loved snow (when I don’t have to drive in it) and Bret hates it But he has always loved my child-like excitement over little things like snow, rainbows, and lightning bugs. So, when I had the bright idea to bundle up and walk a block away, at night, in the fresh snow, to our friends house, he happily went along with me. A couple weeks ago, when he had a snow day, we decided to relive a very fond memory and bundle up and take a walk to McDonalds and Red Box to eat and rent a movie. Although it wasn’t at night, and it was much colder than I remember it being that first time, it has quickly been filed into my “favorite memories” drawer. It was perfect. Definitely my favorite McDonalds trip ever. We sat and talked for over an hour about everything. Dear internet world…my heart is happy and my heart is full.

And for all of you…heres my Happy Valentines! Thank you and hope your heart is full today.