I was happy and sad at Justin's graduation. It's hard to see him all grown up. In my mind, he is still a baby. I love him.
The excitement of the graduates was contagious!! It was a HUGE night for them. Congratulations MHHS Class of 2010!
You are beautiful. I love you.
Ahhhh I love summer.
I know I do posts about this a lot. But, seriously, yesterday was one of those days.
One of those days where you are completely caught off guard by the beauty of it.
It was Monday so I had no expectations for a great day. A lazy day, perhaps, but not a beautiful, wonderful day.
Chase only worked a half day so I ran over to Mercy and signed my employment papers (YAY!!) and ran some errands. He met me at the apartment around 1 pm and we ate lunch together at home.
And then he says " let's go to Bed Bath and Beyond.".... Say what?!?!
I LOVVVEE that place. We jumped in our new ride and headed.. not to Bed Bath and Beyond but to BRAUMS!!!! He bought me my favorite double dip hot fudge sundae.
We then preceded to drive around Bentonville, Rogers, and Fayettville checking out every truck accessory store he could find.
It was fun just riding around with him, spending time with him.
About 6 pm we had ended up at Bed Bath and Beyond and perused everything they had. Being silly. Creating wish lists. We bought a ridiculously expensive bathroom rug and a few other odds and ends. And when we left, we drove through the mall. I adore the mall here. It's outside and it's like a little city. Especially at sunset. Amazing.
We decided to check out the AT&T store in the mall to see if there was a phone I would want in place of my iphone. There wasn't. But Chase found out we can get an 8% discount on our bill because we work for Mercy. :)
And here's the best part.
He pulled me into the Auntie Anne's shop and bought me a fresh pretzel and lemonade.
He loves me.
We sat on a park bench and shared it.
It's the simple things, isn't it?
Like riding around in a 1995 pink-ish S10 and being ridiculously, joyously happy because we OWN it.
A surprise double dip hot fudge sundae with ALMONDS not peanuts.
Spending $40 on a little bathroom rug because it's sooooo soft and pretty.
Sharing a piping hot, fresh Auntie's Anne's pretzel and a sweet lemonade on a park bench with your hunny.
Both of us falling asleep on the couch after a busy day of play.
Those are MY simple things.
And not one picture to show for it. Because sometimes these days are meant just for memory.
This is how I met my first love.
My Mom always drove my brother and I to school. I was 13 years old and it was the beginning of my 8th grade year. My first year at the Jr. High. My friend Brandy who also lived in Mallard Point rode the bus to and from school. And I thought it would be fun to ride with her. That would give us more time for girl-talk and cheating on homework. So I asked my mom if I could ride the bus. I remember her being surprised.
Why would you want to ride the bus? Why, indeed? It doesn't make much sense now but then it did.
That first morning, having to get up at 5:45 am was terrible. And when it came time to hesitantly walk up the steps of the bus and looked into all the bus riders faces, I zeroed in on my friend. I sat by Brandy and we started where we left off the day before. Laughing and gossiping like girls do.
After school, Brandy's stop to get off was well before mine. So I would always sit quietly by myself until we reached my house.
I had been riding the bus a few weeks when one afternoon, he plopped down in the seat next to me, placed his hand on my leg, and asked me some silly question.
I, to this day, could not tell you what he asked me. Or my response. My eyes were locked on his hand. On my leg. I was torn from being utterly outraged or amused at his forwardness.
I had seen this boy before. He was taller than the rest, with blond curly hair, cute freckles, and a confident smirk on his absolutely gorgeous face.
I didn't take his flirting seriously, though.
But he sat by me the next day. And the next. And the next. Each time, I liked him more.
I fell for his ability to make people laugh, his self-confidence, his 'I don't give a damn' attitude. He had charm. He could make me laugh, cry, yell in frustration. No one had ever affected me that way.
I can still remember that feeling. It is a feeling only a child in love can feel. Without the weight of the world on their shoulders, without responsibilities and realities of the way life really is. Just free to love.
If I sit and try really hard to go back and remember, I am overwhelmed. I loved him.
Sometimes when I am outside at night, I smell the grass and abruptly I will remember the way I felt the nights I snuck out to meet him. The way the grass smelled as I ran through it to see him.
Of course, being so young it didn't last. We got caught sneaking out so my dad didn't like him and his mom didn't care for me (back then!). His family eventually moved to Bull Shoals. I continued on in MH.
I dated other boys. But none of them compared to him.
I think things had to work out the way they did in order for us to be together now. I knew even back then that we would be together forever. It felt like we were supposed to be.
We were great friends through high school, but college is when we saw each other every day. And so began, the lunches at El Charro's and friday night dates, but that's another story.
I'm so glad I have him.
Oh, how I love my Chase.
I love the old-school look to these pictures!
Chase and I got our tattoo's worked on by Clint last weekend!
I was soooo excited when Lauren agreed to do a shoot with me! She is so much fun and an absolute joy to photograph. In my hurry to get these posted, I did not put my 'aer' label on them. If you take them, please give me credit!
E.L.- you are beautiful! I appreciate you letting me practice on you.
