Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

In the Spirit of Valentines, I'll tell the story of how Jim and I met, and fell in love, and are now engaged :-D

I guess we'll start with some background information first. I had been in a 4 year abusive relationship that I got out of, three years ago today. (HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO ME!) And I was planning to move out to CT when my lease was over in Aug 31st. I was going to move in with my brother and his fience (now wife) and babysit my nephew, while looking for a job, and an apartment of my own. I needed a fresh start. My life was in shambles, my heart was broken, and the memories of what he had done to me haunted me. I thought I needed to get away to avoid the pain, and start my life over again, and settle down somewhere else. And where better to do that, than with my big brother. Who, after my break up, was incredibly supportive and sweet while i put my life and heart back together. Fast forward several months.

July 22, 2005. My coworker T.J. had invited me to a party they were having at his townhouse. I decided to go, but brought my best friend Andrea, just in case the party sucked, I'd have someone to talk to. But had a very funny feeling that night would change my life forever. Of course, I was still set on going to CT, and nothing that happened that night was going to change that.
















And then I met Jim. Our eyes met, and it was like something out of a fairy tale. (the picture above was LITERALLY taken seconds after we met! a HORRIBLE Picture of both of us, but our first picture none the less) I never dreamed anything like that would happen to me. We talked for a while. And Jim decided he wanted to make me a drink. So we went downstairs and he made me a drink, that kind of tasted like a cherry tootsie roll. There were a TON of people at the party, so we separated for a while, and hung out with a bunch of people. At the end of the night, or really four in the morning, we started getting phone numbers and email addresses from the people we had met that night. And we ended up with emails of four people. Walking out of the party, Andrea and I were talking, and said we never wanted a guy to come between us. I wanted Jim. I talked to Jim over the next few days, and he asked me if I wanted to hang out. I had plans the night he was free, but asked jim to join me and my coworkers for an outing. He did. We went to buffalo wild wings and got to know each other a little better. Jim was really cool, but I was still set on CT.

The following Friday night we went on our first date. We made plans to go to Great Northern Pizza Kitchen. I went to the one in Brighton, him to the one in Pittsford. Both of us were upset because we thought we had been stood up. And then I finally called him to find out where he was, or really to yell at him. And decided I would drive to Pittsford. The pittsford location was nicer, because we would be able to walk on the Erie canal path after eating. So, we ate dinner, and then got some ice cream at Bill Whal's on the canal. We decided once we made the round back to our cars, that rollerblading sounded like a lot of fun. But I was not dressed for rollerblading, it was a first date after all! So I needed to go home and change into something more feasible for rollerblading and get my blades. We met back at his town house, since I lived in the city, there was no place nice to go. So, we hit the canal in Brighton, by his townhouse. on our rollerblades. It was a ton of fun, and he repeated something back to me I had told him the first night we met. No guy has ever REALLY cared about what I had to say. It sparked something inside of me I had never felt.
















I was going to CT the next morning, for my job interview. I was going with my brother and his fience on the train, from Rochester to Albany, and then driving from Albany to CT about 2 hrs away. My job interview was the next morning. I was extreemly nervous about the interview, it was really important to me to get this job, and get out of Rochester. That three days, I missed Jim more than I had ever missed any other boyfriend. And we had BARELY gotten to know each other yet, let alone made whatever we had official. I went back to Rochester on the train, and Jim met me at the train station. We talked for a long time, and made plans for a date the next night.
















We spent the entire weekend together, and I took Jim to Letchworth. Fast forward a month, our relationship was great. Jim and I were spending a LOT of time together, and getting to know each other better. I was very quickly falling in love with him, and feeling things I thought were a hoax, or people only tricked themselves into feeling. this kind of love couldn't possibly be real, but it was.


I decided I didn't want to move to CT, that I wanted to stay in Rochester and see what developed of our relationship. Jim felt the same way, thankfully. And asked his two roommates if it would be ok if I moved in with them. My lease was up, and I had no time to find another apartment, or really the money to finance a place on my own ( I had been living downtown with my ex and his 7 best friends....it was not good) and I couldn't imagine staying there. So, we needed to do something, and fast, if I was going to move in with him. So, I moved into the square (as we called it) and though I never imagined moving in with a guy after just one month of dating, but it worked for us.
















Almost two years later, he proposed. We will get married Spring 2009. Over the past two and a half years Jim has become my best friend. He's been so supportive of everything thats gone on in my life, and has been my pillar of strength when I feel I can't go on. He's really, the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I can't wait to marry him, and buy a house, and start a family.
















I'm so lucky :-D