Our Love Story-Link Up

With Valentines right around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate timing to share Our Love Story.  I've linked up with Becky so make sure you click on her link at the bottom and see all the other wonderful love stories!  Without further ado, how The Farrar Four began...

1. How long have you and your significant other been together? Since we were 19.  And we will both be 30 this year.  We didn't have a long dating relationship.  We really never even dated.  We just decided we'd like to get married.  So we did. 

Got your attention???  I thought so... read on...

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}  I went to High School with his cousin and saw him off and on at different school events. We both ended up at the same Junior College and had class in the same building.  We would pass each other at least once daily.  He had the best smile.  Still does.  He would flash that grin and my stomach would do all sorts of summer-saults.  One day we exchanged numbers and the rest is history.   We 'hung out' a lot but never really had an official relationship.  He joined the Navy in Septemeber of 2011 and left for bootcamp shortly thereafter.  Our relationship was formed in letters over the course of the next 2 months.  I wrote him nearly every day.  He wrote me very often too. We still have every letter ever written.  It's so fun to re read them.  We were so young. 19 and 'in love'.  We only thought we knew what love was.

3. If married, how long have you been married? We just celebrated our 10 Year Anniversary on January 5th. 

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding?  We got married in a small chapel at Lance's childhood church.  Our reception was held in the gym at the church.  Real glamorous huh?   We made do with the resources we had.  Plus, it was a QUICK wedding so we had limited options.  I look back and knowing what I know now, and having my own taste and preferences, there are things I wish I would have done differently, but I'm just as married as those with big elaborate weddings.  I rented my dress and Lance wore his Military Uniform.  We had several of my mother-in-laws friends help with the decor and reception.  It was very simple.  Magnolia leaves in the windows with candles and some candles in the front of the church.  At the reception there was cake, nuts, mints and punch.  If only there was Pinterest 10 years ago. 

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!  Boo.  He's Boo.  I'm boo.  The dog's Boo.  The boy is Boo.  And I love it.  I've had other nicknames from him in the past but Boo has stuck the longest. 

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

He is a hard worker.  He puts in a lot of very long hours and keeps up with so many things at work that I'm sure his head is spinning.  But he does it wonderfully, all the while making long lasting relationships with customers.  I really enjoy meeting his customers and seeing how much they appreciate his hard work and the friendship that he has with most of them. 

He's a wonderful father.  The way he and Easton just click is magical.  He thinks outside of the box with him and does things that are fun for Easton.  No matter if it's a mess or not. 

He spoils me.  He is a great gift giver and surpriser. This really comes across more as thoughtfull more than materialistic to me.  He really puts a lot of thought into whatever it is he's planning for me.  More often than not, I'm searching for that perfect gift for him that's going to knock his socks off but I always fall short.  He always goes above and beyond for me.  His justification is that "you do so much throughout the year, there are a few times when I can go all out for you."  I'll take that.  ;)  I can think of several Valentine's or Anniversaries where he has decked out the house for me.  My happiness is his top priority. 

7. Tell us how he proposed? We (myself, his parents and 3 brothers) were in Chicago for our second visit during Boot Camp.  I knew something was coming.  We had talked about it a few weeks earlier when we had visited.  We were in our hotel room (I stayed with his family in a joint hotel room on our Boot Camp visits.  He stayed on base) and the rest of the family was downstairs.  He was pacing the hotel floor.  Back and forth.  I was sitting on the couch.  Just waiting.  And finally I said "are you going to ask me or not?!?!!"  That's when he hit his knee and I said "YES!"  To say I'm not a patient person is an understatment. 

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals? I'd say he's a mix of the two.  He likes a good batch of Chocolate Covered Strawberries.  I'm far to practical for flowers, especially overpriced Valentines flowers, but he has been known to bring them home a time or two.  Or even sent them to work a few times.
 

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?  Since we are at least 8 hours away from our favorite beach, we're more of a movie at home couple.  However, when we do go to the beach, we live it up.  Sun up to sun down.  And now with The Boy, he's our little side kick. However, on a normal night, it's dinner at home followed by bath time, bedtime and us time on the couch after that.  We really love being at home. 

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere? We both enjoy Baseball so I think it would be a lot of fun to take him on a trip to every Baseball Stadium in the U.S. and attend a game at each.  After our trip we'd head back home to Rosemary Beach (you said anything, anywhere...I can dream right?!?!?) and enjoy countless days and nights on the beach. 

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day. I'd say it will probaby consist of the same thing as most nights.  Dinner, bath for The Boy and maybe a movie or something after. Who really wants to tote a Toddler to an overpriced, long wait dinner? I'll probably make Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and maybe add some extra sweets to that- cheesecake bites, marshmallows, graham crackers, etc. 

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?  No.  We don't exchange Valentine's Gifts.  With it falling so close to Christmas and this year our 10 Year Anniversary, we just keep it low key.  A nice dinner would be good enough for me. 

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love. Commucation is key.  Always keeping an open door for compliments and criticism.  And learning how to take criticism even when it stings.  I truly feel that complimenting and thanking your spouse is one of the best tools to building your relationship.  I mean, who doesn't want to feel appreciated and told that they are good at what they do.  Whether that be a simple statement like 'you really are good with Easton' or 'thanks for folding endless amounts of laundry' or 'I love watching how you handle ___' or 'thank you for working hard for our family'. I think positive reinforcement is a necessity in any relationship. 

14. Show us a picture of what love means to you. Over the past 10 years, we practically grew up with each other.  Getting married at 19 wasn't easy.  To say we had hard times, would be an understatement.  But it was worth every bit of work that it took to make it.  We have learned so much about each other and ourselves over these past 10 years.  To watch him become a father increased my love for him more than I ever dreamed possible.  Bringing this little fella into the world and raising him together absolutely blesses my soul more than words can explain.  At the end of the day, there is no one I'd rather curl up on the couch with than him. 

These two are truly my world.  My loves.