This whole blogging frequently thing just isn't my forte apparently! But there is a post I have been meaning to put up for over a week and just haven't gotten around to until now. I'd like to dedicate this to Jason Pratt :)
**WARNING: CHEESY LOVEY-DOVEY STUFF AHEAD**
Jason and I celebrated our one year anniversary one week and 4 days ago! October 15, 2009 was the official day he asked me to be his girlfriend, and I was ECSTATIC to say "Yes!" Our relationship has honestly blown me away. First of all, there is just an incredible amount of love that exudes from the two of us. We have grown in incredible ways individually and as a couple. We've taught each other so many valuable life lessons, developed our spiritual lives further, and have had so many wonderful experiences in each others' company. We've traveled together, spent many hours being lazy together, watched movies, laughed at countless ridiculous situations, endured many challenging experiences, played lots of video games, and sent thousands of texts, emails, and Facebook posts. My life has completely been changed by this beautiful relationship. Jason bring so much laughter and joy into my life!
I really want to tell our story, because it's one of my favorite ones to tell. I hope I never forget the story of how we met - it's something I want to hold on to forever. I really love how we just kind of fell into each other's lives unexpectedly. No one set us up, we didn't meet with a group of friends, or with any expectations of meeting - it was a fateful moment that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
We met on October 3, 2009 at the BYX tailgate before the GA/LSU football game. I had come with my roommate and some friends and decided to get some food and a drink at the tailgate. I picked up a bottle of water, but must have put it down on the table with the food on it without realizing it while I had been putting food on my plate. After a few minutes, I realized I had misplaced my water bottle, so I went back to the table to look for it. [Enter Jason] A really cute guy was standing there getting food, so I asked if the water bottle on the table was his, just to check to make sure it really was the one I had left. He said it wasn't his, and of course to make sure I opened the lid and noticed there was lipgloss...we joked around how it would be weird if it had been his because he probably shouldn't have been wearing lipgloss :) We talked for a few minutes - nothing life-altering, just the common small talk and questions. Before I left I made sure to get his first and last name so I could add him on Facebook! Thinking it would be the last time I'd see him that day, I said goodbye and headed off to the stadium with my friends.
We got to the stadium a bit later than expected but it was still about two hours before the game started. I sat down for a few minutes, then looked over and saw Jason a row in front of me but a few yards to my left! Of course I was excited to see him there and thought it was crazy that we were so close. I yelled his name and he came over to where I was sitting. He stayed down on the row in front of me while we chatted and we ended up talking the whole time before the game started. He ended up sitting next to me - apparently there was "no room" down on his row, haha ;) and we talked about all sorts of things like family, music, pets, hobbies, and interests. It was a great conversation! We always do have a lot to talk about. It was really hot that day and he spent $4 on me to buy me water...which is ridiculously rare for him. FUN FACT: that was actually the last bottle of water he's bought. He also got me a pom-pom so I could cheer on the Dawgs with style :) After the game, he asked for my number but - in true Jason style - his phone had died! He gave me his and I sent him a text later, which started a whole chain of us hanging out :)
Three days later we met up at BCM, played an awkward handshake game, talked, then he invited me to his apartment to hang out and watch a movie. We watched "Friday the 13th," one of my favorites, and chatted. There was definitely some attraction there and we held hands :) That following Saturday we went on our first official date to a corn maze. It was so much fun! He picked me up, we got a little lost on the way (which was totally fine with me, more time with him!) We could have gone through both of the mazes there, but decided to only do one because we wanted to sit down and talk. We sat on a picnic table and had an amazing conversation. I wish I could remember everything we discussed, but I do remember that we really connected that night and I knew Jason wasn't going to be just a quick fling.
Throughout the experience of me studying abroad at Oxford, and Jason being busy with his own work and school life, it's been a tough, yet strengthening time for our relationship. It hasn't always been perfect and every day seems to get more challenging to be apart from each other. But the beautiful thing about it is that we don't find our strength in ourselves or in the other - we have sustained as a couple and have grown together through Jesus Christ. One of the greatest lessons we've learned throughout our relationship is the importance of a Christ-centered relationship. Without that foundation, fights occur more often and things slip up. God has shown us that we are capable of incredible things when we stay focused on His will for us and stay away from doing things simply out of our own selfish desires. The process of learning this has been such a life-altering experience!
This post is getting novel-length so I'm going to wind down.
Roses from "Jason" for our one-year anniversary! So sweet of him to plan this!
