How it all began

So here is the story of our love - from the beginning.

As some of you probably already know Ryan and I have actually known each other since we were 14.  We went to the same junior high and high school.  The part that most people might not know though is that I hated highly disliked this boy.  He was rude to me in 7th grade at a swim party and ever since then we were never friends.  Of course, Ryan likes to say that this never happened, but as a woman (and a know-it-all) I swear it did.

All throughout high school I don't remember ever seeing Ryan around or hanging out with mutual groups at all.  Ryan, once again, has a different side of the story stating that he was always around at the same parties and football games and I just never gave him the time of day.  It does make me smile because he noticed me but makes me sad because I never noticed him.

After high school we obviously went our separate ways - Ryan joined the Army in October 2007 and I went to college in September 2007.  Fast forward 2 years and this is where it all begins for real...

August 2009 Ryan had requested to be my friend on Facebook (yes, that is how all modern couples connect, right?)  I knew that we went to school together but didn't know what he had been up to since then and thought, "Why not?"  Ryan and I began private messaging one another and it quickly became more than a "friends" thing.  I realized quite quickly that he wanted more than just a friend out of this relationship and although I was reluctant at first, I eventually fell for him as well.  All of this is cute and everything, right?  Well it gets difficult in that while we are carrying on this elaborate online lust connection Ryan is deployed in Afghanistan defending our wonderful country.  There was no way for us to ever really see each other besides pictures that we could email one another. 

Eventually I gave Ryan my phone number and the Facebook messages changed to PHONE CALLS and TEXT MESSAGES!  There is nothing that beats that feeling of looking at your phone and seeing that the one person you want to talk to is finally available (The time differences between California and Afghanistan vary from 11.5-12.5 hours depending on our time change.)  During this time I was going to school full-time and working as a server at night.  I could not wait to get off work so that I could hopefully talk to Ryan before he headed into work.  The next month or so our time was spent exchanging phone calls (well Ryan would call me) and text messages and being in this relationship that magically blossomed overnight.

I remember exactly the day that Ryan and I decided to be together. 
SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2009.

From that day on it became a waiting game of when Ryan would return back home from Afghanistan and we could actually be together.  I felt like that day would never come...we had never held hands, hugged, kissed, or just sat there and had a face-to-face conversation.  

Those next two months felt like an eternity but eventually the day came.  The day that I would see Ryan.  The day that I would be able to feel him breathe while hugging me and kiss whenever we wanted. 

 NOVEMBER 15TH, 2009.

The moment when he stepped off that bus it was a whirlwind of emotions.  I didn't cry (which yes, I know I cry at everything but not that) I just waited for my turn to hold him.  He gave me the biggest hug and my natural instinct was to wrap myself on him as tight as possible and not let him go.  I had waited 3 months for this.. 8.71 Weeks, 61 Days, 1464 Hours, 87840 Minutes, 5270400 Seconds..and it was all worth it.  Our first hug, kiss, smiles, hand-holding, and the moment I knew I would be his forever.