WARNING!!! LONG POST AHEAD!!
8 years ago yesterday Andrew asked me to be his girlfriend in the middle of watching John Q....very romantic. I obviously said yes.
Last night at Olive Garden I asked Andrew what he thought our lives would be like if I would have said no. He said I probably would have majored in music somewhere. It kind of surprised me when he said this because I thought I still would have gone to A&M since Rachel went there. The more I thought about it the more I realized he was right. You see, both of my parents are band directors so music has always been around. There are many days that I regret not putting more effort into because singing's my favorite. But it wouldn't trade it for being married to Andrew.....sappy....i know...
So how did Andrew and I meet? well let me tell you.
It first started when our Moms met. The worked at the same school and went to the same church. The quickly became friends and while they were both pregnant with us they prayed for us. They even prayed for our future spouses. Little did they know...
Here's Andrew and me at his 2nd birthday party.
Here's another picture of the two of us. Can't you tell I like him!
So when I was 2 or 3 my family moved to Monroe, LA where my parents had both of my brothers. We came back to McAllen the summer I turned 5. Once we got back my family decided to go to another church and than Andrew and my mom taught at a different school than Andrew's mom so our families started to lose touch.
Andrew and I did go to the same school for 1st and 2nd grade where I vividly remember calling him "Andrew Pandrew" across the cafeteria as he walked by. brilliant. For third grade Andrew switched schools and then I don't remember much else. We went over to their house 2 or 3 times but that was about it.
Fast forward to age 15.
We have both always known of each other thanks to Mel. Melissa was my best friend for many years. We went to the same church but she went to school with Andrew. Every know and then she would bring Andrew and some other friends to youth events but I usually had a boyfriend and Andrew was obsessed with some other girl.
Then one day my sophmore year of high school we receive a Christmas card from the Halls. O man...it was pretty much "like" at first sight. Andrew had grown up!
At some point around this time... Melissa decides that I need a boyfriend. She starts setting up little movie watchings with two different boys. Jerrod (one of the groomsmen in our wedding) and Andrew. Both fail.
Later that semester I find out that Andrew is dating Lindsey Curry who goes to my school. darn it. Lindsey and I were both in choir and had a concert coming up. While I'm on stage singing or maybe right before it starts I Andrew walk in. Butterflies! but no...he's there to see another girl.
On Andrew's birthday, May 25th, Melissa decides to invite me to the party. Not really sure why since I didn't really know him. Well this party also happens to be at Andrew's crush's house. This is either right before or right after Andrew broke up with Lindsey for the crush. So I'm at this party and decide I'm done swimming...I'm going to eat something. Andrew flirts..I flirt...hotdog buns end up on Andrew's sunglasses...(i have a picture somewhere...) but that's about it.
I think sometime after this AIM conversations are started...
A few weeks later Lindsay Ranson and I go to a Roadrunner's baseball game. After the game we call Mel and invites us over to her cousins house to watch a movie. Guess who was there?! Andrew! We decide to watch Orange County. Unfortunately Andrew and I don't sit next to each other but that doesn't stop us from talking to each other during the movie. Everyone else in the room doesn't think it's so great. Andrew and I decide we are thirsty so we go to the kitchen and Andrew serves me a drink...except he was so taken aback by my presence he gets out a plate instead of a cup! I quickly correct him.
Well after that night we talk on AIM just about everyday. Then sometime in July my family makes a trip to padre and Andrew, Mel, and Nathan meet us down there the last night. The four of us go to dinner and then walk back to the hotel...and it was a pretty long walk. What was my mom thinking! ya sure meredith you can walk back in the dark while your a couple of weeks short of 16. o well. we were safe.
So during this walk back Melissa and Nathan keep running ahead of us and then when we got back to the hotel the locked us out on the balcony and then they left us alone in side while they were on the balcony. Just a tad bit obvious don't you think? Well once they left Mel and I discussed the evening's events.
Me: "Guess what?!"
Mel: "yall are going out?"
Me: "no"
Mel: "yall kissed"
Me: "no!"
Mel: "Well then what??"
Me " WE HELD HANDS!"
Mel: "....that's it?"
a few weeks later it was my 16th birthday! I invited my church friends, Rachel, Melissa, and of course Andrew.
Andrew was the last one to leave and Mel spent the night. I walked Andrew to his car and when we got there I sat in the drivers seat so he couldn't leave. Then Andrew leans over and gives me a little kiss when he says goodbye!! I practically run back to the house I'm so excited. When I open the door my mom and Mel are getting up off of the floor and dying of laughter! They had been spying on us!! and I caught them red handed!
So exactly 10 days later on July 26, 2002 Andrew asks me to be his girlfriend! I thought he would never ask!
So after homecomings, proms, presentations, trips to new orleans, trips to college station, graduation, A&M, football games, crush parties, formals, and engagement, Andrew's graduaiton, we finally got married.
