Wedding Wednesday - Our Engagement Story

A lot has happened in the past year that I've been away from this space. Most of you may already know this, especially if you follow me on social media. But last year there was one major, life-changing, moment in particular that led to an amazing year. The morning Andrew & I got engaged!!

I want to remember every moment of Saturday, January 31, 2015. The day Andrew got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. It started as any other weekend. We went to dinner with friends on Thursday night & had a low key date night in on Friday. We needed to rest up for our early morning on Saturday.

We had planned to wake up about 4:30am and drive over to Mt. Tamalpias to watch the sunrise. Andrew always gets these adventurous ideas, so it was nothing out of the ordinary. Since we had an early morning, we packed our day packs the night before and set the alarm.

It was surprisingly easy to get up in the morning, which says a lot coming from this girl. We headed across the Golden Gate then up  Highway 1 to the crest of Mt. Tam. This is when the morning stopped going as planned. We hoped to drive almost to the top, watch the sunrise, then park at our usual spot by the Mountain Home Inn and hike from there. Unfortunately, we didn't do our research and the gate is closed until 7:00am, right about sunrise. We had to either sit and wait for an hour, and catch sunrise at the last second, or hike 4 miles in the dark and hopefully make it to the summit by sunrise. I wasn't excited about hiking in the dark (chicken) so I suggested waiting then catching the last part of sunrise. Meanwhile, Andrew was SO frustrated the morning wasn't going as planned. I remember saying, "the day isn't ruined, it's just a little different than we had planned." I thought he was being a little ridiculous for getting so frustrated, but still I had no idea what his REAL plan was.

We waited at the entrance and watched as the darkness began to fade. Andrew was not happy. "We're missing it!" At promptly 7:00am, the ranger came to open the gate and we were off to the parking area near the summit. Just in time to capture this beautiful picture of the sunrise. We hiked to the summit, only about a quarter mile to take in the scenery & watch the sunrise.

We had the summit to ourselves, and found a great spot with a perfect view of the bay that was protected from the wind. Andrew set up the tripod so we could take a picture before the golden light of sunrise had passed. I thought he was just in a hurry to race the sun. We took one picture and he said, "let's take another just in case it didn't turn out." At which point, I still had no idea. I set the timer, and when I got back next to him, he spun my shoulders so that I was facing towards him. As soon as he did this, I knew what was about to happen. Before I knew it he was down on one knee, asking to spend the rest of our lives together. It was so magical & perfect. He knew I had wanted to be totally surprised, and was I ever!

Of course I said yes!! We hugged, cried and spent a few minutes relishing our excitement! Then of course I had to call my Mom! It was so early, and she heard the tears in my voice and got worried. But worry quickly turned to excitement! My Dad was out of town on a backpacking trip, so I tried calling him but to no avail. Next, I called my sister to share the good news. She & my brother in law guessed right away (why else would I call so early on a Saturday morning)?!

After I called my Mom & sister, we sat on the summit talking and enjoying the view. I had so many questions. How did he pick the ring? When did he get it? Did he have help? Did he ask my Dad? When? I wanted all the details! It was so fun hearing him talk about the process. And the ring is truly AMAZING. I love that he picked it out on his own, so it was a complete surprise. It's an oval solitaire with small diamonds on the band. Timeless, classic, & so me. He knew I liked vintage styles with round stones, but he thought the classic & timeless style was more suited for me than the vintage look. And he loved the oval shape for the center stone. Turns out he knows my style better than I do, because it's perfect. After staring at my hand for an hour, talking & eating the breakfast he had packed, we decided to skip the hike & head to our favorite coffee shop, Equator at Proof Lab. He did bring our camping JetBoil and drip to make coffee on the summit, but in all the excitement we sort of forgot at first & decided to go out instead.

We then called his Mom to fill her in on the morning. She knew it was happening, but was so excited to hear the details and talk to us! She wanted to know all the details of course, and see a picture of the ring on my hand. We also tried giving my Dad a call again. He still wasn't answering his phone, and I didn't want to share the news with anyone until I talked to him. But I was dying to spread tell everyone because I was so excited! I left my Dad a message to call me and figured I'd just keep trying throughout the day.

I kept saying "Louis will be so excited!" which Andrew found very entertaining! So we decided to go back into the city so he could be a part of our day. It happened to be a gorgeous, sunny and warm day in the city. So we picked up Louis and went to Alta Plaza Park for a picnic in the sun. We bought some beer, Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam cheese (of course), salami and a baguette, then posted up on a blanket for the afternoon. We were so excited and kept re-playing the morning and staring at my beautiful ring.

And, I finally was able to get a hold of my Dad. He told me that Andrew had asked him on Christmas when they went for a walk in the afternoon. I was so surprised, neither of them let on to their conversation when they came back. I love that Andrew knows me well enough to know how much it meant to me for him to talk to my Dad before proposing.

It truly was one of the best days of my life, and I'll never forget those special moments between Andrew and I. We spent the first few days soaking up engagement bliss. Then when we realized we wanted to get married in September, we dove head first into planning mode. More on that next week!

Are you married or engaged? If so, I'd love to hear your engagement story!

Him & Her

Him: Snowboard & Surf

Her: Wakeboard 

Him: PB&J

Her: Cheese

Him: Meat & Potatoes

Her: Seafood & Salad

Him: The Big Lebowski & Point Break

Her: White Christmas 

Him: Impatient 

Her: Patient (mostly)

Him: Planner

Her: Spontaneous

Him: Padres & Chargers

Her:  Giants & 49ers

Him: Reddit

Her: Pinterest

Him: Beer & Whiskey

Her: Wine & Beer

Him: 6'0"

Her: 5'7"

I saw this idea over on my friend Kasey's blog last week and thought it was so fun! Since today marks Andrew and my three year anniversary, I thought it would be an appropriate day for my own version of a Him/Her post!

This awesome post idea originally comes from the lovely ladies over at Harley & Jane!

To celebrate, we have dinner reservations at a restaurant that has been on my SF restaurant list for a while now, so I'll report back if it's as good as I've heard. 

// That picture was taken 3 years ago today in San Diego //

More Than 50 Years Of Heart Shaped Boxes

In honor of Valentines Day, I thought I'd share one of the greatest love stories I know. The story of my Grandparents, Charlie and Norene Strong.

Parts of this story have been told to me over the years, and when you piece it together, it's truly an amazing love story. The older I've gotten, the more I appreciate the love that they shared, and the impact it's had on my life. I've been lucky in my life to have multiple examples of true love, and have been surrounded by people who have shown me what a happy marriage looks like. My grandparents were one of those couples.

I have a very clear memory of my Grandpa telling me about the first time he saw my Grandma when I asked him how they met. He told me after returning home from WWII, he was on a bus and saw my Grandma walking outside. He told his friend on the seat next to him, "I'm going to marry that woman" and got off the bus to go talk to her. I have the sweetest image of my Grandpa walking up to her in his uniform, introducing himself. It's such a iconic scene that I've created in my mind, so telling of that time in America. (I don't think he was actually wearing his uniform, but that's how I imagine it).

If his friend on the bus that day only knew...he did end up marrying that beautiful woman. Norene, my Grandma. They were married on August 6, 1949.

They settled down in a small town, in the foothills of Placer County, California. They lived on "the ranch" as we called it. A beautiful piece of property with pear trees, close to family, and plenty of space for their growing family. In 1950 they had their first of 7 children, my Uncle Charles. Next would be my mom, Loretta in 1951, followed by four more boys and another daughter: Alan, Bobby, Fred, Lorene, and Johnny. 

My mom tells the sweetest story from their childhood. When she and her siblings were very young, they called each other "Sweetie" and "Dear" because that is what they heard their parents calling each other. To them, that was the normal way of addressing one another.  

All the stories I've heard from my Mom, Aunts and Uncles about my Grandparents and growing up in the Strong Family are full of love. My Grandpa was a very hard worker, and worked for the local telephone company to support his family. They went camping together as a family, and spent countless hours at the Bear River swimming and playing together, living the American Dream.

As a little girl, I just adored my Grandpa. I could see how he could be a very intimidating man, but I knew that he was really a big teddy bear (just don't put your elbows on the dinner table)! He gave the best hugs! But most of all, I remember how sweet he was to my Grandma, always calling her "Dear." She doted on him, and he loved her so completely. 

They were always together, and shared interests and hobbies. My grandpa would make ornaments and decorations in his wood shop, then he and my grandma would paint them together. It was fun this past Christmas showing Andrew the ornaments they had made me as a little girl, and trying to decide who had painted each one. In addition to their woodworking and sewing projects, they loved to travel in their trailer. They would go visit their children and grand kids, organize family reunion camping trips, and travel with friends as well. It brought them so much joy. 

I was lucky enough to go on a week-long trip with them in their camper to Washington and visit my cousins when I was about 8 years old. I have so many great memories of the trip. Having so many grand kids, I felt so special being able to go with them. 

The love between my Grandma and Grandpa was always evident. And I'm sure it grew stronger over the years. How could it not? After raising 7 children, watching your grandchildren grow, and the family they built together expand. Even as a little girl, I can remember how sweet they were towards each other. 

Eventually, they moved from the ranch in the foothills, to Washington where their oldest son lived. As you can imagine, after living somewhere for fifty years, you can accumulate a lot of stuff. And my sweet Grandma held on to anything with sentimental value. When cleaning out the attic, they found a heart shape box of chocolates, still in the wrapper, for every year my grandparents were together. Granted, it's kind of silly to hold onto something like that (especially so many), but I can't get past how sweet it is. Such a simple gesture from my Grandpa on Valentine's Day every year, that clearly meant so much to my Grandma. The boxes didn't make it to Washington, but I can't help but think of my grandparents every time I see a heart shaped box of chocolate.

Dressed up in 1920's costumes for a local parade! 

They loved to dance!

Blowing bubbles at their 50th Wedding Anniversary Party during our Family Reunion in Mt. Shasta - 1999

Side-note: My Grandpa's ruler suspenders were everyone's favorite!

Sadly, my Grandma was diagnosed with Colon Cancer, and after months of treatment and fighting, she passed away in January of 2008. I feel blessed that I was able to travel to Washington with my Mom and sister when she was ill, and help care for her in the final few days. I went as support for my Mom, but also to spend time with my Grandparents and family during that difficult time.

One of the saddest moments of my life is the memory of my Grandpa after my Grandma had passed away. After he had had a moment with her to say goodbye, he was sitting in his chair and broke down in tears. He kept saying he couldn't believe he had lost his best friend. It really hit me, that after spending 60 years of your life with someone, what it would be like to think of them not being at the table with you the next morning over coffee. Heartbreaking. 

The following Spring of 2009, we had planned a family reunion back at the ranch (where my cousins now live) in memory of my Grandma. There was nothing she liked more that seeing her family together. We were all so looking forward to seeing each other, especially my Grandpa. But in March of that year, my Grandpa also passed away. I'm convinced it was of a broken heart, life just wasn't the same without his sweetheart. I know they're up there looking down on us, dancing together. Happy to be reunited, and proud of the family their love created. 

Their love story is one of a kind. This Valentine's Day, I want to remember them and the love they shared. I hope to be more selfless in my relationships, and always try to love the way they did. I'm so blessed to have been so close with them, and to be touched by their love story. 

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope you all enjoyed reading a bit about my family. I wanted to share their love story, to show that love really can last a lifetime. 

Love Is In The Air

Valentines Day Gifts by fromfoothillstofog featuring voluspa candles

I've never been that into Valentine's Day, and don't have huge expectations for flowers, candy and gifts. However, I am a romantic at heart, and love the idea of showing that special someone you care. Whether that is your boyfriend/girlfriend or best friend, everyone deserves to feel loved!

In my opinion, the best gift that someone can give on Valentine's is a thoughtful card. The card Andrew gave me on my birthday last year is my favorite thing he's ever given me, I keep it in my bedside table drawer and have read it many times since then (cheesy, I know). But a movie night in, making dinner together, cute jammies, or a nice candle are all small things that would be a simple way to show someone you love them. 

This year, Valentines Day falls on Friday, and I'm sure the restaurants throughout the city have been booked for weeks. But Andrew and I decided to escape the city since it also happens to be a 3-day weekend. We'll be going camping on the central coast, and I'm so excited for a weekend away with him. It's the perfect way to celebrate Valentine's Day if you ask me.

Lesson's Learned: Living With A Girl (Andrew's Perspective)!

I have a fun surprise for you today! Since I had so much fun writing the post earlier this week about things I've learned living with Andrew, I thought I should ask him to join the fun! He reluctantly agreed to write a little guest post about some of the things he's learned the past year living with me. 

“I kissed lived with a girl, and I liked it.

Things I learned living with a girl

CHEEEESSSSEEE!!!

The girl LOVES cheese!!! When you think you’ve cut, grated or melted enough…cut, grate or melt some more.

The Dish Delay

I do most of the dishes around here.  Occasionally when she offers to do them she will, IF she starts within the next 20 minutes.  Otherwise, she will just keep pushing it off.  Then it gets too late and I’ll end up washing them the next night. 

This brings me to my next Thing

Winding down

I like to get things done and slowly wind down for the rest of the evening.  For the most part Theresa does too.  Except for bedtime.  Almost every night, when its time to settle into bed, she has a sudden burst of energy she needs to get out.  This energy is release in the form of aggressive patting, squirming and laughter. 

{This makes me sound kinda crazy. I swear I'm not a total freak, just playful!}

Always carry snacks

Hanger sets in easily so it’s best to be prepared.

{So true. What can I say? I like to eat!}

Easily sidetracked

Whenever she has packing or cleaning to do she gets sidetracked easily.  She starts doing one thing, then sees something else that needs to be done, and switches tasks. So inevitably, it takes her twice as long to finish what she started. 

Looses Everything

She doesn't actually loose things and never find them, she just misplaces them temporarily.  Then we frantically have to search for said item. When we do eventually find it, its either right in front of her face or somewhere very bizarre.  I find myself thinking, “Why would anyone put chopsticks in the medicine cabinet?”  (This never really happened)

{I should probably work on this. I lose my wallet daily, only to find it in my purse}

Today is the official 1 year mark of living together, and we're both still smiling and in love, I'd say that's a good sign! Even though he has to put up with my ADD tendencies, cheese cravings, and temporary memory loss, he still seems to like me. So that's a plus! 

Hopefully ya'll like this post and the little glimpse it gave you into my quirky, silly side :) Happy Friday!!

Lessons Learned: Living With A Boy Part II

It's hard to believe Andrew moved to the city a year ago. It seems like just yesterday, but at the same time so long ago. I can hardly remember a time when I didn't see him everyday, and those two years of long distance seem like a distant memory. Although I know that time made our relationship stronger, and brought us closer together, I am so thankful it's behind us. Because, living together is way too much fun!

A few months after he moved in, when From Foothills to Fog was brand new, I wrote a post about some of the things I had learned about him after we moved in together. You can read more about it here. It was fun to read again, all those things are most definitely true. Hansel & Gretel still leave a trail of paper towels for me to pick up, but he's worth it!

Of course, it hasn't always been rainbows and butterfly's, but it's absolutely been the best, and most fun year yet. And of course, I've learned a few more things about him since my last post, so I thought I'd give you an update in honor of our 1 year of roommate-ness.

// he hates laundry //
But who are we kidding, so do I!! I'm on laundry duty in our house for the most part, which is fine by me. I actually knew he hated doing laundry from the get go, so I wasn't surprised it was on my list of chores once we moved in together. I actually don't mind doing laundry, it's the folding part I hate.

// excellent dish washer //
While I'm on laundry duty, Andrew typically does the dishes. Living without a dishwasher is absolutely the worst part of living in this city, and I'm a messy cook, so cleaning up after dinner is quite the task. Thankfully, the dish fairy Andrew comes to the rescue on most nights! Sometimes I help him out, but he definitely does them more than I do.

// activities //
While sometimes, a lazy day at home sounds perfect for me, Andrew always has to be on the go. He likes moving from one activity to the next. Each weekend is jam packed with fun outings like: hikes, surfing, projects or camping. It keeps us busy and we've done so many fun activities together because of it!

// sweet & caring //
He is so thoughtful and sweet! I can be a brat at times, and he usually helps me snap out of it by making me laugh or being extra lovey. I think he's the reason we get along so well, because he is a great communicator and always treats me so well, even when I might not deserve it.

// planner...planner...planner //
He likes to have a plan. Whether it's something happening tomorrow, in a week, or next year. He wants all of the information, and right now! We're always talking about future weekends and plans. Possible camping trips, or vacations...there is always something we need to plan according to Andrew.

// messes up the sheets...every.single.night //
He doesn't like his sheets tucked in, which is SO annoying. I literally have to re-make the bed every single night because as soon as he gets in he pulls up all the sheets so they're not tucked in, which means they get all messed up and fall to one side. It drives me nuts.

// awesome doggy Dad //
Andrew is the best dog Dad to Louis. He's always concerned and does the dog related chores. I gave Louis a bath once, he won. So it's best for everyone if Andrew does that chore!  We always try to incorporate Louis in our activities, even though two, six mile hikes last weekend really wore him out!

// loves spending time together //
A lot of people need time apart, with their own activities to maintain a healthy relationship. Which we do, Andrew surfs and snowboards, I blog and spend time with friends. But for the most part, we really like to spend as much time together as possible. When we first decided to live together, one fear I had is that I wouldn't have any "me" time, but we have so much fun together, I want to spend my time with him, and I appreciate he likes that too. When he's been gone for a weekend with the guys, I usually get my fix of "me" time within the first few hours, so I like it when he sticks around!

// tv shows //

Some of the TV shows I'm addicted to are not exactly something you'd think your boyfriend would want to watch with you (Nashville, Grey's Anatomy, The Kardashians). But Andrew is nice enough to watch my silly shows with me! We also had a major Breaking Bad marathon when he moved in, so I could get caught up before the final season so we could watch together, (so sad it's over now, I miss Jesse). Now we're catching up on Parenthood, and love watching Orange Is The New Back and House of Cards together. It seems silly, but it's fun to have shows in common that we can watch together and talk about. He draws the line at The Bachelor though, thankfully I have weekly dates with the girls for that!

It's been such a great year! Even though I still can't believe that much time has passed. Looking back, we've done so many fun things, and really enjoyed this first year together in the city. I'm looking forward to the coming year, and what it has in store for us. Who knows what else there is to learn about living with a boy!

What things have you learned living with your significant other?

Our Love Story: Part III

In the past few weeks, I've shared Part I and Part II of our love story. And now, the chapter on our love distance love...

The majority of our relationship has been spent with 500 miles between us. It absolutely had its challenges, but there were also so many sweet moments during our weekend visits to one another. 

For the first two years of our relationship, we typically saw each other about once a month. We'd take turns flying between San Diego and Sacramento (San Francisco after I moved). And tried to cram as much into those short visits as possible. 

I always loved going to San Diego. It felt like vacation every time. We'd go to the beach and sit on the cliffs watching the waves, go hiking, watch movies and even went to a few Padres games. One of our favorite things became cooking together, we'd make homemade pizza, burgers, pasta, fancy egg recipes for brunch, and Andrew showed me how to make the famous Magliozzi eggplant. Some of my favorite memories are cooking with Andrew early on in our relationship. Even though it was only a night or two we had together, we always manged to have fun and try something new. But it was always bittersweet when it was time to drive to the airport. 

One of the hardest parts of long distance was having this amazing person that you love, who was completely separate from every other aspect of your life. Because we weren't able to see each other that often, we usually spent all of our time just the two of us. There wasn't that much time to meet friends, go on weekend trips, or get to know each others family, because our time together was so precious. I think it was hard for friends and family to take our relationship seriously because they never really saw us together. But as time went on, and our relationship got more serious, we made time to get to know each others family. When I was in San Diego, we would always see his Mom and spend time with his sister if she was home as well. Andrew also came with my family to Yosemite and Walker River last year, and we spent time with both of our families around Christmas. 

Even though weeks went by without seeing each other, I still felt that spark when we spoke on the phone, and had butterflies every time I saw him. Andrew has always been able to make me laugh more than anyone. We have a very playful relationship, and are completely at ease with each other. I think a lot of that is because, for the majority of our relationship, it was just the two of us. I can be totally myself with him, and he loves me and all my nerdy, awkward, dorkiness. 

Although we had so many wonderful times during the first two years of our relationship, the distance was really, really hard at times. Texting and Skype dates are no replacement for spending time together, and it could be really frustrating. In all honesty, some days were hard, really hard. And it seemed impossible, like there was no end in sight for the distance. But, in my gut I knew that I would do whatever it took to make our relationship work. I knew that Andrew was worth the effort that's required to maintain a long distance relationship, and thankfully, he wanted to put forth the effort as well. 

watching "our birds" along the coast

Our college friends' wedding

another wedding of a college friend

Giants win the World Series // toasting the wine purchased on our first date // Disneyland at Christmas

Christmas in Union Square // ugly sweater party with college friends

Last January, Andrew called me at work. Which he never does. He had interviewed with a company in San Francisco a couple weeks prior, and I knew exactly why he was calling. It was such an exciting thing to hear, "I got the job" because I knew that meant we were finally DONE with long distance. 

The next couple weeks were a whirlwind  Packing and planning. Thankfully, my lease was ending. Initially we planned to find a new place together, but my roommate at the time decided to move, and we were able to stay in my apartment. 

I'm sure people thought we were nuts, going from long distance to living together. Heck, I was even pretty nervous. But I knew that it was the right timing for us. 

Moving Day!!! So long, long distance love! 

This year has been the best so far. There was definitely an adjustment period, learning how to live together. Andrew was adjusting to a new city and a new job, but it was a surprisingly easy transition. My favorite nights are the ones we spend at home watching marathons of Breaking Bad, cooking dinner, and goofing off. We can finally go on weekend trips together, and have our first official vacation planned next month! 

Because of the time we spent long distance, I know we can make it through anything. We learned how to communicate with each other and what our needs are in the relationship. Now, we're stronger than ever. 

I can't imagine where we'll be years from now, but I have truly never been happier. I am so thankful that I followed my heart, and didn't give up on us. Those years of long distance were worth it, 110%


xoxo,


Theresa

Our Love Story: Part II

Last week I shared the first part of Andrew and my love story. So today, I thought we'd get to the good stuff! So get comfy, it's a long one folks...

Following graduation from Sonoma, I moved back home and started looking for a "real" job. Meanwhile, Andrew moved to Danville to live with our good friend Rich since he had bought a house there after graduation. And their third roommate would be Laura (remember, MY roommate for three years in college?). As time went on, I kept in touch with my close friends from college. Including Laura and Rich, so I would hear updates here and there about Andrew, but that was the extent of it. 

After a couple years, Andrew ended up moving back home to San Diego where he grew up. Even though he moved back down south, he and Rich also remained very close.

Rich would often travel to Sacramento for work, and since I worked downtown, we would often get lunch together. During one of our lunches, he mentioned that Andrew would be flying up soon, for a snowboarding trip. One of Andrew's childhood friends lived in Sacramento as well, so they were planning on staying Thursday night at his place, then driving to Tahoe early Friday morning. So we decided that we should all get together and go out downtown Thursday night.

At this point, Rich was clearly already in matchmaker mode. Which brought up that old attraction that I felt at Sonoma. One day, Andrew sent me a message on Facebook, saying he was looking forward to seeing me. Which began the conversation.  

The weeks leading up to our night out in Sacramento, Andrew and I had a few conversations on Facebook, but nothing really. Even though it was supposed to be just a "casual night out with friends," I was super nervous to see him. So I enlisted my best friends Emilee and Jen to come along.  Plus, Rich and I were really close and our other friend Danny would be there, so having a group setting settled my nerves, slightly.

When the night finally arrived, Andrew's flight was delayed (little did we know this would become a theme in our relationship). We met in Midtown, and ended up having a great night. The conversation was really easy between us, and I definitely felt a spark. Surprisingly, I felt really comfortable around him and not my usual, awkward ball of nerves. It was so fun being back together with our old group of friends, reminiscing on college days.

When we finally left the bar, the boys walked us back to my friend's apartment. Since they had to be up early for Tahoe, they were eager to get back to where they were staying. So we said goodbye, but not before a goodnight kiss.

The next day at work was beyond brutal, but I couldn't help but smile. I had zero expectations. I mean, Andrew lived in San Diego, so I chalked it up to a really fun night with old friends. Later that afternoon I was driving to San Francisco for a friend's birthday party, when I received a text message from Andrew. I was very surprised, since I hadn't given him my number, matchmaker Rich took care of that one. Andrew told me how much fun he had, and that he hoped to see me again the next time he was in town.

Still, I didn't have any expectations and assumed I wouldn't see or talk to him again for quite some time. But, little did I know that was just the beginning.

As weeks passed, Andrew would text me regularly and also called, which I loved. This was all taking place just before I was leaving for my sister's wedding in Hawaii. I'll always remember a cute message he left me about waiting until the last minute to start packing (which he still gives me a hard time for). While in Hawaii we exchanged text messages constantly. My family teased me to no end about this new guy that I was always talking about. It was really fun.

Upon returning from Hawaii, Andrew send me a message that he would like to see me again. He wanted to plan another snowboarding trip with Rich, and hoped I could come, and also wanted to plan an official date while he was in town. At this point, I started to feel like this could actually turn into something. I knew he eventually wanted to be back in Northern California, so I figured why not.

I took a Friday off, and drove down to meet him at Rich's house. I think it was the first time I ever really had that feeling of butterflies in my stomach before seeing someone. Both nervous and excited, in the best way possible.

Our first date was a beautiful day in January, we went wine tasting in the East Bay. The first stop was Concannon Winery in Livermore.  It was such a fun day, I felt completely comfortable with him, like I'd know him forever. I am perpetually nervous, and surprisingly, I didn't feel that way around him. He made me smile and laugh more than anyone had in a long time. Next we headed for a different winery that had bocce ball, and played a couple games. I was terrible, but it was still such a fun day. I'd say a perfect first date, possibly the best date I'd ever been on. 

That night, I headed home for a friends birthday party. I remember feeling so excited about the possibilities ahead, I knew I definitely liked Andrew. A lot.

The boys were heading up to Tahoe to snowboard that Monday. All weekend I would get texts from Andrew and Rich trying to convince me to call in sick Monday, and join them. Of course, I couldn't say no to them. They picked me up on Sunday evening on their way to Reno, then we would go to North Star at Tahoe on Monday.

Reno was so fun. We ended up going bowling, gambled a little, it was a great night. The next morning we were up early to go to the snow. I was actually really nervous because I hadn't been skiing in at least four years, and obviously, wanted to make a good impression. Unfortunately, things didn't go quite as planned...

We were having a great day, and I was doing surprisingly well for how long it had been since a pair of skis were on my feet. Then after lunch, Rich convinced me to go down the back side of the mountain. I went against my gut, and followed along. As we started down the mountain, I noticed a black diamond sign. WHAT?! I was not pleased, I tried to make them stop but there was really no way around it. They promised to go slow with me, and that I had done harder routes earlier in the day. Okay fine, I thought, but I was still mad and slightly terrified. Thankfully, I made it down the steepest part no problem. With my confidence renewed, I started down the small slope towards the ski lift. And that's when I caught an edge. I went tumbling down the mountain, and came to a stop sitting up with my legs twisted behind me. I knew immediately it wasn't good.

Andrew and Rich came rushing over. I was mortified. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt. I figured it was just my ego that was bruised, and tried to click back into my skis. That's when I felt it. My knee was messed UP. I'll save the gory details for another post, but it ended with a ride down the mountain with a paramedic towing me in a sled. Not my finest moment. Andrew followed me down the mountain, and sat with me while I iced my knee and the other guys got a few more runs in. I remember feeling awful, not only did I embarrass myself beyond belief, but I ruined his afternoon of snowboarding. I thought for sure that would be the end of any possibility that something might happen between us.

Thankfully, I was wrong. Because of my knee injury, Andrew drove up to stay with me the following weekend. Even though I was barely mobile, we had an amazing time. There was never a shortage of conversation and things felt completely natural between us. Even with my messed up knee, I hadn't been this happy in a long, long time.

flowers Andrew sent

ignore how awful I look in this photo

After that weekend, I think we both knew we wanted to see where this could go. We continued phone and skype dates, as well as texting throughout the day. The more I got to know him, the more I cared for him. So I decided to book a flight to San Diego so I could see him again a few weeks later. It was on that trip, that we both decided this was something we wanted to continue. And our long distance love officially began...

xoxo,

Theresa

Our Love Story - Part I

To tell our complete love story, you'll have to go back, way back to 2005 when we were attending Sonoma State University. Andrew and I didn't have any classes together, he was a Business major, and I was Political Science, so it wasn't exactly our education that brought us together. If you told me then, that in eight years we'd be living together in San Francisco, I wouldn't have believed you.

I suppose in a way we owe our romance to the SSU Campus Rec Center. In college, both of my roommates worked at the rec center on campus. My first memory of Andrew, isn't exactly of Andrew. But rather, a story about him that my roommate told me when she got home from work one day.

She told me of this " hot guy" coming into the gym for an interview. Our other roommate, Shannon, was conducting the interview. So, after Andrew headed upstairs, Laura radioed to Shan that the next candidate was arriving, but she added a comment about his good looks. Little did Laura know, Andrew was already in the office, and heard her! (If you ask Andrew, he has no memory of this, but I find it quite amusing)!

Needless to say, he got the job at the Campus Rec, and after hearing this story, I was intrigued. But, being the quiet and shy girl that I am, I'm sure I avoided eye contact any time I saw him at the front desk. For me, Andrew was just the cute, out of my league, guy that Laura and Shan worked with. 

Campus Rec softball team (I took this picture)

As the months went on, we spent more and more of our time with Laura and Shannon's co-workers from the Rec Center, we became a little family. Going to the bars on weekends, watching our shows and making dinner during the week, and of course the annual camping trips to Pismo Beach were the highlight of our year.

Group shot - our Pismo Beach Adventure 

I had to include my favorite picture of the trip even though Andrew isn't in it! Just for fun! 

This picture makes me laugh, so much going on! 

Standard Andrew....I remember when I first saw this picture I was mortified!

It's funny thinking back, trying to remember interactions with Andrew specifically, and it still gives me butterflies. He was so outgoing and always making people laugh. I would love to hear his impression or memory of me in college, I was always so nervous around him. I guess I should have know there was something more there!

Although we spent a lot of time together in college,  it never became anything more than that. Just two people with the same group of friends. It wasn't until five years after graduation that we would see each other again, and that's all it took....

All of us after graduation...Charlie and Audra (far left) are now married with an adorable daughter, and Chris (back row 2nd from right) and Laura (purple dress far right) are married too!
The best part is, we're all still great friends and see each other as often as we can! 

I love that we have these shared memories. I think it makes our relationship so much stronger. It's especially fun when we have memories that we don't even realize are connected. A few weeks ago, we were talking about scary movies (after we saw a preview on TV). Andrew was saying that he hadn't seen one since college when The Omen came out (on 6/6/2006). Our friend Staci loved scary movies and got a big group of us to go the night it came out. It was so funny to realize that we had gone to the movie together! Or when he tells me stories of his snowboarding adventures in college. My roommate Shannon always went with him, so I've heard her version of all of them before.  It makes me feel even more connected to him, that we have a shared history and college experience.  

This is just the beginning. Stay tuned next week when our love story continues!

I'm a sucker for any love story. It's always one of the first pages I visit when I find a new blog. I can't help it, I'm a hopeful romantic and just love, love! If you've posted your love story please share, even though I've probably already read it :)

**P.S. what's with our sunglasses!? So happy that style has changed...

xoxo,

Theresa

I Believe In Equality

I'm not usually the type to post things like this and get political, this space isn't meant to be a place to start debates. But I felt this was important. 

I am so proud that we're finally working towards equality for all Americans. I feel especially lucky to be here, in San Francisco during this time because it is such an accepting and loving city. On the way to work this morning as I listened to the radio, I surprised myself when my eyes welled up at the announcement on The Supreme Court ruling. I was so happy to hear that we are one step closer to equality for everyone. After all, this country was founded on the idea that everyone should be treated equally. 

I'm not exactly sure why I have such strong beliefs about this. But I think it has to do with a conversation I had with my wonderful Auntie Alice a few years ago. I think she would be so proud to see the news today if she were still with us. 

It's been exciting to see the positive reactions and love flooding all forms of social media today. And I wanted to share a few of the things I've seen posted around the web.

Photo taken by Robby Bearman in the Castro this morning

San Francisco City Hall

And the music video for Same Love by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVBg7_08n0&feature=youtu.be

Love is Love.




xoxo,

Theresa