Friday I celebrated my 1 year anniversary with the kindest, sweetest, and most loving man I’ve ever been with. From here on out, instead of calling him “boyfriend” on the blog, I’m going to refer to him as C. I feel like a year earns you a legitimate name. 😉

We’ve Come A Long Way

Sometimes I can hardly believe I’m the same girl who didn’t know what to do with a boyfriend. I mean, I remember being there… I remember how weird the transition was from years and years of single life to couplehood was… I remember dating, and hating it… But after a year with C I can no longer imagine my life without him.

Our Story

It’s amazing how easy it all came together after we got past some of the initial hurdles. It’s like everything just fell into place when we got together.

How We Met

C and I met on OKCupid-an online dating site that I can now say was officially a success (after many many many fails on it… lol). We texted each other for a week or two prior to meeting since he was in San Francisco for Alternative Spring Break. That’s one of the first things I loved about him-he chose to spend his Spring Break feeding the homeless and helping with their mobile showers.

Our First Date

I’m a big fan of keeping first dates casual, so that Sunday as we were discussing where to meet up I suggested a local coffee shop in the area. That’s when he broke it to me that he didn’t drive and asked if we could meet somewhere close to the train or that he could bike to. At first, this was a huge red flag for me. I’d dated guys who didn’t drive and I wasn’t keen on the idea of playing chauffer or having to carry someone financially again. But after I learned that he doesn’t drive because he was in a car accident and is partially disabled due to a traumatic head injury, I figured I had to give him a chance. We chose to meet up at freaky Dee’s (think ghetto Denny’s) for a bite.

Eating Alone is Awkward

One thing about C is that he’s always early (which wholly contradicts my tendency towards lateness) and on our first date he was over an hour early and he ate without me. So then there I was, thinking about what a weirdo he was, and trying to eat some fries all by myself because he didn’t even want to share with me.

The Worst Kiss Ever

After dinner we did end up venturing over to the coffee shop. We left his bike and I drove us, and after a while talking there we decided to head home. As we were walking out to the car he said “Hey, come here!” and when I did he asked if he could kiss me… I awkwardly said yes, in spite of the fact that I didn’t really feel ready for something like that, and it was awful. Not only was it not something I wanted, but he just shoved his tongue down my throat and slobbered all over my face. I was ready to run. (Sorry babe, that had to go in the story! Haha!)

The Second Date

Our second date came on Primary voting day. I stood in line to cast my vote at the local elementary school and then headed out to meet him at… Wait for it… Denny’s. Noticing a theme? C’s all about those chain diners… lol The second date went much better. I told him I wasn’t ready to be physical and didn’t want a repeat of the kiss, and he respected my boundaries. We sat and talked until late and I found myself actually getting on with him very well.

The Third Date

For the third date I decided to just put him to the test. I was starting to feel for him, but I needed to see how he interacted with my people. That weekend I was babysitting for my friends who were at FanX all day. The goal was to have him over for a little bit before they got home, and then he could meet them and I could get their opinion.

Baby Kat Was Crushing Hard

We all hung out for a little bit together, and then I decided to start cooking dinner. While I cooked, he entertained the 3 year old for me. His patience was endless. He listened to her sing “Let it Go” repeatedly. He played her version of cards (which I still have no idea what rules she was making up), and he let her stick stickers on his face and arms.

Kat became so attached to him that she wouldn’t let me sit next to him. If we were sitting by each other she’d squirm in between us and push us apart. She’d give me dirty looks if I tried to take attention away from her. It was really cute.

My Biological Response

You can imagine the kind of biological trigger that had on me. It was pretty much the way he was with those children that sealed the deal with me. I was watching him play and thinking what a good father he’d make, and bam-I realized definitely wanted kids and I really wanted to give him and I chance to be that together.

An Accidental Forever Sleepover

We had a bit of an accident that night, which we don’t really want to talk about just yet, but it involved me patching up his wounds and him deciding to stay the night so he didn’t have to take the train home. The next day I drove him home before heading to my grandparents’ house for Easter, and then that night I picked him back up and took him home with me. He basically never left again… He started spending every night at my house. Even when he wasn’t around during the day, he’d swing by to check on the dog and let him out while I worked. He moved in with me in July, and that was it-we were officially living together.

Everyone Loved Him

Everyone seemed to love him, and he loved everyone. My friends and family took to him pretty quick, and in spite of a few hurdles we had to get past with history and a little of his past drama (ex wives, legal stuff, etc.) everyone was extremely supportive. They knew what was good for me, and it was C

This Past Year

In the past year we’ve experienced quite a bit together. Here are a few highlights:

We took our first family photos less than a month into our relationship. I know, that’s weird, but it just kind of worked out so that he could take part in my thirtieth birthday photo shoot.

Happy anniversary babe! 

Here’s to many more years together. I love you.