Part 2 - Our 10th Anniversary & Giveaway!!!

(if you missed it you can read part 1, part 3 & part 4)

Me and hubby!

I was 16!

...I remember after returning home from visiting my Aunts new in-laws, that I could not stop thinking about Daniel. I had never really had what they call a “crush” before… so all this was new to me. All I knew was that at random times during the day, no matter what I was doing, my mind would recall memories I had of him.  I would go off in a daze and remember the way he walked (remembering the image I had of him walking, then running towards the truck the first time I seen him).  I would remember him riding on my little brothers moped… if my mind had been using actual film, I think after about a weeks time I would have worn the film down to nothing! I played the images over and over and over in my head.  I couldn’t shake this no matter how hard I tried and I didn’t really get why I was so fascinated by him.

As a couple months passed by, I still would think of him, very often. Each time I would think of him I would tell myself I was crazy… he had shown absolutely NO interest in me, and I had not shown any interest in him the one time I was around him! I felt like an absolute idiot, for each time my Aunt and/or new Uncle would drive up, my heart would start to pound and butterflies would begin to do cartwheels in my stomach at the thought of the possibility of Daniel being with them!

A few times during those months, he actually would be with them… and I was an absolute clumsy, stuttering, jittery imbecile!  It would be as if something, or someone else had taken over my body and I had no control over anything I said or did!  After each time he would leave I would replay in my mind the things I had spoken and I would BEAT MYSELF UP over how idiotic I sounded. WHY DID I SAY THAT? WHY IN THE WORLD DID I SAY THAT? I can look back on all of it now and laugh out loud… but it wasn’t too funny to me at the time.

It had gotten to a point where I couldn’t stand it any longer. I had to find out if he even knew I existed! If he didn’t… I needed to just get him out of my head! So the next time my Aunt and her new husband came over I somehow summoned up enough courage to ask them. I asked them if there was any way they could possibly ask Daniel if he would be interested in coming over. Just to sit, visit and chat with me… so that we might get to know each other a little better. Don’t ask me the exact words I used, because back then I was so shy, I’m sure as soon as the words had escaped my lips, I had no idea what they were, my hands and knees trembling the entire time.

The two just looked at me strange for a few moments, and then laughed (yeah, really good for the ego there… ) My Aunts husband agreed to talk to him and see if he would be interested. My Aunt pulled me aside to talk to me, and asked me if I knew he wasn’t really that cute.  I informed her that I remembered what he looked like. (I never told her, how could she have known, that I simply couldn’t get him out of my mind!)

My Aunt and her husband came over to visit us almost every single night. Each night I would be sure to have on my prettiest clothes, my hair fixed just right, and sit with my stomach in my throat until I would hear the truck pull up in the driveway. For three days I did this, and each day I was disappointed because he was not with them. They never told me what he said about the invitation, but each night he was busy and had something to do, or somewhere he needed to go. I took this as my answer… he was not interested in me, and I could now go on with my young life.

The fourth day I was a little down… I had wasted so much time thinking about this boy, it was so dumb of me! Exhausted from dressing up each night… and quite frankly, I had run out of pretty clothes to wear… this night I put on a pair of my little brothers shorts that fit really loose and hit right about my knees… I pulled my curls up in a scrunchi on top my head… I gave my eyes a break and left my glasses on instead of putting in my contacts… why worry about lip gloss?  I would just be sitting on the sofa listening to the radio or watching TV. I put on my most comfortable t-shirt that hung loosely and was sooo soft!  I had just snuggled up on the sofa with my moms favorite quilt and clicked on the TV. when I heard my Aunt and her hubbies truck drive up.  I hopped up off the sofa to unlock the door, and jogged back to my warm spot on the couch. 

A few minutes later the door opened and they walked in… first my Aunt…. then her hubby…. then EEEAAAKKK,  DANIEL!!!

I think right about that time I started to hyperventilate… I wanted to sink into the back of the sofa and evaporate into the fibers! I dressed up every single night!!!  I looked the best I could every single night!!!  Why, oh why, Dear Jesus, did he have to come the one night I decided to just be sloppy and comfortable?!?!?!  I wanted to cry, I wanted to hide, I wanted to scream!  I was so happy he was there… but I was so unhappy it was on this night!!  I simply excused myself for a moment, and hysterically ran into the bathroom to fix my frizzy mop as fast as I possibly could… there was nothing I could do in there about the jean boy shorts I was wearing… or the sloppy shirt I had on.  I smeared some lip gloss on my lips and put my contacts on in record speed. I then headed back out towards the living room about as nervous as I have ever been in my entire life! What was it about him? What was it about this boy that had such a hold on me?

TO BE CONTINUED…