Our Love Story.

how boy met girl.

It was a new semester. School hadn't even begun yet and I just had barely moved everything back into my apartment. I was living with my best friend, Madi. Because we had just spent the entire summer away from each other, it was only appropriate that we celebrated the weekend before school started by having a party in our apartment... by ourselves (or so we thought). 90's music was being blasted through our speakers, naturally, and the dance moves started flowing. After a good hour of dancing (mostly by myself while Madi watched/video'd/laughed), there was a knock at the door. WHAT. Who the heck could that be. This is supposed to be a party of 2. Before I could hide my rather sweaty self, 6 guys came barging in through the door. Some of these guys were Madi's friends before they all left on their missions and now they had all just gotten back and wanted to hang out with Madi. So I did what any out-of-breath, salty smelling, single girl would do when 6 guys enter her apartment randomly.... I kept dancing and hoped that they would join. And they did. Except for one.

This one, of course, caught my eye... He was wearing a stripped t-shirt and jeans and was still standing in the doorway, almost like he was thinking "K. This girl is crazy... how can I leave without being rude?" (he was actually thinking that). I suddenly didn't care about any of the other guys that were now challenging me to a dance battle. I wanted to know THAT guy. So after a couple songs of Destiny's Child and Shaggy, I made my way over to this mystery man still standing in my doorway, looking lost & scared. 

And then it happened. 

Our first conversation. 

Me: "Hey I'm Kayley!! What's your name?!" (probably said in a way too high of pitch voice) 

Him: "Tanner." (that's it. no expression, no follow up question, no eye contact.) 

Me: (nervous and awkward) "okaaayy... weeeellll nice to meet you Tanner" and I forced him into giving me a high five. Yup. A high five. Because I obviously wanted to seem mature.

And that was it. Our first 'conversation'. That pretty much sums up the next couple interactions we had with other. But I was not going to give up. He would notice me... eventually... Right??

Luckily we 'ran into' each other a LOT. A.K.A: I begged Madi to hang out at their apartment with me and I became good friends with his roommates. B i n g o.

I actually went on a date with one of Tanner's roommates, I had Tanner come hear me sing at a show on campus, and I made sure I always looked good when I was around him. And still, I could not get more than 2 words out of him! 

One night, I texted one of his roommates and asked for Tanner's number. I had no intention of using it. No, but really. I didn't. But I figured boys are boys and he was bound to find out that I asked for his number and that might spark an interest and would make him start anxiously awaiting a text from me, that would never come... (strategy people, strategy).

One night we went to Lava Hot Springs as a group. I was DETERMINED to get him to talk to me, even if it meant cornering him in a hot tub and talking to myself until he gets sick of it and caves and talks to me back. I swam up reeeaaal casually (I probably was doing the classic doggy paddle) and said:

Me: "Heeeeeyyyy Tannneeeerrr.... Tell me something interesting about yourself!" (He would HAVE to say something back to that)

Him: "Um. I'm not that interesting." (while making zero eye contact)

Great. Fail.

So after that last interaction, I was done! I kinda gave up and although I love a good challenge, he was just too hard to crack. And that's saying a lot.  

Then, one glorious and magical night, completely out of the blue, I get THIS message on Facebook (word for word):

Tanner: "Hey! SICK cover photo.. Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that I know you have my number... And I think you should use it. What do ya say???" 

My. Heart. Dropped. 

First, I thought it was a joke. Because who in their right mind uses that kind of icebreaker, "sick cover photo"... like that can't be real. And then second, this kid DOESN'T TALK. How in the world does he all of the sudden have this weirdly attractive confidence that is practically slapping me in the face through a Facebook message?

But of course within 30 seconds I all of the sudden didn't care if it was a joke or not, I barged into Madi's room right next to mine and read her the message. Although she was half asleep (it was like 12:30am), she was as much stunned as I was. But the one thing she told me was that I HAD to wait until at least tomorrow to text him. I nodded my head like, "Oh yeah, totally". Then I went back to my room and the first thing I did was sit on my bed and send him a brief text right away (if anyone knows me, they know I am not one to wait patiently). He responded right away. And I can literally say from the point forward, there was no turning back.

A couple days later he met me in the library where he found me essentially crying over my homework load (he was going to get used to that). We each had out our assignments but I don't think either of us got through question 1. We talked for about 4 hours until I realized that I had an exam that was about to close and I had to go take it before it was too late.

This is when he asked me on our first date. 

He told me (didn't ask, he told. h o t.) he would pick me up after my test was done and take me to dinner. Needlesstosay I have never taken an exam so quickly in my life. We went to the Taco Bus, which is for those who don't know, a school bus parked in an empty lot that has been transformed into a tiny mexican joint and you sit and eat the greasiest and most delicious burritos, on the actual bus.

Right before we ate, I was thinking in my head "man, I really want to take a picture, but I don't want to be one of those girls that takes a picture with a dude on their first date". Luckily, I didn't have to. Right before the first bite Tanner says "Man, my dad would LOVE this place! Let's take a picture so I can send it to him". That is when I knew. Tanner Clark was most likely going to be my husband someday. (Ok, so, I didn't really know yet, but I did know this boy was something special).

The picture from our first date.

After our first date, we never looked back. We had the best time dating each other (seriously. so fun.), until the moment that we both knew dating was just not enough.

I remember one night we were star gazing (gag, I know), and Tanner all of the sudden looks at me and says "You know, call me crazy, but sometimes I look at you and I see my future wife". And for the first time in my life, the title of 'wife' didn't scare me at all. So I just nodded my head and said "Yup. I can see it too".

Then came the L- Word. 

Once while visiting family in Washington, it was a late night and we were watching a movie (the Biography of Biggy Smalls of course) and Tanner randomly grabs my face and says: "I think I'm in love with you". I could tell he had been wanting to say that all night and had finally just got the nerve to randomly blurt it out (Biggy is obviously inspirational). But without hesitation I looked back at him and said "Well I know I'm in love with you!".
Then you would think at this point we would have a super romantic kiss, but instead Tanner lets out a h u g e sigh of relief, shoots back into the couch, closes his eyes and starts silently fist-pumping in the air while mouthing "YES. YES." like he had just won a championship. Seriously though, like what? He's the cutest human being. So I laid down next to him and started doing the exact same thing. It was definitely a moment I will never forget.

So then shortly after that there was an engagement and then a wedding and well, now there's a blog.

And two really cool people that happen to have a pretty awesome love story.