happily ever after

In honor of the tenth anniversary of tricking Jason into giving me expensive jewelry in exchange for bean soup for life, I have scoured the web-o-sphere for the following: Our Origin Story. It was hidden away on our old wedding site and it is only right and fitting that it is now forever established on our blog. May we ever be held to this true accounting should the years ever fade our memories.

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Once upon a time, or more specifically in the fall of 2005, there was a Sharayah and a Jason. Somethetimes they sat by each other in US History. And sometimes he would play guitar. And she'd like it a lot. Also they were both nerdy honors students who would hang out with their nerdy mutual friends.

That semester, they went on roommate date. But not with each other. But it was the same roommate date. And they drove in the same car. There was also one picture of them together, so draw your own conclusions.

Anyway, time passed, and they talked a lot. And talked some more. And then they would often go to Wal-Mart. And talk some more. Some weeks, there were many Wal-Mart trips, but they always had a reason to go. They were just friends.

This went on for many months.

During this time, through circumstances unexplainable, Jason took Sharayah to the 2006 HP Christmas Masquerade. He wore a nice suit, and she wore a pretty dress. Things started to look suspicious. They even had another picture taken together that night. That's two pictures. Come on. People might have started to talk.

Christmas break came and they didn't miss each other at all. Not any more than any other friends at school. Or so they said. There was an ice storm that January. There was much ice shoving, sliding, and other slightly questionably flirtatious activities. Jason also saved her from imminent death in a scary ice pit at least four times. Maybe five.
Then they probably went to Wal-Mart again.

That spring, they went to a cool, cool Underoath concert. Jason did not get lost on the way back. And it was not a date. They clarified this many times. To each other. There was also a Relient K concert. They went to that too.

Right before spring break, Sharayah wanted to run away to Mexico. Jason said it was too far. But he drove her to Riverside to skip rocks. It was an ok compromise. And they made a bet. Jason skipped a ridiculously large rock and Sharayah owed him big time: marriage in two and a half years. And yet, they still didn't like each other. "I really thought it was just a joke," Jason is quoted as saying. "And he knows he's lying," Sharayah quotes back.

They didn't miss each other during spring break.

Then came April 12. Jason left for some kind of nerdy math convention in Missouri. He left her at the bowling alley. She was actually sad. While he was away, something funny happened. Maybe he actually did miss her. Just a little. Back in Tulsa, another funny thing was happening. Maybe she actually did miss him. They were weird realizations.

When he came back that Sunday, they went to Riverwalk, but forgot to make any of their normal excuses (i.e. "I don't want to do homework anymore." "Let's go to Wal-Mart." etc.) Jason wanted to walk around. And talk. They went to a bridge and sat on a bench. And talked about things. By the end of the night, they'd finally admitted to liking each other.

It was about time.

With school ending, they decided not to do anything official since summer is a long time. The end of summer was three months away.

It was a very long time.

They made the best of it by talking on the phone every night. Sharayah thought it was cool that he would actualy talk on the phone with her now. She had never considered this perk to liking a boy. In June, Jason went on a cruise. On her birthday. He didn't let her go. She was sad. But he sent her a puppy in the mail and that made her a little happier.

And then it was June 20. He drove up to Tulsa and asked her out. It was a very good week. The two of them hung out every free minute they had. They ate foods, went places, and did some suspiciously coupley things (some say they even held hands). It was during this time that they decided they wanted to get married, though they weren't sure when. It was the first time they said "I love you" to each other. They were good words. And they were true. It is worth repeating, it was a very good week. But then it was over, and the two of them drove down to Texas. They talked about things. And the next morning, Sharayah went back to Tulsa.

By then, they were allowed to miss each other. And they did.

School started again in August and it was good. There were various sightings of hand-holdings, good hugs, and jacket borrowing. Sharayah was becoming a girl. And Jason was ok with that. They still went to Wal-Mart. And they still talked all the time. And he still made fun of her wearing pink. Things were normal, and very good. Going out was amazing.

Knowing they were going to get married, Jason and Sharayah went ring shopping. It was a rather couple-y experience. They walked into lots of stores with lots of shiny things. Most of them weren't any good, but there was one ring that caught their eye.

It was a pretty ring. It had lots of sparklies. It looked good on Sharayah's little finger. So Jason bought it.

Then one day (the exact date is lost to history [October 11]), Jason took Sharayah out to a nice dinner. She wore a pretty dress and he wore a nice suit. They ate good foods and talked about stuff. Then he took her to a spot - their spot - and they talked about more stuff. He said lots of sweet things to her. And he said she was his best friend. And she was his love. And he wanted her to be his wife. He got down on one knee, and held up the pretty ring, and asked the big question, "Will you marry me?" And since he was her best friend, and she loved him more than anything, she said yes.

Then they knew they would live happily ever after.

The End.

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Today marks ten years since that knee was bent and that ring given. A lot happens in ten years. Graduations. First apartments. More graduations. Cross-country moves. Jobs. Kids. More graduations. More cross-country moving and more jobs. First homeowner-ships. More kids. Life has been full.

Today was a rough day. It was long, filled with terrible napping [Finley], acting out [Lucas], and poorly handled impatience [me]. It all culminated with the bigger one walking smack dab through the littler one's poopy diaper that I had just removed. Just, stepped both feet right in it. It was a Monday disguised as a Wednesday. I'm sure of it. It was a day.

Jason asked me tonight if I would still say yes, yes to that question asked exactly 10 years ago [almost to the hour], if the only thing I knew about our future would be this day. This day with the 17 minute naps, the disappointment of a lost temper, and the poopy footprints. If I knew this day was in my future, would I still say yes?

A thousand times yes. Even if every day included poopy socks, I would say yes. Yes to Jason. Yes to marriage. Yes to our family. Yes to the future.

Yes.