Four Christmases

(I wrote this post for December 6th but forgot to post it!)

Three years ago today, I went on a first date with a tall, funny, blond-haired, blue-eyed guy that, in emails and blog posts, I referred to as "The Salesman."

Above is the first picture ever taken of us -- right before Christmas, by my favorite waitress at Leaning Tower, one of my favorite hangouts over the years.

He made me laugh really hard - in fact, I remember the exact witty comment he made that hooked me.  We sat at a restaurant that turned into a loud dance club, at which point we moved to a nearby wine bar and talked into the wee hours of the morning.  Our Saturday date ended with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and while I liked him, I couldn't gauge whether or not he was into me.

I was... intrigued.

The following Tuesday, I was sitting in the parking lot of Home Depot* when I got a text:


The Salesman: "So, do I get a second date?"
Me: "Sure!"
The Salesman: "Great, I'll call you tonight."

I'd already broken all my rules with this guy -- talking on the phone for hours before meeting, sending daily emails, texts, etc.  I was excited to see him again, and when he called me that night, we talked again for hours and made plans for Thursday night.

Our second date was casual - dinner at a restaurant near my house, and he came over to watch The Office afterwards - at some point that evening, we decided that we'd take down our match.com profiles.

"Let's see where this goes."

I left the next morning for a fabulous girls weekend at the cabin, where I thought about him nonstop.  Although boy-interaction was supposed to be off limits during our cozy girls weekend away, The Salesman and I texted back and forth and made plans for the day after I got home, to go see a movie for our third date.

That move, the first movie we saw together, was the terrible Four Christmases -- and I'm happy to report that as we approach OUR fourth Christmas together, The Salesman is now my husband.

I hope you get all you wish for this holiday season.

Off and running,

~Jessica

*the same Home Depot where I sat, this past July, texting with my new fiance about paint colors for the window trim, as we attempted to get my house ready to put on the market.