I really thought that I'd written our love story on the blog, but after having the new blog design added and looking back over old post I realized I never did.
It all began at the church were Kevin and I grew up. This is also the same church where grandfather had gone to school as a child which is walking distance from the land he lived on as a child (the current land my father and uncle own today, where we live). Kevin's mom was my mission friends teacher and she would always bring Kevin and his brother Jeff with her on Sunday night. I always had a huge crush on Kevin, even as a little girl. When I was in elementary I colored a picture of a bride and groom which I labeled "Kevin and Kati" and I gave it to my mother in law. Little did I know she kept it. She gave it to me years later after Kevin proposed.
Back to the story, as time went on pretty much everyone in Denton County or maybe even Texas knew I liked Kevin. When I was in high school we started talking (I mean clearly things were serious, or at least they were for me) and Kevin took me to my junior prom. Kevin was 21 at the time and his world was much different than mine. He lived on his own, worked and his life revolved around fishing. The talking ended and I was pretty devastated, but never gave the idea up of us being together.
My senior year came and went. His brother Jeff took me to my senior prom. Jeff was the big brother I never had, so when I didn't have a date that year he was sweet enough to take me. That's right, I went to prom with my husband and brother in law. We even have the pictures to prove it.
It all began at the church were Kevin and I grew up. This is also the same church where grandfather had gone to school as a child which is walking distance from the land he lived on as a child (the current land my father and uncle own today, where we live). Kevin's mom was my mission friends teacher and she would always bring Kevin and his brother Jeff with her on Sunday night. I always had a huge crush on Kevin, even as a little girl. When I was in elementary I colored a picture of a bride and groom which I labeled "Kevin and Kati" and I gave it to my mother in law. Little did I know she kept it. She gave it to me years later after Kevin proposed.
Back to the story, as time went on pretty much everyone in Denton County or maybe even Texas knew I liked Kevin. When I was in high school we started talking (I mean clearly things were serious, or at least they were for me) and Kevin took me to my junior prom. Kevin was 21 at the time and his world was much different than mine. He lived on his own, worked and his life revolved around fishing. The talking ended and I was pretty devastated, but never gave the idea up of us being together.
Prom 1999
Kevin and I in 1996
My senior year came and went. His brother Jeff took me to my senior prom. Jeff was the big brother I never had, so when I didn't have a date that year he was sweet enough to take me. That's right, I went to prom with my husband and brother in law. We even have the pictures to prove it.
Prom with Jeff in 2000.
Anyway, after high school I went off to college, joined the best sorority and pretty much had the time of my life. I dated, had boyfriends but they were never Kevin. I thought about him often and always hoped to run into him. Durning college I gained some unwanted weight, as all college students do. But I wasn't comfortable in my own skin. As I started my masters program I got an invite to Jeff's wedding. I had met his fiancée Jane and we totally hit it off. I really liked her but I was terrified to go to their wedding. I wanted to go and be there for their big day but also not gonna lie, to see Kevin. I hated all my clothes and went shopping for a new dress. I made my best friend come with me but told her we were leaving as soon as it was over and not going to the reception. There were to many chances for Kevin to see me there and I wasn't ready. Clearly I wasn't thinking, because hello, he was going to see me at the wedding.
We went to the wedding and it was beautiful. I starred at Kevin the entire time and when we left I talked about him for the next 8 hours straight. Jenna probably wanted to glue my mouth shut, but as a true friend she listened to every word.
Time went on and Jane and I started working out. I lost all the weight that made me uncomfortable and I was at a happy place in life. School was great and I felt great. I asked Jane for Kevin's number, and I hung onto it for a while. The first week of December in 2005 I got a call from Kevin's mom. His grandmother had been really ill and had died. She was trying to get a hold of the pastor and couldn't. She asked if we could call him for her. My mom and I were making bourbon balls (as normal southern baptist do) and we stopped everything. We went directly over to Ginny's house to be with the family. I've always loved this family, Kevin's grandmother was an amazing lady. You walked in her house and she wanted to feed you. She was always on the go and loved being a part of her grand kids lives. Kevin's family like my family all lives next door to each other. Ginny had three girls and one son, and they all live on the same street named after the family. Kevin is one of 9 grandchildren. I've known his family ever since I can remember. I remember swimming in my mother in laws panties when I was 5 in her hot tub with a girl from church. So there was a long history there.
We hugged the family and prayed before heading out the door. As I was walking out Kevin walked in and gave me the biggest hug of my life. We didn't talk, and I left with my parents. When we got into the car my mom said, who was that you hugged. I told her it was Kevin and she said she didn't recognize him. Time went by and we started texting. Nothing major, just small texts. One day when Kevin text me he asked if I wanted to hang out, clearly my answer was yes. We had our first date on December 15, 2006 and were engaged on December 30, 2006. When he asked my parents if he could marry me, he told them he knew all along it would be me. He proposed on the steps of the church where we met and where we married. We went to show my grandmother after and I will never forget her words of encouragement she shared with us. She knew Kevin's grandparents very well. Kevin's grandfather Pawpaw was actually going to purchase the land where we live now. But when he found out my grandfather wanted to buy the land where he grew up he called him up and offered him the opportunity to buy it. It's funny how things work out. The land my father and uncle own actually backs up to Kevin's family's land. That's how close we are, and always have been. Our love story was years in the making and continues to grow. God picked Kevin for me, and I can actually say I've loved Kevin my entire life.
Our wedding November 17, 2007
Kevin and I in the Greenhouses.
My sister in law and I at my wedding. Hilarious.
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