WE'RE GETTING MARRIED

Picture it, Minot, 2012. Braden worked in the Training Center at the YMCA and I worked at the service desk. He was "dating" a girl who worked with me. One day at work she went to the training center to visit him. She came back hysterical because he had broken up with her and was VERY rude in the process. So, as she cried on my shoulder for the rest of the shift, I vowed that I would make his life at the Y miserable for treating her so poorly. And so I did. A year or so later he ended up quitting (not because of me) but in my mind, my debt to society had been paid so I went on with my life. Fast forward 5 years and I'm single, living my best life...still working at the Y. BUT now as a full-time Training Center Director. I start to notice this really familiar looking guy walking by my office nearly every but I shrug it off. One day my friend said, "guess who asked if you were single" So of course I asked who my secret admirer was. He said "Braden". I was stumped, thinking to myself, 'who is this mysterious Braden fellow?' He said "Braden Huber! He has been getting day passes for the last month!" I stared at him blankly for about 30 seconds before it clicked and I blurted out "THE ASSHOLE?! (sorry family) NO, TELL HIM NO!" My friend smiled and said "too late." Next thing I know I get a friend request and I am ABSOLUTELY appalled; but I accept it because of who I am as a person. We start talking nearly every day and I find out that he and that girl were NEVER dating and he had to convince her otherwise (oops). Also that he only got day passes because he wanted me to notice him and didn't want to pay for a $40 membership (day passes are $10..he came for a month straight..you do the math.) Finally I give in to his charm and I'm smitten. Months pass and he still has not said a word to me in person, So, I gathered all of my subtleties and politely asked him "so are you ever going to talk to me or what?" Next day he came into my office and asked me out. The rest is history..

Well we first originally met at the YMCA in December of 2012. I was working upstairs and she was working downstairs. At first I didn't think too much of her other than, "oh she's cute." I hadn't really talked to her much after that but one day she was very rude for no reason to me. I just wrote it off as her being a naturally rude person and never talked to her again while working there. Well as it turns out she was friends with another girl who worked there who had thought we were an item. When I had told that girl that we weren't a couple, that prompted Tia to turn very cold to me. Fast forward to about 5 years later and I had paid for a day pass at the Y to go workout with a friend. I noticed Tia working upstairs and figured I'd try to shoot my shot. I first texted her friend who I had worked with if she was single. He said, "Yes! Go for it!" So I had tried for a few days here and there for the next month to talk to her. I had to pay a day pass every time I went to the Y. I ended up paying about $80 in day passes. Whatever number she tells you is greatly exaggerated. Anyways, every time I tried to talk to her she had a very standoffish face and looked always in a rush. So I friend requested her on facebook first so I could at least talk to her on there. Well we began talking everyday on facebook, text, snapchat, you name it. However, I was still too much of a chicken to actually talk to her in person while I was working out. After one day she texted me saying, "Are you ever going to talk to me in person?" I finally decided it was now or never to finally grow up and talk to her. The next day I walked into her office and asked her out to dinner and a movie. I'd say the first date went pretty well because, well, here we are.

Since Halloween was coming up, it was time to carve pumpkins! So, naturally, we planned a pumpkin carving party with Braden's parents, my sister, brother-in-law, and niece. And since we have to make everything a competition, we both agreed we would wait until we were both done to see what the other had created in order to earn bragging rights. And really, let's be honest, I was definitely over-confident that I had this competition in the bag, After all, I didn't go into debt getting a degree in art for nothing! So once we all were perfectly placed around the room so that no peeking would occur, we all started gutting, carving, stenciling, and painting. As expected, Braden finished his pumpkin in about 14 minutes and had to wait at least another hour for me to even deem my pumpkin presentable. I put all the finishing touches on my spooky jack o'lantern face and positioned my pumpkin back-to-back with Braden's. After exchanging some trash-talk about how the other was about to lose, we turned our pumpkins around. At that moment, my gooey faced pumpkin was facing a pumpkin that read "Will You Marry Me?". I immediately lost all ability to stand and breathe, dropped to the floor, shrieked "nooooooooo" in complete, and utter disbelief, then instantly began crying. And since I am in no way, shape, or form, described as 'insensitive', I was unable to formulate words and could only nod my head and hyperventilate while trying to say "yes". Long story short, we laughed, we cried, we toasted, and yes, he won the pumpkin carving competition (which I'm still kind of salty about, but i'll let it slide this time}. Yes, all was well. And thus ended the pumpkin carving contest as we took the first step in the journey of the rest of our lives together.