Matt and Mandy, part 1

I'm in a mood to reminisce lately.  I have a terrible memory, I forget everything!  Mine and Matt's story, though, remains fairly vivid in my mind.  Still, I don't imagine it always will - it's probably a good idea to write these things down while I can still remember them!

Also, I've mentioned the Pioneer Woman's website before.  She has a section dedicated to the story of her and her husband, which I've read a little bit of.  While I don't plan to write anything anywhere near as detailed or novel-esque as she has, I like the idea of having our story all written out.

Anyway, here's part one <3

Matt and I met for the first time in middle school.  He reminded me of that when we started dating, but I didn't remember him.  

Recently I was looking back in my journals from junior high and high school and I found that I'd mentioned him.

I said he was cute...but the number of boys I mentioned in that journal is staggering. Shocking. I don't remember being so boy crazy...

Every journal entry mentions at least 3 or 4 boys.  EVERY entry.  It's ridiculous.

We met again at the end of our sophomore year.  Matt wrote something cheesy and flattering and thoroughly Matt-like in my year book...something about me being drop-dead gorgeous.  

I had a boyfriend at the time.

In November of my junior year my boyfriend and I broke up.  Matt waited about 5 minutes before he asked me out.  For our first date we went to see Daylight, with Sylvester Stalone, at Sandy Movies 9, and to Baskin Robbins for ice cream after.  Matt drove his little Honda.  The car was so beat up...the front bumper had fallen off as a result of one of it's (many) fender benders, and Matt had nailed a 2x4 on the replace it.  The wood was warped and curved upward, so the car looked like it was smiling.  It's name was Grinner.

Grinner had no heater.  

I remember I wore jeans and a purple turtleneck sweater that I borrowed from Becki.  But no coat.  I was freezing, but it was the best date.  

During Christmas break that year I had my wisdom teeth out. Matt called to talk to me, but Becki was on the other line and told him she'd have him call me back.  I never got the message. He called again, a few days later, but that time my dad answered and told him I'd moved to Charlotte.  He told every boy that called the house for Becki or I that story, and he did it in a completely serious way.  

"Who? Oh, Mandy doesn't live here anymore, she moved to Charlotte."

There was nothing we could do about it - I don't even remember trying. My dad was pretty indulgent. I remember being grounded one weekend, and wanting to go to a football game SO badly...I cried to my dad, called him 'daddy', and he let me go.  

But the Charlotte thing wasn't going to change. The only way to avoid it was to answer the phone first - which I was always trying to do, anyway - just in case it was the school's automated system calling to say that I'd missed a class or two that day.

Charlotte, by the way, is Charlotte, North Carolina - which is somewhere my dad would like to live, apparently.

Anyway, back in school Matt was overjoyed to find out I hadn't moved. In January we went to Morp together (a silly dance at school - Prom backwards, lol) and then the Sweethearts dance in February...we were inseparable before long. 

We had the best summer...we spent so much time together. Even during football two-a-days I saw him every day. Matt was the sweetest boyfriend ever. He brought me roses all the time. He took me so many places - we went to dinners, movies, shopping...he was so sweet to me. 

I remember being afraid that things would change once we were back in school and it wasn't just the two of us. I thought maybe he'd be different once we was around his friends again.  

He wasn't.  I was constantly surprised that he was in love with me as I was with him.

Our senior year was a blast. We both had extra credits for graduation and took all honor or AP classes while we were in school - but we were only there for a half day and had work release in the afternoons. 

I worked at a glass shop as a receptionist and was saving all my money for college. The owner was a friend of my dads and she did him a favor by hiring me.  Her name was Jan, and she was one of those people that's incredibly passionate - she either loved you or hated you.  She loved me, for the most part.  She yelled a lot and called people names and was kind of crazy, but I loved her. 

It was a fun job - I worked with a bunch of guys in their mid to late 20's that treated me like a kid. They were also slightly inappropriate with me a lot of the time.  I learned a lot from those guys, lol.

Every day after school Matt took me to my job on his way to work for his dad. My dad picked me up on his way home from work in the evening.  

Matt came down most nights to see me after dinner. He got a new car that year - Grinner was finally retired and his parents bought him a 198? BMW. This car never had a name, we just called it 'the beemer'. We'd go out for 'ice cream' - which usually meant we'd drive up Little Cottonwood canyon and make out on the side of the road.  

For Christmas that year Matt gave me a promise ring.  I was shocked! I hadn't been expecting it, but I was thrilled to have it.

He also gave me the Savage Garden CD  - which explains my new background song!

Most of our senior year is sort of a blur - time passed so quickly, even then!  It was graduation before we knew it, and we were both excited to move onto the next stage of our lives - college!