The Southwest Side of the Mitten: Love Story

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

Almost 4 years of marriage, we dated for a year before that, and were friends 2 1/2 years before that. Total time we've known each other is 7 1/2 years.

Our couple's wedding shower.

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}
It was the first day of Prob & Stats in college. I of course being the nerd that I am was early - by a half hour - and was seated at a table chatting with my friend when he walked in. It was like it was out of a movie when I asked "who is that?" as he walked through the door in slow motion and found his way to our table. Before he got to us my friend Sara said, "that's Andrew Maier". I remember everything about that moment. He was wearing a light blue Old Navy t-shirt with dark blue trim, cut-off khakis, mowing shoes, and a backpack. Because his hair was long at the time - it's course and curly - it bounced. And I liked it!!! However, things didn't go very far that day since we were both dating other people at the time.

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}

We'll be married 4 years on April 11.

Rehearsal picture on our way out to dinner.

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding?
Small and big. Let me explain. Andrew and I were living in sin - that's sex before marriage. For some that may be a big deal, for others it's not. The truth is I had lived that way for a long time with my ex - we'll leave it at that - so for me it wasn't as big of a deal. However, I was involved in a bible study that totally convicted me and I felt like it was just the right thing for us since we were already engaged. So we got married early at my pastors house and went out to dinner with immediate family only to our favorite restaurant. It was so wonderful - just what I always wanted! So that's the small part.

The big part was a family and friends celebration where we renewed our vows and had a little brunch reception afterwards. The truth is I totally did that for my mom because that's what she wanted.

Our big wedding July 5, 2008.

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

Babe, baby, Maier, love, sweetheart, sweetie - just the typical I guess.

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

He works so hard to provide for us! He is a man of God. And he has a super hot body!!!

7. Tell us how he proposed?

Oh Lord, another long one...I was in the middle of my intern teaching. It was a Friday in November (I don't even remember the exact date - isn't that terrible??), and I had a hunch something was going down that day. Drew had a half day of school and I talked to my fifth grade class about it so they were on the look out all day for me. Low and behold at about 2:30 in the afternoon Drew shows up with a spare key to my car and puts something on the front seat. He looked around, got in his car and drove away. Around 4pm when I left school I was so excited and had absolutely no idea what he had planned. So I get in my car to find a bunch of white envelopes rubber banded together. It basically said to follow each instruction and not to skip ahead. I drove downtown and began my scavenger hunt. At the end I met him at a pavilion near the railroad tracks, by the river and he proposed. (BTW this story is so much better than I'm telling it right now.) Afterward, he led me up to Schu's Restaurant where he had a bottle of champagne, a basket of chocolate from the Chocolate Cafe, and spinach artichoke dip waiting for me. He even wrote me a song and played it on his guitar in front of everyone. (Side bar: my kindergarten teacher showed up to eat there that night, so I went over to her and told her who I was and she cried. It was so sweet to see her again.) Then to top off the night, he also had plans to take me to our favorite restaurant in New Buffalo - Brewsters. (The same place we went after we got married.) It was an awesome day!!!

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

Neither.

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

I like both, but I like to be wined and dined.

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant other one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

I want to go on a tropical vacation - all inclusive! But really, I want to make it a goal to go on a nice vacation every year, maybe rotate without kids, then with kids, without kids, with kids..... you get the idea.

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

We have no plans yet.

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

I really, really, really want a kitty. I've been talking to an adoption agency, so we'll see. This is Chloe the exact kitty I want.

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

Respect each other, we follow Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace (this really helped us), make time for each other, date, fight fair, and work hard to keep your relationship when it feels like there is nothing left to hold onto... Oops, that's more than one.