Our Love Story (Valentine's Link Up)

In the Spirit of Valentine's Day I'm linking up to share our love story.

Matt and I have been together for 3 years and 5 months. We have lived together exactly that long too (what can we say...we knew). 

Here are some fun old pictures...
(Our 2nd date -- Hollywood Studios...when it pours...go to guest relations and get a poncho!)

I love this picture. Back of the car with the boys on our way to Bubba Gumps at City Walk in Orlando. Right by my first apartment :)

Without these boys... I wish they were still together too. We still talk to them though :) Just talked to Kyle last night.

We said "I love you" when we got home while we were watching "The Notebook". The whole day we had been squeezing each others hands 3 x's I.Love.You. That's still our special thing. Matt does it all the time when no one would know. He does it when I'm crying, when I'm falling asleep, when we're watching tv, in the car. He doesn't like it if I say it out loud back instead of squeezing.
 Neither of us wanted to say it first all day but we both knew what the squeezes meant :)

To this day, our favorite date spot that we miss so much. "Beaches N Cream" at Disney's Boardwalk. Actually at Beach Club. We used to go get ice cream, eat it all...and then have air hockey competitions.

Matt and I met while we we were both working at Walt Disney World in Florida. I was in Entertainment dancing in parades when I met Matt and he was doing a Management Internship at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. My roommate, Kyle, and his roommate, Daniel, were dating and always trying to get us to go out with them. I was sort of dating someone (Matt says it wasn't dating) but knew it was going absolutely nowhere (ended it). I also knew from what the boys kept telling me that Matt was so sweet. I knew that if I met him and liked him, that it wouldn't be a little fling. I was afraid of being in a serious relationship and getting hurt again (the reason I moved to FL away from WI). I had Matt's phone number because Kyle gave it to me and we used to text each other funny things like "Oh man, the boys are sleeping over at your house tonight do you have your head phones?" ha. Kyle and I used to drink and then make up dances at like 1am and then call Matt to go on Facebook and watch them lol. So I drunk dialed Matt before we met in person. I'm so glad that he still wanted to meet me! Ha. Kyle and I used to get pretty silly. 

(me and Kyle)

One day I was with one of my other roommates (Elliot) and he was asking me why I didn't just call Matt...So...I text him, "date?" (we both knew the boys were trying to hook us up but didn't want to go with the boys...we still agree that if we did a double date we wouldn't have fallen in love because Matt wouldn't have talked to me...super shy.) He text me back "Margaritaville?" I text him back, "I'm not old enough, I'm 20." Ha! He text me back "...it's a restaurant. But how about mini golf?" I felt like an ass lol and then agreed Mini Golf sounded like a great idea! 

(me and my boyfriend. no really...that's me hugging matt. I mean Pluto hugging Matt.)

The next day (I think), we went to WinterSummerLand Mini Golf at Walt Disney World and shared a very awkward hug in the parking lot :) I remember that hug like it was yesterday. It was one of those....do I hug her?? do I shake her hand??..I went in for a hug so he had no choice ;)

Once we started mini golfing we totally hit it off, I remember thinking he was "SO funny!" and that I felt 100% safe and comfortable around him...a feeling like I would never hurt again. 'Til this day, Matt claims I told him "So I'm really touchy feely so if I touch you that's why." HA! I am not touchy feely. I guess I must have wanted to touch him lol. What a lame 20 year old line. Oh well, it worked...he asked me if I wanted to go to Downtown Disney's Ghirardelli to get ice cream. I did. I got in my car and immediately called my mom and said, "I know I said I thought this was going to be a date to meet a friend...I think it's way more than that and I like him SO much!!" My mom was excited for me and told me to keep her updated :) I also remember thinking he dressed really nice (he skipped a meeting that day and went to Gap) ha! I didn't even get ready until 5 minutes before when Kyle asked me "aren't you going to put make up on or do your hair?!!" ..."uh...sure." (came out in a babyT and skinny jeans). I really thought we were just going to be friends and that he thought I was crazy from all he had heard from Kyle and Daniel. 

We had a great conversation while eating ice cream and he held my hand in the parking lot on the way to the car. (major butterflies). 

I invited him over to watch a movie :) We went to my house and Kyle was home. He was super happy our date was lasting so long. He watched the movie with us for a little while (Top Gun..my pick...Matt fell in love) and then went to bed. We had our first kiss that night. I still argue that that was our best night of kisses we've ever had. I can seriously remember that night perfectly. 

Matt left at 2:30/3am and I had Block Party Bash rehearsal at 6am. I remember he text me, "you're amazing." that night. (HE'S amazing). 

(Our first date at Magic Kingdom. "Backpack Day". Our first picture together. I love that I'm wearing Matt's coat.)

The next day...we went to Magic Kingdom. Matt picked me up and had a backpack HA. He's never going to live this story down. I asked "Uh...why do you have a backpack?" "I thought you asked me to sleepover..." "Well, I didn't, but you can!!" Ha. We had an awesome day and he did sleepover. We drank Bud Light Lime and played games with Kyle and Daniel before we went to bed. That's when he started "That's my GIRL!" (in a funny ghetto voice) that he always says to me still now :) 

From that night on...September 9, 2008..we never spent a single night apart until April 2009 when I went home for Easter. I moved in with him and Daniel like 1 week later. It started with me bringing a suitcase over each week and then I eventually just fully moved in. I had nothing anyways (Kyle and I were sharing a room before that).   

We were engaged on May 17, 2009.

We got married on September 2, 2011. 

We have been married for 5 months and 5 days and have never been happier. He's the man of my dreams and I still can't believe I get to be with him forever. 

Matt and I don't have any nicknames for each other really. We call each other "honey" and when I hear him say "Chelsea" it's only when he's talking to someone about me or when he's mad. Sometimes we say "baby" too. 

The three things that I love most about Matt are...

Matt is always teaching me. Every single day I am learning from him. He is so smart. I wish he was able to see that like I do. My dad was just saying that to me today too. 

Matt is the most selfless person I know. I hope that I can learn to be that selfless. 

He makes me feel so safe. If I'm crying or sad all he has to do is hold me or hold my hand and I instantly feel better. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with him. 

Matt has the biggest heart.  I think that was more than 3...oops :)

(I look at this picture and see two grown ups. Two people very different than when they met at 20 and 22. I love this picture.)

Matt's not a teddy bear and flowers or a strawberries and champagne guy. He's a Disneyland, Ice Cream and Air Hockey competition guy with lots of hugs and kisses along the way...to me, that's way better.

Something I would love to do with Matt one day is visit each Disney park, go on a Disney Cruise and then end our trip in Hawaii at Disney's Aulani. Hehe wouldn't that be awesome!?

We don't have any plans yet for Valentine's Day. We do know we want to see "The Vow" and go to dinner we just don't know where yet.

One piece of advice I can give is to always say sorry. No matter how hard it is to say when you're mad. It means so much more when you say it and you are mad. When Matt and I get into arguments and I know he's right, I always let him know. It might not be right away. But we never let our fights linger. We always figure it out and talk through it. We like to talk through our fights laying in bed too. Fighting and holding hands makes it way easier. The second he holds my hand or hugs me it makes me remember why I love him so much and that I can't and don't want to stay mad. So...always talk it out, always say you're sorry. 

My love for Matt grows more and more everyday. He is the love of my life. When I think about our life together I am nothing but excited. We've only had 3 1/2 years together. What's it going to feel like we we celebrate 5, or 10, or 60? I can't wait to find out. For now I'm going to continue doing my absolute best to live in the now so I don't miss out on any of this. I love my husband so so much...