It started with a leather jacket....

All I remember from the first time seeing my husband was the fact that he had this leather jacket (or shall I say bomber jacket) on with these large aviator sunglasses. He walked through the building I was working at and gave me a small wave and a hello and then he was off. I remember thinking "who the heck was that, and what was with the jacket?" I asked some friends of mine and they told me who he was and what house he was working in. (We were working with children and adults with developmental disabilities at the time) He worked 40 hr weekends at a home whereas I was working as a one on one with a girl that had autism. We were both working a ton of hours, and I was looking to pick up extra hours whenever I could. Well, I got a call early one Saturday morning and they needed me at the house where Jake was working. I got called to work a 12 hr shift with him and needing the overtime, I accepted. I headed over there and thus where the love affair began...not so much...Jake and I think back to those days and laugh because he was one tough cookie. Jake was a very hard worker and didn't take his job lightly (like a lot of people we worked with) He was so good with those residents, they loved him, and he did his best to make sure they were cared for and comfortable. This being one of the reasons I fell for him.
Now the reason I say he is a tough cookie is because he just was so short with me, he didn't really talk too much...it was the old adage "if they are mean to you, they like you" (which is referenced quite hilariously in the movie "He's Just Not That Into You", that is a MUST SEE! GREAT movie!) Anyway, point being, he would pick at me, he teased me and purposely tried to get under my skin...mature, right? He tells me now that he did like me, he just might have went about it the wrong way...but not really b/c I did marry him.
Jake was living in Champaign Illinois at the time and I was living in Charleston. It was about a 45 min drive. I had mentioned to him one night at work that I was going to be in Champaign and he told me that I should stop by he and his roomate's place, well of course I wanted to. I was crushing on him hard despite his childish behavior, and I wanted so badly to hang out with him outside of work. Well, he wrote me up this elaborate map to get to his place and I tucked it in my pocket and we made plans to meet up. I was thrilled. I drove up the next night, and called him when I got there (not before I called my mom freaking out b/c I was so nervous) He told me to meet him at a coffee shop in town and so I did...I remember what he was wearing when he walked in. I remember the look on his face. I remember thinking that there is so much more about him I want to know. I remember thinking, Dear God, please let this be the right move...please don't let me get my heart broken again...that night, February 23 exactly 3 years ago today was my husband and mine's first date. It was the night that fell head over heels for him, not the night I fell in love, but the night I realized I could. Thank you God for putting Jake into my life, thank you for answering that prayer.

Oh and side note....that leather jacket was hid away never to be seen again when I came into the picture...I can't begin to tell you how NOT cute this jacket is....awful, just awful. God love him...