The Very Begining

So, as I was thinking about what to type up for our 700 "Likes" post on Facebook, I had a couple things in mind.  I will just mention my first idea, well, first.  Then go into the actual story I had intended.  So everyone knows since I left my former telecom job I have been trying to find a permanent home again.  Well, I was unemployed first for 9 months before I found a 90 temp custodian job at Mayo.  Well, 90 days turned into 9 months but then I was laid off yet again.  So it has now been 6 months since then and I have been still doing online school and job hunting and I think now I may have finally found my home......Again at Mayo.  On Wed the 15th, I had an interview at Mayo and on the 17th I was asked if I wanted to accept the offer.  I jumped on it and once I know more, I will surely update everyone on the adventures that ensue.

Maybe This was why I got laid off the first time???

So, onto the meat and potatoes.  Alot of people already know about Shell and I today but I was looking back through previous entries and saw that no one knows how we met.  Well, time to fill you all in on this story.

It all started back in January of 2005.  I had my own house in Dodge Center and was working at a local screen printing shop in Kasson.  I had been living in the house since the Fall of 2003 and had pretty much gotten to living on my own.  One night a couple days after my birthday, I was on Yahoo looking at all sorts of different profiles and one seemed to stick with me.  Her profile name was Seussie Roo and the thing that really stuck with me was her hobbies.  It said that one of her hobbies was " Nailing Jell-o to the wall".  Normally, I would just say "Um,OK" but for some reason, this idea made me stop and I actually tried to visualize how one would go about doing that.  So I happened to see she was online and we started chatting.

This was the First pic I ever got of Shell

What I did not know was when we started chatting, it would go on for hours on end.  After some period of time, it moved from the computer to the phone.  And we stayed up even later chatting.  I believe at our longest one night we chatted on the phone for 8 hours straight.......Don't ask me how but we did.  Well, after doing that for a period of time, one night/morning be both decided it was time to meek so I found myself jumping in the shower at 3:30 am and getting ready to head into Roch.  We met then at a local 24/7 restraunt and it started off with both of us being kind of shy.  But after some time, we warmed up and were talking like we did over the phone. 

2 Crazy Kids

So after breakfast I ended up crashing at Shells house and then from then on, we started hanging out more and more until one day it was decided that I should just move to Roch then sell my house.  The first part of the challenge was getting Oliver and the cats to meet since neither Oliver nor the cats had ever met opposite animals before.  Lets just say it ended up with Oliver very freaked out, the cats went into hiding, and my new shorts were torn to shreds. However, once we got the cats moved to Roch, everyone settled in and the cats became the rulers of the house while Oliver (to this day) lives in fear of the cats.

Oliver in fear of Bubby

 After together for about a year, I decided it was about time to claim Shell as all mine.  So Aug of 2006, We were on a trip to the cities for the weekend.  I had the ring the whole time and it was totally nerve racking to figure out when and where to pop the question.  My first idea was we were eating at a restraunt in Hopkins but then at the last minute I decided I didn't want to do that.  So we went to Como Zoo and that is where I got the idea after we went through the conservatory.  There was a secluded spot with a fountain so after we went through, I told her I wanted to go back and take a couple more pictures of the area.  So we went back and sat on the bench for a bit and I could tell Shell was getting impatient and wanted to go.  Just then, I saw a penny on the ground and gave it to shell and told her to throw it into the fountain and make a wish.  So she closed her eyes and threw it and when she opened then, I was on my knees with the box open and the ring showing.......Needless to say, she lit up like a Christmas tree and I did not even have to ask, she said YES right away.  Our romantic day then ended with us going to the Science Museum and seeing the Bodies exhibit. I know............ nothing says romance like seeing preserved dead bodies.

This was the area where I proposed

This was Shell after I proposed

Given that I proposed in Aug, we planned the wedding for Dec of 2007 so it gave us a good year to plan and buy what we needed.  We decided a December wedding because both Shell and I are huge fans of not only Christmas but of that time of year as well.  The biggest memory I have of the planning was getting all the materials we wanted.  We ended up staking out stores to see when their Christmas items would hit the 75% off after Christmas sale mark.  One morning in mind was we were in Wal-mart at like 4:30 or 5am and we had a shopping cart with 6 Christmas trees of various sizes in it and Shell had a cart with other odds and ends in it as well.  The cashier must have thought " Man, these guys REALLY love Christmas". 

Needless to say, the planning and the wedding itself went on without drama.  We were even blessed enough to have a fresh coat of snow the night before so everything was nice and white the next day.  We had our wedding at St. Johns Catholic Church in Rochester with the reception following at the 4-H building in Roch as well.  We had rooms at the Hampton Inn and I thought once we left the reception we would be able to go back to our room and just relax after such a long day.  Well, needless to say, my brothers were also staying there as well and they had other ideas.  About 15 mins after we got there, a knock at the door happened.  Here it was 2 of my brothers, each with a 24 pack in hand and they did not think it was time for us to sleep yet.  That was at around midnight.......They ended up leaving around 3 or 4am. 

Saying "I Do"

At the Reception

Post reception.......Can we sleep yet??

So, that's the story of how me and Shell met.  If I had it to do over again, I would not change a thing.......Well, maybe I would not have answered the doors when my brothers knocked, but other then that, nothing.  Shell is my best friend and the person I most look forward to having a family with and growing old with.  I may not say this as often as I should but I know I am the luckiest guy in the world everyday.

My BFF!!!!