5 Years Down, Countless More to Go: Courtney + Scott
Dear Scott -
The day we first met, you leaned in over the table in such a casual way that I didn't even notice you there talking to my close friend until I heard your laugh. I looked up to see you standing there, doing nothing particularly interesting or impressive to speak of but I felt the other sounds in the room drop away as if someone had pushed the mute button.
After you left, I whispered, "Who was THAT?", to the rest of the table. A couple weeks later after we were introduced officially, we sat watching a stand-up by George Carlin and became intoxicated off each other's laughter. I was happy. So happy I had a stomach ache from laughing.
It seemed as though your heart and my heart we very old friends. It is hard not to fall in love with someone when they end up seeing the mixed up parts of your soul, when they understand the darkest and dustiest corners of your mind, when it's four a.m. and they text because they know you can't sleep. It is hard not to fall in love with someone when they find beauty in people who are odd and imperfect, when they not only tolerate your quirks but celebrates them with you, and when they selflessly extend help and a sheltering word of advice to those around them, it is hard not to fall in love with them - with you.
Friday of last week marked our five year anniversary together and over the past five years of dating, I have found that there is so much more about you that I've come to love. Like . . .
- I don't know how you do it, but you always make me laugh when I'm trying to be cranky.
- I could lay next to you forever . . . or until we decide to go eat.
- Some days I'm a total disaster, and yet you still have the audacity to let me know that I'm beautiful.
- We can watch an episode of House Hunters and mock the ridiculousness of the homeowners, but still day dream about living in the house they eventually pick.
- I can never stay mad at you. Mostly because I just have too many things that I want to tell you.
- The way how on Sunday mornings you'll refill my coffee cup (sometimes without me having to ask you.)
- Sometimes you are the most difficult person to deal with. But other than that, I think you're pretty perfect.
- You have enormous dreams.
- You know how to listen.
- Some days I'm just too tired to think or speak properly and when that happens, I know I can count on you to correctly guess what I'm trying to say.
- The way you lift up your side of the warm blanket to let in my ice-cold feet.
- You are one of the few people who understand the pure joy of doing absolutely nothing.
- The way you help me and tell me it's going to be ok when I'm having one-of-those-days, like when I've had a flat tire(s), when my apartment building caught fire, when I was let-go from my first job out of college, when I'm sick and can't move, when while driving I get side-swiped by a semi-truck, when I slip on black ice and almost dislocate my shoulder, when my hub caps randomly fly off my car while driving, and when a creepy, crawly spider crosses my path.
- You keep me sane, but also drive me crazy in all the right ways.
- I really enjoy complaining to you, because if I'm like, "Nooooo! They don't have my favorite chips!", you'll be like, "Those Mother-Scratchers!" - and yes I love how we have our own inside language/words ("Oi with the poodles!")
You are the kindest, smartest, funniest, coolest guy on the planet. This has been such a fun adventure filled with so much love, excitement, and growing pains. I can't wait to see what our lives are like in another five years!
Here's to half a decade down, and many more to go together!
Love You Always,
Courtney
So many MANY thanks to my very talented friend Niki Marie Photography for these gorgeous images and for spending the afternoon with us on Belle Isle and in downtown Detroit!
