A Christmas Story

Christmas 2008

We've already had two Christmases together, this man and I.

The first year, we were still dating (just two months in!), and I invited him to my parent's house in Pocatello to spend the holiday.  It was Christmas Eve 2008 and Kyle was sick and I was driving and the snow was snowy. 

Before we left, I figured this trip was either going to make or break our relationship, seeing as how we'd be spending more than an ample amount of time together. And then, you know, he'd be meeting my family (!) and he'd see me without makeup (!!)

After about two hours of driving, we realized that I had, indeed, missed the turn-off to Pocatello and we were well on our way to Boise.  Boise!  Boise=the other side of Idaho from where we were supposed to be.  So lame.  It had started to snow harder and we had to backtrack an hour just to get going the right direction again.  And this time we could only go about 40 mph on the freeway.  Kyle insisted on driving from that point on...  (and, you know, he still does most of the time).

Nothing had seemed to go right.  We arrived hours later than planned, Kyle was suffering from a cold, and the snow had gotten worse.  But the few extra hours in the car made for great conversation and lasting memories. 

It was being together that Christmas that made me fall in love.  He didn't know it at the time (maybe I didn't either?), but all those hours driving in the car, getting to know each other on a deeper level made me see him in a different way. 

More than just a boyfriend, more than just a fun guy, more than just a hottie. 

More than just a rock star at heart and a Boise State fanatic.

More than just a communication major.

More than just a basketball/baseball/Scrabble star.

That Christmas was especially great.  My parents loved Kyle and my mom nursed him back to health.  The snow was so deep, we bundled up and snowshoed around the neighborhood.  We built a snow cave in the backyard.  We made snow angels together.  We had a snowball fight.

So sometimes things don't go as planned: you make a wrong turn, the weather gets sucky, someone gets sick, someone else looks sick without makeup...  But sure enough, those times sometimes end up being some of the most memorable.  At least they are for me.

Merry Christmas, Kyle.