Our Story | In The Beginning

It was evening as she walked into her first classroom experience. She was 18 years old. Scared and nervous for this new adventure. After being homeschooled all her life, she didn’t know what to expect. She quickly found a seat that was next to a girl she barely knew. Prior to her showing up, there was a young man who at the age of 21 was looking around the room wondering how good this class would be. He was sitting next to an old friend who he had known all his life. He noticed the young girl walk in with all her nervousness. He immediately said to himself, “I’m going to marry that girl someday.”

And that is the beginning of our love story. 🙂

Grant and I had both signed up for the EMT class the same year. We lived in the same town just roughly 10 minutes north and south of I44. We had never met before that evening in August of 2008. I am not even sure we really talked that first evening. I still tell Grant there was no way he knew that I was the girl he wanted to marry as he knew nothing about me. But, he claims it is. And I believe him. 🙂

My first impression of Grant? Well, I don’t remember what my first thought of him was. I do remember thinking that he was the only normal guy in our class. He was the guy who had the answers to all the questions and didn’t mind speaking up. He was smarter than me. I was scared half to death that I would have to talk in class. Side note: In case you were wondering, I used to be extremely shy around anyone new. I was only my silly self around family and close friends.  I think the instructor had some compassion for me as he would ask simple questions like, “What time is 2100 hours?” And I would look blankly for the few seconds it took for Grant to turn around in his chair and hold up nine fingers. Yes, that really did happen. And if you’re wondering, I do know military time now. 😉

I remember the first time we had to check each other’s blood sugar. When Grant took my hand, I noticed his hands were shaking super bad. Understandably so, he was about to stab his “future wife” in the finger with a lancet. I don’t remember  what I said but I remember giving him a hard time about it. And that finger pricking was the first time we “held hands”. We were quite the romantics.

At one point in the practical side of our class, I was put on a backboard with a c-collar in place and my head strapped to the board. I was then carried outside and propped up against a school bus so everyone could get a picture. Thank goodness for Grant coming to rescue me as I started to fall and couldn’t help myself. Basically he was my hero from the start.

Grant remembers that I found out he was doing a clinical day on the ambulance on Halloween and I asked to be put on the same day. I guess I couldn’t help wanting to be on the same day with a guy who was the nicest in our class.

One last story of Grant saving the day. Several times after class, a few of us students would go and grab a bit to eat. Little did I know, this was Grant’s way of getting to spend a little more time with me. Seriously, I was completely clueless. This particular time we were meeting at Taco Bell. As I went to pull into the parking lot, I caught the curb with my tire and blew it out. Completely flat. Grant again  came to my rescue by changing the flat tire and not complaining one bit. I thought it was pretty amazing that he didn’t just think I was some crazy girl that didn’t know how to drive. I was more than a little embarrassed by the incident. Instead though, he’s thinking how it’s one more way he can impress me. And clearly he did. That memory has remained with me these last 10 years!

But I only have one picture from our class and it was when we went to Springfield to test for our practicals. And forgive how terrible quality this picture is, but it only seemed right to share one from the beginning. 🙂

And if you didn’t guess already, we’re the two in the middle. 😉 

If you ever wish to hear our love story in person, Grant is amazing at telling it. He will have you crying you’re laughing so hard. 🙂

To read the second part to Our Story, check it out here: An Adventure