Our Love Story Part Three:: Dating!

In case you didn't catch part one and part two of our love story. :)

So after that wonderful night of Jon asking me to be his girlfriend I was floating on a cloud like any other girl... :)  The exact date was Sunday, July 26, 2009.  (Wait a second, that's TODAY's date!  Nice timing on this post, huh?  Happy three years since we started dating Jon!) :)  But back to three years ago, I ran inside and sat down at my parent's desktop computer.  I was so delighted that I quickly got on Facebook and changed my relationship status (it was about time!).  My mom heard noises and came out of her bedroom and asked if everything was okay, and I turned around.  Apparently the look on my face she knew.

"Jon asked you didn't he?"

"Yess!" :)

And that was that.  She was happy for me and I couldn't sleep!  So I played around on the internet for awhile and then went to bed.  I remember thinking that I wish there was something to call us that wasn't boyfriend/girlfriend.  When this culture here's that, most think of a "trial relationship."  Two people just seeing if they are compatible for one another.  However that wasn't us at all!  We knew we weren't going to break up.  I wasn't going to date someone until I knew most likely I would end up marrying the man, so I never dated....until Jon. :)

The next weekend we took our first "official" date by taking a walk.  We sat on a bench and talked for a very long time.  It was fun to look up at the stars and just chat about everything.  We both still talk about it.  I mention this part of our story because it will come in handy to be reminded of it later in our love story. :)

Shortly after becoming a couple, Jon took two different trips far away and not near a phone hardly at all.  It was awful!  Your so excited to finally start using new terms based on your relationship and you can hardly get a hold of one another.  But during that time I spent more time with the Lord and making plans for his birthday gift.  His birthday was September 20th and I was already starting it!  It started in June.  Almost every day I tried to write a journal entry to write down what I thought about him and how much I appreciated him.  I included some things that we were talking about that day or something special we did that day together to never forget. :)  His gift included a binder filled with the journal entries, writings that we wrote to one another, emails, and text messages.  I kept it all so we could have a keepsake.  Jon's love language is words and it was the best way I could think of that would show him how much I loved him.

I'm looking at that journal now to help add moments of our dating because it's hard to remember the details.  In mid-late August my friend Kate and I went up to Ames to help him and his cousins paint their new duplex.  That was the first time I met some of his extended family.  It went smoothly and I was so thankful Kate came along. :)

August 25, 2009 is called the unplanned day.  It was a Tuesday and Jon and I would have dates on as many Tuesdays as possible.  I worked in Ankeny so it was our halfway point for each of us.  He would meet me after work and take me out to eat, then we would window shop or hang out at a park.  Before heading home we were having a good chat and suddenly he just leans over and kisses me.
It was unplanned because we weren't planning to kiss yet. : /
He apologized and I couldn't say anything.  I prayed a silent prayer.  I told him I loved him but we needed to discuss it.  So we did.  His words were encouraging and by the end he walked me to my car and then right there in the dark night standing near a parking lot light he started to lead me in dancing.  Dancing?  Jon? And then we will never forget what happened next.  We crack up about it now, but then it kinda freaked us out.  A cop had pulled up and with his flashing lights asked us what we were doing.  We showed him our ID's and then he told us that he was just checking up on parking lots in the area.  Apparently there has been a lot of late night problems in the parking lots in the area and it was his job to check up on what was going on.
So, our first kiss and the day ended with the cops checking our ID's....something never forgotten!

September 1, 2009 we visited my sister in Ankeny and I got a chance to see him play with my nephews.  After the kids went to bed we stayed up talking.  They encouraged us to get married sooner rather than later.  If we knew we were going to get married, might as well not make the dating time last longer.  See, Jon was wanting to wait until he graduated from college (which ended up being this past May 2012).  My sister and her husband said, it's just going to get harder.  And they were so right!  It was getting hard!  After the chat we both went to get in our cars but Jon jumped in my back seat.  He told me it would be better that way. :)  We had a good discussion about timing and what we thought.  We decided getting married the next summer (2010) would probably be the best.  So that met getting engaged before Christmas. :)

September 6, 2009 was the first annual Tometich family reunion.  My dad's extended family decided to start a tradition where we all tried to get together the day before Labor Day each year and hang out by the lake (where a few family members have houses nearby).  This marks the first time Jon met my extended family.  It was a nice way to meet them the first time.  Everyone just having a picnic buffet and playing outdoor games.

The extended family 2009 (Jon and I on far left side)

The next day Jon joined my family and I to Adventureland.  It was a lot of fun!  Here's a couple pictures from our day. :)

Jon and I on skychairs

Britney (friend), Me (holding nephew Max), brother Ryan, and Jon

The weekend Jon had his birthday my family was planning on traveling to Kansas City.  My nieces first birthday party was that weekend.  Jon's birthday is the day before my niece.  He was so flexible and willing to go to KC for his birthday, and I appreciated it so much!  But he wasn't able to travel down until he was finished with a few things before the weekend so him and I traveled down separately.  So before we left I handed him his birthday gift.  He started to read it while I finished packing up and getting ready to leave.  It was a fun three-hour trip to KC with him--just Jon and I.  Here's some pics from our trip.

My niece, Evelyn on her birthday

Jon getting sung to on his birthday!  (Fudge sundae)

I stole a bite! :)  

Jon and I on his birthday

 October is kind of a blur of what we did as a couple.  I know Jon visited a lot and we had a lot of fun.  We enjoyed the weekends but I had to work on Saturdays.  That was always a bummer but sometimes he would visit me at work with my mom when she came to get gifts for the grandkids.

Thanksgiving is when I met his extended family.  It was a wonderful time of games and just hanging out getting to know them.

Jon and I (Thanksgiving 2009)

The Table (Jon's extended family)

Jon's immediate family (Jon's mom and his sister & her family)

December went by so quickly!  I worked retail and it was definitely a busy time! Plus Jon met with my dad to ask if he could marry his baby girl. :)  The moment he returned from going out to discuss things with my dad, I was doing laundry.  He walked into the room and I said, "So?"  And he told me, "Let's go look at rings!" :)  So we did.  It was a Wednesday and I had the day off (since I worked Saturdays) and he had the day off since school was out and he didn't have to work.  So went to Anglo and looked at rings.  It was SO SO SO surreal.

*Yes, I know.  I helped him pick out the ring.  He wanted to make sure if he spent money on it, I would REALLY like it! :)

So Christmas 2009 I was engaged....but that's for a new part of our Love Story.

Stay tuned for part four:: We're Engaged! :) <3 <3