Where It All Began....

For those of you who know us, you know that Ryan and I are 3rd grade sweethearts....and for those of you who don't know....well, Ryan and I are 3rd grade sweethearts. Ha!

It all started in 3rd grade, when I moved with my mom to St. Matthews, SC. I had just turned 9 years old and was moving from Cleveland, Mississippi to South Carolina in the middle of the school year.

When I got to school, the secretary walked me down to the library, where the class I would be a part of, was listening to a story. The first person I laid my eyes on was a cute little blond boy who turned around and clapped for me, with the biggest smile on his face. I will never forget that sweet smile and that cute little Buster Brown haircut on that sweet little boy...

That little boy was named Ryan Price and he became my best friend that year in school. We sat next to eachother, played on the playground together at recess, and I tried my hardest to get him to play kiss chase at recess....never had any luck though....

The school year flew by, and I went back to Mississippi to be with my Dad for the summer. I ended up staying in Mississippi and living with my dad...I had grown up there and that's where all of my friends were. But Ryan and I kept in touch for a few more years, writing letters and an occasional phone call.

To make a long story short, my friend Anne Wimberly (The Holman Family blog) re-introduced us to each other 13 years later. (I met her at Auburn Univ. and she led me back to Ryan)...and the rest is history.

I wanted to share this picture of a letter Ryan wrote me when we were 9 years old. My mom had it framed and displayed at our wedding...it now hangs in our den and is my most prized possession in my house. Ryan wrote this letter as I left SC to return to Mississippi. The pictures beside the letter and envelope are our 3rd grade pictures, so that we can remember what we looked like during that time.....no wonder I couldn't get him to play kiss chase on the playground...would YOU kiss that hideous haircut?!?!?! Sheesh!

So, this is where it all began...in the 3rd grade...with a little girl from Mississippi and little boy from small town South Carolina...

..and by the way.. I finally DID get that kiss on the playground. When Ryan proposed to me, he took me back to the very playground we played on together in the 3rd grade.... :)