Anniversary

This past Saturday, April 4, was a special day for me and Jason. Saturday marked 10 years since the first day we started dating! That's right - an entire decade of Jason & Heather! So, to honor that special day that took place on April 4, 1999, I thought I would share our story.

In fall 1997, Jason and I moved into Anderson College as freshmen. Now, I think I should pause for a moment here and say that earlier that year, in the spring of 1997, Jason and I both, without knowing each other or even meeting that day, went to Gardner-Webb University one Saturday to interview for a scholarship. That college was the first choice for both of us, but neither of us got the scholarship and each ended up choosing AC as our second choice since the GWU scholarship was the determining factor in whether or not each of our families would be able to afford an out-of-state school. Was God going to make sure our paths crossed or what? Anyway, we both enrolled at AC and settled into our college lives. We were having a blast and making new friends, and I was pretty seriously dating someone who I was traveling home on a regular basis to see on the weekends.

Sometime during that fall, one of the girls on my hall developed a crush on a guy in one of her classes. Alllllll we heard about was Jason Burley, Jason Burley, Jason Burley. Really, I got tired of hearing about Jason Burley. One day several of us were hanging out in her room, and she invited Jason Burley and his friends to hang out as well. Now, keep in mind, Jason Burley was not at all interested in her (although I didn't know this at the time, and really didn't care since I had a boyfriend), but he and his friends came over just to hang out and have a good time. When the guys got there, we headed downstairs to be introduced to Jason Burley. When I saw him (serious boyfriend aside!) my first thought was, "If she gets him, I'm going to be mad because he is way too cute for her!" That was the start of many days and nights of hanging out as a group with Jason Burley and his friends.

Jason and me with some of our friends during freshman year

I don't really have any clear cut timeline from this point, but I do know as the months went on and the group changed, I remained friends with Jason and his two best friends, Jason Jones and Jordan. Over that time, there was a flirtation that developed between me and Burley (there were two Jasons in the group, we had to have some sort of distinction!). However, there wasn't anything serious. Although if Jason tells the story, he wanted there to be but I didn't have any intentions of breaking up with my then boyfriend. So, I continued the long distance relationship, and he dated a few different girls here and there. I remember distinctly being jealous our sophomore year when the new class came in and the guys started hanging out with some new cute freshmen girls. Again, Jason's story is, he wasn't getting anywhere with me, so he figured he better move on.

Sometime during that year, after he broke up with one of those cute freshmen girls he dated for a while, the flirtation got a little more serious. We started spending time together, just the two of us, talking on the phone, doing a little secret hand holding, and going out for drives together and spending hours talking. We even had our first kiss during that time, which was so great it should have convinced me right then and there to dump the other boy! I think Jason decided it was now or never, so he stepped up his wooing a bit, and I started finding roses on my car from a "Secret Admirer" and "mysterious" notes in my mailbox. His extra efforts were definitely working, because I was taking notice and feeling conflicted since I was still dating the guy from home. I know, I know ... I was a bad girlfriend. I think the breaking point finally came when I realized I was feeling guilty for going on dates and spending time with my actual boyfriend, because I was thinking of Burley all the time. So, finally on April 3, I broke it off with the old boyfriend after a very strained date, came home, and IMed Jason to let him know (IM ... ha ha! This was definitely 10 years ago!). We officially started dating the next day ... and I had to train myself to start calling him Jason instead of Burley!

Some dating pictures

We had such a fun time dating in college. I think sometimes we even were "that" couple that made people gag. But, we had a great time together. In 2000, I graduated AC a year early, leaving Jason with one more year while I went on to graduate school at Winthrop. I'm not really sure what started happening around August of 2000 when we both started back to school but things got kind of weird with us. In October, which is the time I lovingly like to say Jason lost his mind, Jason broke up with me. I was devastated and was very depressed for a few months. Finally, around Christmastime, a few of my RA's at Winthrop introduced me to some guys they knew. We went around to their apartment a few times to hang out, and I think they were interested in setting me up with one particular guy named Toby. Toby was cute and had just broken up with his girlfriend. The thing that sealed my interest in him was when he and some of his roommates came to our residence hall and serenaded us with Christmas carols. I had found another guy who could sing, so I was sold. Things never got off the ground with Toby, though, because one night while I was getting ready to go to his apartment with the girls, I heard a message pop up on my IM and guess who it was ... Jason. I tried to act very cool and nonchalant, while informing him I was on my way out for the night to see another boy, but by the time we left for Christmas break that year, he had already made a visit to Rock Hill, took me on a date, and won me back. What can I say? I can't resist him!

The following year on December 14, 2001, we went out for dinner and to see the Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks in Columbia. We came back to his parents' house, sat on his front porch swing, and he gave me an early Christmas present. I opened it to find a scrapbook, the first page completed with pictures of the two of us and a title that said, "Just the Beginning . . ." As I was sitting there still trying to figure out what was going on, he got down on his knee and asked me to be his wife. Of course, there was no hesitation. I said, "Yes!" and we were married almost exactly 6 months later on June 15, 2002. We moved back to Anderson where Jason had his first music minister's job, I finished my final year of graduate school, we moved into our first home in June 2003, had our precious Camryn in February 2006, and made our first big move as a family in August 2008.

The night we got engaged

Wedding Day

We didn't get to do anything special on Saturday to celebrate, but this weekend, we have a date night planned to go to PF Chang's while Camryn spends the night with my sister and brother-in-law (insert big thanks here to Lindsay and Justin who are almost 30 weeks pregnant for agreeing to keep our little ball-of-fire!). In addition, my sweet husband surprised me Sunday by informing me that after dinner on Friday, we will be staying at the Marriott Renaissance in Charlotte overnight! I knew I made a good decision when I started dating him 10 years ago!

A Burley Drama

Scene: Sunday afternoon, April 5

5:50 pm - Daddy kisses the girls goodbye on the way out the door to Student Choir practice. Daddy tells Mommy he'll text as soon as the youth decide where they want to eat after practice so 3 year old and Mommy can meet them all there.

6:00 pm - 3 year old asks to go outside and blow bubbles. Good mommy smiles sweetly and says sure. Mommy and daughter exit to the backyard.

6:05 pm - Mommy realizes she should probably get her cell phone so she'll get Daddy's text and know when we should start getting ready.

6:05 and 30 seconds - Try to go back inside and realize the door is locked. Annoyed Mommy thinks to self, "Are you kidding me?"

6:06 pm: Mommy, with nose pressed firmly against the back door glass, gazes longingly at cell phone which is sitting within sight on the coffee table.

6:07 - 6:15 pm - Mommy walks back and forth between the front door and back door turning the handles over and over again as if they will somehow miraculously unlock. Consider going to the next door neighbors' house to ask to use their phone but realize I just woke up from a nap, haven't brushed my hair, am wearing pajama pants and am barefoot. Decide this isn't the best way to introduce myself to the neighbors.

6:16 pm - Determine this isn't so bad. We'll sit here for an hour and surely Daddy will come home to check on us before he goes to eat when Mommy doesn't answer texts or calls.

6:17 pm - 3 year old delivers this line, "Mommy, I have to poopie." Panicked Mommy declares she can hold it.

6:18 pm - Go back to the front of the house to check under the mat for an extra key that I know is not there.

6:19 pm - Head back to the deck, round the corner of the house, and hear the 3 year old declare more words about the poopie situation that I will not repeat here but that lets Mommy know immediate action must be taken.

6:20 pm - Go under the deck, order her to squat and go on the ground. Disgusted Mommy thinks, "This cannot be happening. Oh, please Lord, do not let the neighbors see us!"

6:21 pm - Child poops in my backyard, it isn't pretty, use her p-an*nties to wipe her, throw them away in the dumpster, and wash my hands with the bubbles that started this whole fiasco. Refuse to go to the spigot at the back of the house to wash my hands because there was a dead bird there last week.

6:25 pm - 6:45 pm - swing, slide, blow bubbles, spill bubbles, play Cinderella, play pirates, sing, and talk about school.

6:46 pm - Start gazing longingly at the phone once again hoping someone will call soon.

Somewhere before 7:00 - see the phone light up, so I know either Daddy or one of the youth is trying to make contact. Sit back down to play a little longer, assured Daddy will be home soon.

7:15 pm - No Daddy. Hoping practice is just running a little late. Try the door once more and hear 3 year old say behind me, "Mommy, the door is locked" with that "duuhhh" quality to her voice.

7:20 pm - 3 year old delivers her next line with assurance in her voice: "Mommy, I've got to pee pee." Squat in the yard once again, say another prayer that the neighbors are blinded to our activity, and feel assured we are ready for any future summer camp experiences.

7:25 pm - Begin to lose hope that someone will come to check on us before they go to the restaurant. Annoyed Mommy is appearing. 3 year old is starting to ask to go inside.

7:35 pm - Start to wonder what they are eating tonight because surely they have gone without us.

7:40 pm - Start to wonder how long dinner will last tonight because all the youth are on Spring Break and wouldn't necessarily have to be home early.

8:00 pm - Back door swings open and panicked Daddy is standing there wondering what happened to us. He figured Mommy decided not to go after all (since Mommy does this sometimes) or that Mommy left her phone in a place where she couldn't hear it (since Mommy does this a lot) and was quite worried when he came home, saw the car still in the garage, all the lights out in the house, and couldn't find anyone anywhere.

8:02 pm - Exasperated Mommy says, "We've been locked out since 6:00, so obviously we've been right HERE!" For emphasis, Mommy very deliberately points finger downward as she emphatically delivers the word HERE, therefore whacking the 3 year old in the top of the head because I didn't realize she was standing right beside me.

8:03 - Worried Daddy, exasperated Mommy, and crying 3 year old enter house.

The End

Coupons, Coupons, Everywhere!

I bought 5 Sunday papers yesterday. This is a picture of the coupon cutting and organizing I did this morning. Some of these stacks are 4 and 5 coupons deep. Good thing I'm on Spring Break this week and have all this free time on my hands!

Another Savings Story

OK - last savings story for a while, and I promise we will go back to our regularly scheduled blogging!

I don't wear panty hose that often, but some occasions just call for them. Clipped 2 $1.00 off coupons from the Sunday paper for No Nonsense hose, found out Wal-Mart has them priced for $1.00. Paid $0.14 (the tax) for 2 pair of black panty hose tonight. Also, apparently in some regions, people are also finding $1.00 off coupons in the hose package, so it's like recycleable deal - the more you buy, the more you get practically free. Unfortunately, I didn't find extra coupons in my packages!

If you'd like to check out where I'm educating myself on all of this coupon stuff and where I'm finding out about all these great deals, here are my favorite sites:

Your Coupon Buddy

I also emailed this lady with a question, and she was great to get back to me quickly and give me a great answer!

Southern Savers

Money Saving Mom

Coupon Cravings

It's Hip 2 Save!

Probably my favorite of the five. Check out this post HERE where she got $280 worth of stuff for $25.16 while Kmart was doubling coupons. AMAZING!

More Great Savings

I know I am boring some of you to tears with my coupon stories. But, I had to share my latest money saving venture. On Tuesdays, the grocery store ads come in our mail. So, last night, while Jason and I watched TV, I sat down with the ads and my coupons. I found out Bi-Lo doubles coupons (up to $0.99) any time you use your Bi-Lo card, so I did some strategic planning, and here's what I got. By the way, everything I bought is something that is currently in our pantry, so these are things we would buy anyway that I happened to get a great deal on by putting a little time into checking the ads and coupons!


Nature's Valley Granola Bars
On sale 2/$5.00
Used 2 $0.60 coupons which both DOUBLED (actually, it wasn't supposed to b/c the coupon plainly said "Do Not Double" but the computer did it anyway ... noticed this when I got to the car)
$1.30 each after coupon


Crystal Light On the Go Drink Mix-In
On sale Buy 1 Get One Free
Used 2 Buy 2 Get One Free coupons
6 boxes for $1.20 each after coupon


Barilla Whole Grain Pasta
On sale 10/$10
Bought 2 boxes at $1 each
Used 2 $0.50 off coupons which both DOUBLED
Final Cost: 2 boxes for FREE

Barilla Pasta Sauce
On sale 2/$4
Used 2 $0.55 off coupons which both DOUBLED
$0.90 each after coupon


Subtotal before coupons and store special savings: $35.98
Total Savings: $24.44
Total (with tax) After Savings: $11.72


That's a savings of almost 70%!

I also went to Wal-Mart and used the 2 $1.50 off coupons I had for Kraft Salad Dressing and walked out with two bottles for $0.19. The sad thing was I did the self check-out thing because the line was so much shorter, so I didn't even get to impress the cashier!