All About Us

In honor of Valentine's Day, I'm going to copy a little questionnaire that I have seen on a few other blogs and on Facebook. All your burning questions about Jonathan and I, answered.

What are your middle names? Carol and Andrew

How long have you been together? We met at Jonathan's parents house on December 27, 2000 (the same date that my parents met!). A group of OBU students was headed up to Colorado to spend our winter break working as ticket scanners and lift operators at Breckenridge, and we met at the Poe home before caravaning to the mountains. Jonathan had that "love at first sight" moment when he walked into his kitchen and saw me sitting at the table. So that was just over 8 years ago?

How long did you know each other before you started dating? Even though we went to the same small university, Jonathan and I had never met. I was friends with his brother, so I knew who Jonathan was and had checked him out from afar a time or two. He noticed me during Freshman orientation when I performed in a skit. (Senior checking out a freshman at orientation...such a cradle robber ;) Even though sparks were flying the entire time we were in Colorado, I would say we were "official" in early February, about a month after first meeting.

Who asked who out? When we returned to OBU after our time in Colorado, Jonathan asked me out on a date for that first weekend of the new semester. It was an amazing day: breakfast, hanging out at Barnes and Noble (my favorite), lunch at Ted's with one of his best friends and his wife, a trip to the park, a movie, dinner, and a first kiss under the stars. The boy is smooth.

How old were each of you when you met? I was 18, he was 22.

How old are each of you now? I am 26, he is 29 (30 this summer...crazy!)

How long did you date before becoming engaged? We dated for about 3 years before getting engaged. We were engaged for 9 months. (Met December 2000, Engaged October 2003, Married July 2004). Although Jonathan purchased my ring about a year before he proposed, so the whole "how long did you date" thing probably felt longer to him!

How tall are each of you? Ummm...I'm about 5'4 and he is about 5'9 or 6'. I'm a terrible height estimator!

Whose siblings do you see the most? We see his brother Todd more often. My brother is in the Air Force so we have not had the opportunity to live close to him and his wife. We wish we lived closer!

Do you have any children together? Not yet!

What about pets? The lovely Weber

Did you go to the same school? We went to different high schools but the same college.

Are you from the same hometown? Nope. I'm from Fort Smith, AR and he is from Midwest City, OK

Who is the smartest? We are smart in different ways. His optometry school stuff makes em want to lose my lunch or cry every time I look at it, and yet I am more of a reader/writer/ word-smart person.

Who is the most sensitive? Hmm...that is a tough one. Jonathan is incredibly sensitive when it comes to other people. He always hurts for the underdog. I can be sensitive personally, but have grown a lot in that area (and it feeling sensitive toward others) since marrying him.

Where do you eat out most as a couple? We really enjoy trying different places as much as possible, but our current faves are Cafe Eclectic and Memphis Pizza Cafe.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? We went to Australia and New Zealand last winter. We also backpacked Europe together for two months in the summer of 2005 and hit England, France, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Who does the cooking? I do, not because he can't but because I love it. Though he does most of the grilling.

Who is more social? I am definitely the more outgoing of the two of us, but Jonathan really values people and friendships, just in more small-group settings. One of the things I admire most about him is that he is great at initiating and building deep friendships with other guys. That is so rare!

Who is the neat-freak? I go through spurts of neat-freakness. Jonathan is more consistently neat.

Who hogs the bed? I do! I am a ridiculous cover-hog.

Who wakes up earlier? He does. He is crazy disciplined and I am a tad on the lazy side when it comes to getting out of bed.

Who has the bigger family? Probably about the same.

How do you spend the holidays? We try to alternate between families.

Who is more jealous? Probably Jonathan. Although he would never say a word unless someone really crossed the line. One of the things I really appreciated about our dating relationship (and now our marriage) is that Jonathan was totally cool with me maintaining my friendships with my guy friends. I know that was difficult for him at times (since he was not on campus while we were dating) but he always said that he would not let his own selfishness affect my college experience. I am so thankful for that and have great friendships today to show for it.

Do you have little pet names for each other? Babe, honey, sweetie...pretty typical. Weber, on the other hand, has tons of nicknames: Puppa, Pookah, etc. A few weeks ago Jonathan got so annoyed with my random assortment of nicknames for the dog that he started calling her "Sweatpants" just to prove how ridiculous I was. "Here, Sweatpants! Good girl, Sweatpants!" Point taken.

How long did it take to get serious? Jonathan was serious from day one; he totally pursued me and was very patient. I, on the other hand, was a bit on the immature side at the beginning of our relationship. It took a brief break-up during my sophomore year for me to get my act together, and during our first date after that separation I knew without a doubt that he was the one.

Who eats more? This is a point of contention between us. Jonathan is a total grazer; he never quite outgrew the afterschool-snack phase. So when we sit down to a meal, I tend to eat more than he does and he says he's full. Which is maddening to me. Until I realize that before I took one bite he had already consumed a banana with peanut butter, two bowls of cereal, some chips and salsa, and a beer.

Who sings better? Jonathan has an absolutely gorgeous voice. His entire family is like the VonTrapps. No joke. When we get together there is inevitably going to be some singing, especially at Christmas (and often into the phone in order to leave melodic voicemails for family members who could not attend). Thank goodness I took one year of high school choir and learned the harmony lines to "Joy to the World" and "Silent Night" or I would be in trouble!

Who’s older? Jonathan. I'm a big advocate for older guys!

Who does the dishes? I do, though he makes the occasional contribution. I've been trying to institute the "whoever doesn't cook does the dishes" system, but to no avail. Perhaps after optometry school?

Who snores? Jonathan is a heavy breather, which can cross over into the snoring category if he is sick.

Who’s better with the computer? Thanks to his days in finance, he's got mad skills with Excel. He refuses to join Facebook and occasionally catches up on my blog! He is determined to resist the technology takeover!

Who drives? Jonathan usually drives when we are together because I can't stand his backseat driving!

Who kissed who first? He kissed me in the parking lot of Shawnee Middle School. What can I say? Our college didn't allow guys in our rooms, so parking lot dancing under the stars is the next best thing!

Who eats more sweets? We're probably tied. Give me french fries over ice cream any day!