Whozzat?

This is the story of how I met Mr. Hyena, way back when we were young'ns.

Mr. H and I went to the same school since fifth grade, and never knew each other. In high school, most of my friends were in the marching band, so I spent a lot of time hanging out in the band hall in the mornings before class started, because that's where they all hung out. Mr. H was a percussionist. We had a lot of mutual friends.

We had several classes together senior year of high school, and we started talking more often. I thought he was cute, but we only really hung out at school. But Homecoming was coming! And neither of us had dates! One of my best friends told him that he should ask me to go with him as a friend, so one day as we walked down to the lunch line, he did.

Aww, look how cute he is. He was the Drum Captain! (October 2004)

After that night, for the rest of senior year we stayed up until 1 or 2 in the morning instant messaging/flirting with each other every night. He stayed after class and helped me with my calculus homework (I am math stupid). I started getting to the band hall earlier and earlier every morning to hang out with him before school started.

Then, in March, he asked me to go to prom with him, as his date. Soon after, he asked me to be his girlfriend.

It's official! (April 2005)

So, here we were, a month before high school graduation, together at last. I had applied and been accepted to go to the University of Oklahoma, and he was going to Texas A&M. Schools that were six hours apart.

It's interesting to look back at these photos, because this is the last picture I think I have of us where he's not wearing glasses.

We wanted to make a long-distance relationship work, so at the end of the summer, we packed up and went to our separate colleges. We tried to meet up every five or six weeks, either back in our hometown or in one of our college towns.

Mr. Hyena visiting me in Oklahoma, January 2006

My first midnight yell in College Station, November 2006

We never could justify transferring. His school didn't have a journalism/advertising program at the time, and A&M's aerospace engineering program was better than OU's. We remained long distance for the entirety of college.

Oh, did I mention that his family moved, so we weren't even in the same town over summers and holidays?

So after four years ...

Our four-year anniversary, March 2009

... we both graduated college, and I moved to College Station. Finally together again!

How long did you date your fiancé before you got engaged?

(all personal photos)