How We Met

The boring version is that Chris and I met at work in Arizona, in the early months of 2006, dated for about three years and then got married.

The more interesting version is that a guy I barely knew from work randomly asked me to fly out to Iowa with him as his date for his 10-year high school reunion. And I’d meet my future-mother-in-law when I stayed at her house for an extended weekend, where I’d also meet all of his siblings and attend his brother’s college graduation. And the first time I’d meet my future father-in-law it would be on the way to the reunion when we stop by to say hi in our nice clothes and he asks my date if he has time to help smoke a badger out of the barn. And I’d discover that Chris is, indeed, COOL ENOUGH, and after all this we’d return to Arizona and keep dating until we got engaged and then married.

Way back when, I tucked away these emails from those first interactions, and kept them on a dusty flash drive. So without further ado: all the secrets to how Chris convinced me to go on an out-of-state trip and meet his entire family for our first date.

He asked. I thought he was joking. These emails ensued.

From: Chris
 Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 2:05 PM
 To: Krista
 Subject:
Soooooo.....did you take the time off to go home with me???? You don't have much time left ya know!

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From: Krista
 Sent: Fri July 28 17:06:16 2006
 To: Chris
 Subject: RE:
Okay, are we being serious here or are we still joking around? My "witty banter" radar is off today.

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From: Chris
 Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 2:08 PM
 To: Krista
 Subject: Re:
I was always serious of course-why is that so hard to believe? Why is the radar off?  
That's part of your charm and we don't want to lose that! 
 Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

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From: Krista
 To: Chris
 Sent: Fri Jul 28 17:10:13 2006
 Subject: RE: 
It doesn't work on Fridays after 2pm.  Okay seriously then when is your reunion thingy?

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From: Chris
 Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 2:13 PM
 To: Krista
 Subject: Re:
Gosh-you never listen to me anymore!  It is the 12th……I am leaving the night of the 9th.
 Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

_

This is probably a good place to interject that some things have been constant in our relationship from the start, like the fact that he complains I “never listen to him anymore.” Ha.

From: Krista
 To: Chris
 Sent: Fri Jul 28 17:16:23 2006
 Subject: RE: 
 I still don't believe you're serious.  You'd really buy my plane ticket?
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From: Chris
 Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 2:35 PM
 To: Krista
 Subject: Re:
It's not a big deal-going to stay in Minneapolis on the ninth and go out with a friend 
and then back to Iowa the following morning for the weekend. 
Probably spend some time at the lake. The reunion will probably only be a few people.  
Dinner and then maybe going out.

_

And seriously, if you haven’t read it yet you should: Not Cool Enough

So basically after that, I conceded to going the 11th-13th because I was scared to ask my boss for more time off but then Chris went and asked my boss if the extra days were okay and low and behold I ended up with a vacation to Iowa for five days and eventually a husband and now two beautiful children.

Sometimes it pays off to take the leap. Or the plane ride, as it were.