I was still pretty new to Facebook - it'd been about 3 months since I started my account. And I was OBSESSED with having lots of "friends". Even if it meant that I added people as friends that I didn't even really know. Like people from high school - I added any name that was even remotely familiar. In hind sight, it's a good thing I did.
I had just started my new job at eBay - it was literally my 3rd day on the job. The break rooms at eBay have computers with Internet access, so while on break I jumped on Facebook to see if I had any notifications. While I was on there, I noticed on the right hand side of the screen that Facebook had a few "friend recommendations" for me - people that Facebook figured I might know. I looked at a few of them, and I knew most of them, so I started adding people. And then, there was this profile for a guy named Jake McClellan.
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| Jake's profile picture the day I added him as a friend |
And he had the most amazing blue eyes {I looked through a few of his pictures and that's the thing that kept jumping out at me}.
We had 40 ish friends in common, hence why Facebook figured we knew each other.
And I had NO idea who he was.
And I added him as a friend. Why not, right?
I logged off the computer, went back to work, and during my lunch break 2 hours later got back on Facebook. Seriously people, I was SO obsessed with Facebook. And I had a notification and a new message. Notification let me know that Jake had accepted my friend request. Message was from Jake.
He just sent me a real casual "hey whats up" kinda message. So I messaged back that I was at work. He immediately wrote back, and we emailed back and forth the rest of my lunch. Right at the end of my lunch, I sent him a message {even though it was his turn to write back - GASP} and told him I had to get back to work, but he could text me if he wanted. I gave him my number and logged off the computer.
15 minutes later, I got my first text from my husband.
We text back and forth the rest of the day and pretty late into the night before I fell asleep. We text most of the next day, even though I was supposed to be training at work. And most of the next night. I had a long weekend that weekend - Friday was the 4th of July and we got the day off. My friends and I all had season passes to Lagoon, so we spent the day at Lagoon. I left my phone in the car because I knew I wouldn't want it to get wet. And I kept hoping that when I got to the car, there'd be a text from the cute guy who lived in Lehi. At lunch, we went back to the cars to eat the picnic lunch we had brought in coolers and sure enough - he had text me. We text while I was eating and then I went back in the park, hoping again that there'd be a text waiting for me when I got back to my car. At the end of the day, I reached for my phone first thing once we were in the car and sure enough - he had text me again. He wanted to see if I wanted to get together that night and do something during the fireworks?
Unfortunately, I already had plans to go with that same group of friends to Stadium of Fire. He and I text the ENTIRE time I was at Stadium of Fire, and late that night too. Since he was pretty bummed we weren't able to hang out that night, he asked if maybe we could hang out on Saturday? I told him we were going to Lagoon again but that I could maybe do something that night. Sure enough, after we got back from Lagoon on Saturday, July 5th, he asked again {he did NOT give up} so I agreed to meet up and go to a movie.
I was too chicken to go just the two of us - what if this guy is a creeper or something? I mean, we met on the internet! And yeah, some of the friends he knows I know too, but still! I talked my friends into going to the movies that night, and told him he could meet us there because I was NOT going to tell him where I lived. I got to the theater first and he text me when he got there, so I walked out to meet him since my friends were all inside.
He had the cutest striped polo on, freshly shaved, spiked hair and smelled UH-mazing.
I, on the other hand, was in sweats. In July. Yeah don't know what I was thinking. Hair was in a pony tail. Zero make up on. And I was horrified. This guy is actually REALLY cute. He had been SOO nice while we were texting, so that translated in my mind that he must be a geek or have some weird growth or something - he couldn't be a nice guy AND be cute! But oh, he was.
We went and saw Get Smart with my friends. He told me later he had wanted to try to hold my hand but was too scared I'd freak out. After the movie, my friends, me & Jake went to iHop for dessert and some light dinner since it was around 11 o'clock. Afterwards, my friends all headed back to hang out at someone's house. I had drove separate, in case I wanted to hang out with Jake afterwards, and I did, so everybody left the two of us at the theater parking lot.
We sat in his GMC Jimmy with the windows rolled down talking for 2 or 3 hours. He was WAY past curfew and got in huge trouble, but he still says it was worth it. I think we hugged at the end of the night, but I remember that I didn't kiss him. My friend Suzie was CONVINCED I'd kiss him on the first date, so I had to prove her wrong.
We texted the whole drive home and until we fell asleep. The next day was Sunday and after I got home from church, I took a shower. And I cut my leg WAY bad. I went over to my parents house right afterwards to have my mom look at it and was hanging out over there when he asked if we could hang out again. Like I said, I went to my parents RIGHT after I cut myself. Wet hair had dried SUPER unattractively, still had no make up on, and was in pajamas. Unmatching, not cute ones.
I told him I couldn't come over because I wasn't ready and he said he didn't care. Well yeah but I care. And he somehow sweet talked me into coming over, even though I looked like a train wreck. I changed into some of my mom's lounge pants that were cuter than the ones I had on and matched my t shirt a little better and drove to his parents house {he lived in their basement apartment}. He met me at the door and introduced me to his mom. AWESOME first impression right there haha. I remember she was Swiffer mopping the kitchen floor. They had the CLEANEST house I had ever seen. And it smelled SOOOO good.
He and I went downstairs to his bachelor pad and watched Anchor Man and talked. Pretty soon he kinda hinted I should go since he had to get up early to go to work. I was pretty impressed that his job was that important to him that he wanted to make sure he had enough sleep for it. He walked me to my car, and under the street light in his parents driveway on July 6, he kissed me for the first time.
I'm forever grateful to Facebook for setting us up, and for Jake never giving up on me, even though he had to REALLY convince me to go on that first date, then to continue to date him. I have so many regrets about our first month that we knew each other - I wish I had realized from the very beginning how amazing of a guy he was. But he never gave up on me and gave me multiple chances to realize that he really was a good catch, that I really should try dating a nice guy and see what happens.
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| His first profile picture with the two of us - right after we officially started dating, we went to Hogle Zoo together |
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| His current Facebook picture |
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