Getting to know you....

Getting to know you, getting to know ALL about you...
Yep, that corny song again.
Well, I guess it's Ron's turn! Though he really has no say in it.
So, here it goes.

Ron AKA "Gogle" - (I didn't even know his first name for about the first two month I knew him - just "Gogle or Googie", his high school nicknames.)

One of my favorite pictures of him. ~P.S. - the photographer asked him to strike a pose!! I call it "The Politician."

What can I say about Ron? He's pretty amazing! I would be completely lost without him in my life. I feel safe and secure with him, no doubt. We've been through some really hairy situations, (like the Hurricane Rita evacuation - 14 hour drive in my Toyota 4-runner with a 21 ft. boat, 100 lbs Labrador and his 85 year old Grandma in tow through the woods of east Texas at night!! Yikes!!!) but I have always felt safe with him. I'm lucky to feel I'm married to my very best friend. Though he is a "tough guy", I know the very tender side of him that most people don't get to see. He is the definition of a "Man's Man" - Hunting & Fishing & Golfing are his true passions & what he lives for.

Golfing at Crown Colony in Lufkin, Texas.

Normally, it's big red fish or trout or flounder, you know salt water fishing. But I couldn't pass up this picture. Isn't that the cutest little fish?

**I will spare you the hunting pictures!!! It's for your own good. I have to draw the line somewhere!!

Here's some random off-the-wall stuff about him.

He was raised by his Grandma from a very young age and we now live across the street from her to take care of her. She is a very feisty 88 years old. Ron is her pride and joy! (and her professional light bulb changer!!)

He has survived being shot with a deer rifle in the foot by his best friend! No Joke. He lost his pinkie toe! They are still best friends and still go hunting together. We don't tell Grandma that, so shhhh!!! Though he was very self- conscious about it at first, he now has a healthy sense of humor about it. Like....He is very easy to track down on the beach...5 toe footprint on the right side...4 toe footprint on the left side!!! I call them "Gogle tracks"!!

He is 30 years old and has been a Master Plumber & owned his plumbing business for 2 years now. I'm very, very proud of him for going out on his own and starting his business from scratch. He works HARD!! Nothing has been handed to him. It just worries me sometimes that women will start ripping their plumbing out of the wall or flushing random object down the toilet, so they can call him (have you seen that commercial? It really scares me!!!) He does not look or act like your typical plumber!

He has the biggest heart of anyone I know. Nothing rattles him. NOTHING!!! I, on the other hand, I rant and scream and bitch and throw a fit. He simply shrugs his shoulders and says, "ehhhh"! We're a perfect match in that aspect!

We met at a party the first night I moved to Texas City. He was a "Ladies Man" no doubt, with all of the confidence in the world. Which is understandable, he's tall, has dark brown hair and the prettiest dark blue eyes you've ever seen! I thought he was a little cocky and knew he was a big athlete in high school - or in other words, not my type!!! We attended rival high schools a mere 15 miles apart. His school always whooped our tail in football (He has two State Championship rings - Go Cougars!!!!). He was on the football team, I was in the marching band. Who knew I was rooting against my future husband at every football game for 3 years? And my best friend dated one of his best friends in high school! I can't believe our paths didn't cross sooner than they did.

Well, I met everyone at this party and then started to make my exit when I heard, "Hate to see you go, but loooovvve to watch you leave". Classic Ron! But I thought he was saying something to the effect of "I'm glad your leaving". I proceeded to loudly tell him off!! Vodka can impair your hearing & I had my fair share of Vodka that night! He stood there with a blank, shocked stare! He clarified what he had said and I felt like an idiot. I said, "Oh, I get it", then blushed, winked at him and left.

We hung out all of the time at our friend Jonathan's apartment. He had a girlfriend & I had a boyfriend, but we still hung out and had a good time together. For 6 months we hung out several times a week & became really good friends. One day Jonathan & I were hanging out and Ron had been staying with him. Ron was still at work & had been feeling really down. He suggested I go out on a date with Ron to cheer him up. I said OK, but I would cook him dinner and go get a movie to watch, instead of going on an official date. So when Ron got home, Jonathan suggested he call me and ask me to go out. He had no clue he had already been set up!!!! And I was in on it! So, he came over to my apartment and we had baked chicken and watched the Adam Sandler movie, Big Daddy! This was the first time we were alone together and I saw the side of Ron I had not seen before. We hit it off like I never could have imagined. We just clicked instantly. Dare I say, I knew that night he was "the one". Being that we are now married and we have been together for 10 years this November, I'll admit it now. He never went home!!! He stayed the night (gasp - big rule broken!!) and never spent another night in his own bed. Yeah, we practically moved in together on our first date! Some may frown on that fact, but I knew I never wanted to leave his side. Slowly, his possession made their way to my apartment. I think I knew it was official when his fishing poles decided to live in my closet! We had a great time together learning each others quirks. To this day, we very rarely argue.

So that is the story of how we became Ron & Marian. Very unconventional. But that's us! I wouldn't want it any other way. It happened fast, but there was no fear or doubt when it happened, so I knew it was right! Rachel at "Finding My Feet" said the words that describe exactly how I feel about Ron and our life, "We feel like two kids playing house". So true & I will try desperately to keep it that way. I jokingly say, "we soooo need to grow up" all of the time. I mean, who still plays hide and seek at 30 years old! WE DO!!! Nothing like walking down the hallway half-awake and having your goofy husband jump out of behind the door and scare the living day-lights out of you!!

I really don't know where I would be without my Ron. I thank God everyday for all of the difficult things that happened in my life and led me to moving to Texas City. If all of that had not gone wrong, I would not have met him! Reflecting back on that, I hope we will one day feel that same way about our family. Our next child would not exist if not for losing our first. Does that make sense? Kinda, I think! You know, the whole "thank God for unanswered prayers" thing. I hope we can look back at the last year and feel that way at some point. We're just not quite there yet. But, we're getting there.

So, there you go! I don't know how Ron will feel about me talking about him here. He's shy in that way. But I can't talk about me without talking about Ron. So now he is formally introduced to my little blogging world!

So Ron, if you ever happen to read this:
I love you more than you'll ever know!