Happy Hall Home: Our Story

So I thought I would take this time to tell you a little about me and the hubby :)

Our story starts waaaaayyyy back when I was in 5th grade and he was in 6th grade. I had the lead as Cookie in our church's Christmas musical and the hubby says thats when he first thought I was cute :)

Well fast forward two years to 7th grade. I was finally in the junior high Sunday school program at our church and that was when hubby and I were introduced by our mutual friend Gray. Well in true middle school fashion we crushed on each other all year but didn't do anything about it! Of course this led to many embarrassing moments with friends and family. Our friends would try and get us to hold hands or say elude to the fact that we liked each other but try as they might nothing came of this. However the worst moment happened that summer.

We were on a mission trip and hubby was on my dad's work team along with my best friend Liz. Well I chose to drive home in that car where my dad is driving, hubby is in the passenger seat next to him and the rest of us were in the back. About half way home, out of no where, Liz screams from the back, "Mr. Cole, Mr. Cole (my dad)! Did you know Josh likes your daughter?!" I WAS MORTIFIED!!! Poor Josh started scooting as far away from my dad as possible and I couldn't sink in lower in my seat. Looking back it is a hilarious tale but boy was it horrifying at the time.

A few weeks later I e-mailed the hubby telling him that I did like him and luckily for me he e-mailed me back inviting me to a movie :)

Here we are on our first date! July 12, 2003

I can't thank my Madre' enough for telling him to put his arm around me when she took this picture :)

He picked me up and his mom drove us to the movies :) We went to see Pirates of the Caribbean and Josh sat as far away from me in his seat as possible and didn't even try to hold my hand. We were both really nervous but I had so much fun and felt very grown up. After that we were "official" and have been together ever since!

Hubby's homecoming game his senior year

I'm a little silly

Memorial High School Junior Girls dance 2006

Chapelwood Senior High Amazing Race

A camp some where! The guy on the right is our friend Gray who introduced us in middle school!

Westside High School Senior Girls 2007

Josh's Prom 2007

My Prom 2008

A friends graduation dinner 2008

When he met my Missouri family for the first time!

My freshman year at University of Texas at the A&M vs. UT football game

UT won :)

This is us at a Mizzou football game! GO TIGERS!

I transferred to University of Missouri my sophomore year and he was still in school in Texas! We did the long distance thing for awhile. (More on my college journey at a later date)

He came to visit me a lot though!

This was taken in March on the first day of spring in Missouri :) Our Texan selves were a little shocked!

The following year I moved home to Houston and transferred to the University of Houston (UH) and for the first time in our entire relationship Hubby and I went to the same school! During that year I work as a student intern at our church and we enjoyed being in the same city again. Little did I know he had a big surprise for me that Christmas!

That winter hubby was working for the UH basketball team filming their games and doing the coaches video. (His family and I were very proud of him when he got that job!) The job was great and he was really enjoying it but it did involve him going out of town a lot which meant I didn't get to see him that often because of his practice schedule and game schedule. The week of Christmas Josh had the whole week off from practice and games and so he said we should go on a special day trip! I was super excited especially when he told me we were going to go to Gruene, Texas! For those of you who don't know Gruene is where the oldest, and still functioning, dance hall in Texas is located. It is also just a really fun small town so it makes for a great day trip place.

The Gruene water tower

Us in front of the dance hall

We spent the day going to all the different shops around town and just enjoyed being with each other :) Hubby and I had an early dinner and he took me to our favorite restaurant in Gruene called the Gristmill which has the most amazing food ever!

Hubby at dinner!

Me at dinner!

All during dinner he kept saying how he was glad that we were having an early dinner so he could take me to my surprise. I was convinced that we were going to go to Austin (about an hour from Gruene) to see my friend and best roommate ever Alexis and our friend Gray who both were going to UT at the time. So after dinner I go to the bathroom super quick and he says to meet him at the front of the restaurant. As we're walking toward the parking lot, Josh turns me and says, "Well your surprise isn't really a place, it's actually a question." THEN HE GOT DOWN ON ONE KNEE!!!

December 23, 2010

While I was in the bathroom he had given the hostess his camera!

I was in total shock!

SO EXCITED!

My ring is really pretty :)

BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!!!!

On our way home we called our families and thats when I found out that he had actually asked my dad for permission which made me fall in love with him even more :) It was by far one of the greatest moments of my life.

As any newly engaged girl does she begins planning and dreaming of the big day and I did just that! Here are some pictures of dress shopping and engagement photos.