My husband and I first got together when we were 12 years old.
Yes, you read that right.
Little did we know at that time that we would one day be husband and wife but he was my best friend and we were ‘together’ for a whole year. This ‘relationship’ mostly consisted of sitting next to each other in class sharing my little handheld radio to sneakily listen to live cricket matches or me being the doting girlfriend sun-baking on the beach while he showed off his amateur surfing skills. We also went on one random overnight camping trip (that neither of our parents had a clue about) with two friends (also 12 year olds) and boy were we way too young to be wandering off two and a half hours around the coastline into the middle of nowhere during a storm that he gazing into the clouds and with all the knowledge of a young surfiestated would ‘clear up in no time’!
He was right about that but I’m still not sure it was the smartest move given the bulls that live along that coastline and that we were too young and stupid to know better than to put out our fire with our only fresh water instead of the seawater! Not to mention lighting fires in the first place! Needless to say we were dehydrated by the time we got home but it is a fantastic memory we share and we had the time of our young lives despite the thirst and the possums scratching on our tents! My mum would have had a fit had she known! I’m sure this will come back to haunt me one day, perhaps in about 8 years time …
By the end of that school year and the summer before high school we ‘broke up’ (apparently I held hands with another 12 year old boy but that is a whole other story!). We spent our teens at the same high school but avoided one another like the plague, though I still went to all the parties he hosted with a myriad of different boyfriends. And yes, my in-laws still live there. And yes, they remember me.
When I was 21 my mum was in the hospital and we knew it wasn’t good. Moments like that can really get you thinking about life and I realised that the best ever ‘relationship’ I’d had was with my 12 year old boyfriend (and trust me, I’d had a few since then and none had ever lasted longer than 4 months!). I started to wonder what had happened to him, not in a ‘potential boyfriend’ way but in a sentimental ‘I wonder where he is now’ way.
He’d had a steady girlfriend throughout our teens so I had no reason to think he wasn’t still with her and settled down. So I decided to call him. I rang his parents for his number and tried about 5 times but no one was ever home. One night I thought, right, I will try one more time and if he isn’t there then I will forget it. But he was and he was single and we decided to meet up. We started off back down the tentative path to friendship and within a few months of coming back into each others lives he proposed and I accepted.
It took us 9 years to kiss and make up but we got there in the end! We were married in January 2006 and will celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary next year.
How did you meet your husband/partner?
Linking up to the #IBOT party at Essentially Jess!
12 wow! What a gorgeous story! So glad you found your way back to each other and very brave of you to make that phone call! Xx
Shannon@ my2morrows recently posted…The Ultimate Rabbit Hole #28
Thanks Shannon! So young aye, freaks me out a little with kids of my own now! And living in the same place so he could sneak off around the bays too! Eek!
Haidee recently posted…Why A Facebook Break Was The Best Thing I Did This Year
What a great story! Make sure you tell your kids when they are nearing 12 🙂
I met my husband online- I was seeing someone but we decided friendship was a fine goal. A few weeks in I had broken up with my boyfriend and the rest is history- 9 years later 🙂
Amy @ HandbagMafia recently posted…A Crunchy Opinion
Haha, maybe I can scare them at 12 and say ‘You know, I married my first boyfriend!’. Hehe. That’s pretty cool Amy!
What a great story – I bet my now husband at high school in year 10. I thought he was so cute and told all of my friends that by the end of the year my goal was to kiss his ‘lushous lips’ – I succeeded. We have been together ever since!!
Ashlea @ Glamour Coastal Living recently posted…Planning A Bathroom Reno? My Reno Experience…
Yours is super cute! Luscious lips! Hehe. Did that come up in the wedding speeches?!
Haidee recently posted…8 Things The Kids Do That Drive Me Completely Bonkers
I love these stories!! Like in a movie!
Lydia C. Lee recently posted…First of the Month Fiction – August
Thanks Lydia 🙂
Haidee recently posted…How trying to channel Martha Stewart was a failure – Guest Post by Life, Kids and a Glass of Red
What a great story, and lovely pics too!
I met my husband when I was waitressing at a cafe, he was a regular customer. Three weeks later I took off overseas for a bit over a year and broke his heart, but a couple of months after I got back we got it together, and last year celebrated our 20 year anniversary (15 years married). OMG that makes me feel old, lol!
Hi, by the way. 🙂 Just popped over from Jess’s latest IBOT team post!
Kirsten McCulloch recently posted…How to Clean a Stainless Steel Stove, with No Nasties (of course!)
That’s so cute too Kirsten! You hear about people who get crushes on waiting staff and baristas at cafes and regularly go in to flirt! How cool that it had a happy ending! 🙂
What a gorgeous story! A lovely one to tell the grandkids. I met my husband in a strip club. Not such a lovely one to tell the grandkids.
Zoe Meunier recently posted…40 Weeks To A Better Cook: Week 14
Hahaha Zoe, oh gosh I really need to hear more about this! You need to elaborate please!
Haidee recently posted…8 Things The Kids Do That Drive Me Completely Bonkers
I love this story. So wonderful.
I decided not to go to law school so put my savings toward a big overseas travel the world solo trip after uni graduation. I went from nyc to Israel to start with travel around the Middle East. I was to live and study one kibbutz first. I spent a year planning my trip as after the Middle East and Europe I planned to go all over Africa and onto australia traveling and working.
Well of course I met hubby in Israel on the kibbutz. After 3 months of friends we kissed and that was it. I moved in with him that week. 3 months into our relationship he was making plans to go home to England. I had a choice- say goodbye and carry on with my plans or go with him. I threw away all my plans and chose him. In December this year we will celebrate 22 years together. We are each other’s only ever serious relationship!
Deb @ inner compass designs recently posted…A to Z of intentional living – O is for…
That is such a cool story Deb! Did you ever go back and finish your trip or do you plan to one day? How romantic!
Haidee recently posted…Why A Facebook Break Was The Best Thing I Did This Year
Such a sweet, sweet story. I met me husband when he was the coach of my sons football team. He hasn’t coached my son since then unless you count life coaching as a step parent. xx
Nicole @ The Builder’s Wife recently posted…Avoiding Disappointment In The Quoting Process
Was he doing much coaching or was he too busy flirting? 😉
What a gorgeous story! My husband and I are high school sweethearts. He was actually in the year ahead of me, but did VCE over three years so that he could focus more on study and try to get a better mark. I didn’t know this – he was just this super hot guy in year 12 when I was in year 11 who only talked to me at volleyball training – but there he was on day one of year 12. And we had a few ‘near misses’ at parties earlier in the year then finally got our act together at a friend’s 18th. I have to admit that while I was head over heels very quickly, my 17yo self never in a million years thought it’d last beyond high school. He was cool, I was (am) geek. But it works. Love his socks off. x
#teamIBOT (all my fellow teamIBOTers seem to have landed on the 2s this week!)
Emily recently posted…Practical grammactical: gender-neutral third person singular pronouns (the great ‘they’ debate)
Aww, that’s so cute Emily! Must have been fate huh 🙂 Yeah, the 2 thing. I’ll make a habit of it! Haha.
What a lovely story! Your lucky to have found the love of your life so young and could grow up together 🙂 Congrats on your 10 year anniversary!! We just had our 2 year wedding anniversary and 5 years as a couple!
Luisa @ Looking for mama me recently posted…Love From Ruby baby clothing Review and Giveaway!
Thanks Luisa! We more grew up beside one another as opposed to together because we were the only two people in our year at school who wouldn’t talk to one another! Haha. So we witnessed each other grow up without interaction. Except at his parties, there may have been a drunken thawing of ice and we may have spoken a few words to one another at those but I got to know his parents during that time anyway!
Awww, that is a bit special. I love those sort of stories. I love how you persisted with those phonecalls. Imagine if you didn’t!! Beautiful. x #IBOT
Kelly recently posted…THE LETTER ‘C’ IS NASTY
I was totally ready to give up. Who would have thought though huh! Funny story, he thought I had a child I hadn’t told him about so after 5 dates he finally asked how old they were! Bahaha! Turns out the rumour mill had got a bit muddled and he honestly thought I was too scared to tell him!
Oh wow! He thought you had a child? That would have been awkward!
Kelly recently posted…THE LETTER ‘C’ IS NASTY
I do love a love story … that is so sweet that you met so young, and then re-discovered each other when you were older. The hubster and I met when we worked in the same office back in 1987; we’ve now been married for 25 years!
Janet aka Middle Aged Mama recently posted…Great Taste Runs in the Family
25 years! That is awesome Janet, congratulations!
I just love a happy ending .. I’m a sucker for it
Natalie @ our parallel connection recently posted…Love for a child
Happy endings are the best 🙂
What a love story! And they say kids don’t know love. I’m not so sure about the camping adventure though :/ All I can imagine is my daughter doing this – eek!
Malinda @mybrownpaperpackages recently posted…My Best Kept Travel Tips
Yeah I know Malinda, I look back and cringe a little but kids think they’re invincible! We also slept in the same tent but I swear back then 12 was so much more innocent than these days! I think he spent the whole time spouting about how beautiful my hair looked in the fire light! Haha. Too cute.
Oh this is the cutest story!
I knew Boatman as ‘Hot Tim’ from the bank, before he knew me. The first time he went, my shorts slipped down at the back and he good a good look at my butt. He’s been smitten ever since 😉
EssentiallyJess recently posted…#teamIBOT, Come on Down!
Now THAT is a love story right there Jess 😉
This is such a lovely story, you guys were certainly destined to be together!
Lauren @ Create Bake Make recently posted…Easy Family Meals and a Kambrook Rice Cooker Review
Seems that way! 🙂
Oh I love this story! And I love your wedding photo. What a gorgeous picture. I love how the pieces fall into place when we find the one we love. I met my husband when I was 17 and we have been married 10 years last April. The time goes quick doesn’t it? Especially when you add babies to the mix!
Bec @ Styled by Bec recently posted…Styling Session with Nicole from The Builder’s Wife
Totally goes quick, I swear the 4 years since I had my first son have just zoomed by where as the 4 years prior crawled by at a snail pace. Funny how that works. Congrats on your 10 year anniversary!
My hubby and I also first got together when we were 12! We lasted a few weeks from memory before I ‘dumped’ him. We went to the same high school but didn’t really hang out, then we both left that school in year 10. Fast forward a couple of years and we crossed paths again when we were 18, he was actually dating a friend of mine but as soon as we saw each other it was an instant connection and we’ve been together ever since. We’ve been married for 5 years.
I love a good love story!
Sarah @The Routine Queen recently posted…Helping Your Child Cope with Separation Anxiety
That sounds remarkably similar to my story! How funny! Never underestimate the bond of 12 year olds huh! Hehe.
OMG this is so adorabubble!!! I can’t compete with that. LOL.
Hugzilla recently posted…The Fine Art of Murdering Simple Recipes
Did you lure your hubby in with your baking Melissa? 😉
Oh wow! I can’t believe after all those years you got back together and I can’t believe the courage you must have had to make that call. Good on you! My husband and I met at a gay nightclub for an interior design function 🙂
Renee recently posted…Crazy in love
Haha, cool Renee! 🙂 Didn’t feel like courage at the time but I guess so!
My word, I can’t imagine meeting a future partner at that age. I was in my early thrities and it was an office romance. I shall be watching out to ensure my kids to not go off camping at that age. #BrilliantblogPosts
John Adams recently posted…Spend less, save more this summer
Yes, watch them carefully and never believe a word they say! 😉
That’s such a sweet love story. After all those years it really was meant to be, and your years apart was worth the growing room. I bet your families were surprised but pleased with the reconciliation 🙂
Very much so 🙂
What a beautiful story… I love childhood romances. My husband and I were friends from 16 it’s nice to be with someone that is your best friend. I hope you have an amazing 10 year anniversary. 🙂
Melodie Cullen recently posted…Goodbye Dave
It’s kinda cool to have those shared memories isn’t it Melodie! We weren’t together then but we have shared memories of people and events during high school.
What a lovely story. I’m so glad you tried calling him one more time!! I met my husband when I was 18. I was working for a solicitor’s firm at the time, and had to pick up some documents from the bank where he worked. While I was waiting I spotted him walking past, then I saw him walkby again…we locked eyes and had a smile. While I waiting at the lift he approached me and asked me out on a date! That was 24 years ago! We will be married for 20 yrs next year. I hope you enjoy 10th wedding anniversary. x 🙂
Julie @ Off to the park recently posted…An introduction to my new series – Having a Premmie
This is the most touching love story, I can’t believe you’ve known each other for so long and the fact you called for that last time and it was the start of everything again for you both! Thanks for sharing this and linking up to #brilliantblogposts x
Honest mum recently posted…Chocolate Granola, Coconut and Greek Yoghurt
Thanks Vicki! I guess I’d never really thought of it as a love story before! 🙂
This is so cute! I love that at 12 years old you had met “the guy”. And your persistence with call the house! I would have given up! lol. What a gorgeous story. Can’t wait to read through your blog 🙂 oxox
I love hearing stories like this! Such a gorgeous story for you both to treasure. I met my husband through my best friend (another Emma), who happened to be dating his twin brother! We’ve been together for 16 years 🙂 His twin brother and the other Emma are also still together!
Emma @ Life, kids and a glass of red recently posted…Sisterhood of the World Blogging Award – Cheers!