Cynthia's story
For my 19th birthday, I wanted to do something exciting! I was in the middle of the first semester of my Freshman year at Missouri Southern State University and I wasn't having the greatest year. I had just come home from central America in July after having a corneal ulcer and I hadn't seen my sister all summer and all of a sudden school started and she headed to OSU in Stillwater, leaving me stuck at MSSU in Joplin.
I knew that I wanted to go to spend my birthday weekend with my sister in Stillwater. So we made plans to get dressed up and go to Oklahoma City and hang out in Bricktown the day after my birthday. While we were making plans, Alison wanted Johnnie (her boyfriend) to come, but I didn't want to be there by myself, so I suggested maybe having Grant come along. Grant and I had been talking all semester on the internet, because I had so much time being bored in Joplin and I had kind of developed a slight crush on him! After I finally convinced Alison to ask Grant, because I was too chicken to, he thought it sounded like fun, although I did kind of think he was coming out of obligation!
I remember after Alison and I were all dressed up and waiting for the boys to come pick us up, we thought we were too dressed up and I got really embarrassed thinking that Grant was going to think I was a goob! The boys finally showed up and were very sweet! Johnnie drove and Grant and I were left to sit in the back. Grant was very quick to open the door for me and I thought it was so incredibly sweet!
At dinner, Cassie Blackford showed up and surprised me for my birthday!! She kept making awkward comments about how she was the 5th wheel and that she was there with two couples! It was very awkward for Grant and me!
After dinner we walked around Bricktown and took pictures, it was a lot of fun. When we had all finished taking pictures and freezing to death, we started walking back toward the parking lot. I vaguely remember Grant telling me something about Alison and Johnnie probably wanted to walk back to the car together alone or something like that, so Grant and I walked on ahead toward the vehicles by ourselves and discussed random things. I am not sure where Cassie was at this point (sorry Cassie!)! So Grant and I headed on up to the car and, of course, he opened my door for me again!
When we got home, the boys dropped Alison and I off at her place and we changed and headed over to Grant and Johnnie's (aka Grannie's) and played some Cranium. I have no idea who won, but I do remember what the bathroom looked like! I was so nervous about being there (and I suppose I drank too much water) that I had to go to the bathroom like every change of turns! I don't think he noticed though!
So that is my recollection of Grant and my "pseudo date"!
Grant's Story
For Cynthia's 19th birthday, plans were made to dress up nice and go to Oklahoma City and go out to eat and afterwards walk around bricktown. Well Cynthia needed a "date" so I was elected and gladly accepted the offer to accompany Cynthia. It was slightly awkward since we had only talked online and met once or twice in person. Was this a "date" or was this just a group of friends going? I really didn't know. So Cynthia, Alison, Johnnie and I drove to OKC and meet Cassie Blackford at Olive Garden. Cynthia sat across from me and she had her usual, chicken fettucine alfredo, and I think I had spaghetti and meatballs. She wore a red dress and her hair was curly. I wore my only pair of black slacks and a green and blue striped button up shirt.
We had a fun evening and Cynthia and I started talking more and more. Little did we know at that point that we would be engaged in a little over one year and 3 months later and married in two years and one month.
