I guess our story all began one night when I was closing at Old Navy. I was having a fake fight with my work wife (KASIE!) and she told me I was going to have to sleep on the couch. I told her it would be warmer if I just slept in my boyfriends bed, and thinking I was subtly dropping that I actually had a boyfriend, Kasie started drilling me on details of said boy. Not actually having a boyfriend, I started to make shit up using some cutie I kept seeing across the hall in Borders as my reference. But when it came to what his name was...I couldn't think quickly enough. So I answered with "My boyfriend.......who doesn't know it yet....."

Clearly the gig was up and she knew I had made up the boyfriend from Borders. But suddenly it became the running joke that I was stalking this boy from my favorite bookstore and everyone loved to tease me about it. No one could figure out his name, so he just continued to be referred to as my boyfriend who didn't know it, until one night one of my managers said she went to high school with him...and that his name was COREY.

VICTORY! A NAME! I still remember the first thing I ever said to him. Just doing his job, he asked if I needed help finding anything, and 19 year old Laura (thinking she was super clever) responded with "No, i'm just judging books by their cover...".

Fast forward to around September of that year and my crazy best friend Matt decided to get a second job for the holidays. He just so happened to get hired in the cafe inside Borders! In typical Matt fashion, he worked there for all of 3 days before he started asking around about this Corey kid and telling the whole staff that I had a crush on him and Matt needed the details. Nothing more awkward than everyone knowing your secret....but lucky Corey was (is?) pretty clueless. I started to get invited to Borders dinners in everyone not-so-subtle attempt to get the two of us together....but like I said....Corey=clueless :p. Someone finally just had to tell him that weirdo girl that kept coming out to dinner with everyone had a crush on him...and I think I actually stalked him on Myspace (lol) and sent him a message. We exchanged phone numbers and started texting...

Fast forward to November 8, 2008 and we officially started dating...

November 8, 2009 = 1

November 8, 2010 = 2

November 8, 2011 = 3

November 8, 2012 = 4

November 8, 2013 = 5

November 8, 2014 = 6

November 8, 2015 =7

And then, on a cool sunny beautiful day in Hollywood Studios (Disney World) the entire Carrier family made their way to the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. Corey told everyone we had VIP seats for the show (he is Indiana Jones after all...) and we made our way to the front row to watch Indy and Maryanne jump around and blow shit up. At the end of the show, the director came over and introduced himself and told us to hang tight for 10 minutes and he would take us on a tour of the set. At this point I REALLY had to pee, so I was actually kinda annoyed about the whole tour thing...but I smiled and walked the set and pretended I was super fascinated with the track the giant ball rolls down, but really I was just trying really hard not to pee my pants.

Did I mention the two actors joined our tour? Jordyn fell in love that day with Indy. She still calls him her boyfriend and he's really the main reason she wants to go back to Disney. BUT ANYWAY...

The tour went back around the front of the set and the director kept talking about all kinds of fun facts (but like i said i was trying really hard not to pee myself so i don't remember any). We got to the part of the set where the dead body on rubber spears is and everyone seemed super fascinated with the rubber and I just couldn't figure it out. Like the director was going on about how amazing the rubber was and then Carleen and Dennis kept telling me it looked pretty amazing and Corey kept calling me over to touch it cause it felt so real. At this point I think everyone has lost their mind. I mean why else would they care so much about some rubber?

I start walking towards the body and then I noticed something sitting on top; a tiny lavendar box with something shining inside....

MY RING WAS ON A DEAD BODY!

And it was so perfectly romantic. I remember looking back at everyone looking for confirmation that this was real and when I turned back around Corey had the box in his hand and was down on one knee and then I'm pretty sure I blacked out. Next thing I know everyone is hugging me and a Disney photographer has popped out of nowhere and is snapping pictures and there's all kinds of people screaming and clapping (The ENTIRE cast of the show was up at the top of the balcony cheering). I walked around the rest of the park in a haze until we saw fantasmic later that night. Hollywood Studios will always hold a special place in my heart now...

This November marks 8 years together...and I turn the age that Corey was when we met...

Next November 8 makes it 9 years. And that's the day we picked for our wedding. Why? Because I'm horrible at remembering things (woohoo no date change!) and i'm also extremely sappy....and love the idea of having our first wedding anniversary also be our celebration of 10 years together. AN ENTIRE DECADE! I've literally spent every year of my 20s with this man, and I can't' wait to spend all of my 30s..and 40s...and 50s...and 60s...and whatever else with him too :D

So thank you to everyone that willingly helped me stalk that boy who had no idea he was my boyfriend.