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His Story
What Really Happened…
I needed to get my books situated for the upcoming semester and seeing as they are ALWAYS cheaper online I wanted to look them up. I searched the schools website for my books (titles, ISBNs, authors) anything I could get. The website wasn’t allowing me to see the books because they hadn’t yet posted them. So I called up the bookstore and got transferred around the bookstore for a while. Finally, I got to the reference desk.
The lady on the other end of the phone would not give me the ISBNs that I desired. She kept her ground in stating “I’m sorry but you’re just going to have to come in”. I don’t think she realized that it was a two hour (round-trip) drive for a few lousy ISBNs! So…I waited a few weeks and finally went and drove into DeKalb to go look at my books.
We were searching high and low for the Geology section and couldn’t find it for the life of us…but we didn’t want to bother the employees, why make their day more difficult. :) Low and behold, there was a really cute girl with icy blue eyes sitting at the reference desk looking bored. Now how could I resist that! We approached the desk and asked for her assistance - really I just wanted to talk to her…I’m sneaky like that. Finally un-bored she smiled and showed us where the books where.
I told her how some grumpy lady made me drive all the way out here for the ISBNs and she started laughing! She said “Oh that was me…my boss had just told me not give them out anymore”. Now that she had someone to talk to and keep her from crying out of boredom she just kept us there telling us all sorts of things. Finally mom approached the bench.
My mother was on a mission to help me find a job so I could earn some money and since finding college jobs can be quite labor intensive she asked if there were any job openings at the bookstore. The reference desk girl, said let me go see and walks off to the back room yelling “DAD! There is a boy out here that wants a job”. I’m thinking…”Dad? Is this a family run operation here?” and a man strolls out and says “Yes, there are some jobs available…just fill this out and we’ll get back to you”. So I fill out the application form and it asks where in the store I’d like to work. I put Food, Reference, Returns, Clothing…..everything EXCEPT Shipping and Receiving. He looks at the application and says, “Yup you can work for me in Shipping and Receiving”. So now I got the job I didn’t want doing things I didn’t want to do.
I started working the day before school started and kept seeing that cute reference desk girl. Finally we spoke and I found out her name was Katie….and it was not a family run store. We got to talking some more and then started hanging out some and that’s how it all began.
Little did I know that the grumpy lady that made me drive around all day for ISBNs was going to end up being my beautiful future wife!
Her Story
They say college is the place for new experiences...
I was working at the NIU Bookstore one day and was told by my boss that we are not allowed to give out ISBN's over the telephone anymore. Within a few minutes the phone rang of coarse some guy had asked for the ISBN's of his textbooks so he could order them online for a cheaper price. I told him I was unable to give him the ISBN's over the phone and that he would have to come into the bookstore and get that information off of our shelves. The guy on the other end of the phone seemed pretty upset but there was nothing else I could do.
Several days later I was working when I noticed a man and his son were arguing diligently about where his son’s books were located. Seeing that I was bored and I felt horrible for this father being yelled at I decided to poke my head around the corner and ask if they needed any help. Sure enough they were ecstatic for the help explaining how they had called in for the ISBN's but were told that they were not able to receive them over the phone. I laughed and explained that it was me most likely they were talking to and told them why I was unable to give them the information.
It was a slow day at work so I made them tag along with me for a long while to keep myself entertained. Finally, it appeared as though there was nothing else that I could show them and while I was typing away in the computer helping them with their last few questions the son's mother came up to the desk and slammed her hand on the top of the counter. She quickly snapped asking, "Can he get a job here?" As anyone can attest, nothing is worse than what seems to be an upset and forceful mother; so I shut my mouth and said give me a second. I went back to ask my boss if we needed any more help but ran into my father first who was looking for a guy to help with heavy lifting in his department.
Soon enough the guy was working with my father. Several weeks later that guy and I began to talk and decided to hang out before my late night political science class at Kish. Believe it or not things just started clicking between us although neither one of us wanted to admit it. Soon enough we became a couple.
I spent several weekends at his parents house, meeting them and getting sick each weekend for whatever reason (which sadly I'm known for now ha ha ha). During that time we watched some of his old family videos. On one tape there was a game show, which is not a big deal as I taped things off of television quite frequently as a child. The game show on the tape was Double Dare 2000 and I was telling him, "I use to watch this show all the time I remember one show my favorite was the red team was named the Red Hots and the blue team was the Blue Ice. I hated the Red Hots probably because I don't like red hots and I always rooted for the blue teams". Soon enough the announcer started repeating the names I just said which was creepy in itself. What were the odds that the one show I remembered the names from was the one he recorded too?! He stared at me after that like I had made a rude noise. Lone behold while I look at the television there is the McLean family standing behind the counter is red uniforms also known as the Red Hots!
Who would have thought that years before we would ever met I would have seen the love of my life. Although I was not his biggest fan when I FIRST saw him things have changed as things always do when children grow into adults.
That is how Andy and I grew to become the couple we are through hard work and a whole lot of fate.
The Ring
We were shopping around randomly and for kicks (before the thought of marriage) went to kays or something like that and trying on rings I was set on NO WEDDING SETS and only a single marquise diamond. So we try them on and I was happy. Then the guy working with us was like lets try on some sets, I plain out told him no I don't like sets I think they are ugly. Lone behold he puts one set on my finger and I fell in love nothing from that day forward was better. Like he told my future husband once they find that one everything else is ehhh. However, I'm very personal with my gifts and Andy the future husband usually never is and he didn't want my ring to be just another one from Kay's. So he told e he was shopping around onyl to find out his father took him to their family jeweler and had the ring made customized for me. He chose each and every diamond and everything. I was a sweet to keep my same idea of what I wanted the ring to look like with all the personalization he desired.
Our Planning Experience
Wedding experiences, well lol it goes like this family hates you family love you family hates you and repeat many of times until you stop caring eventually it has to get back to love right lol....No it is just very frustrating when people want to see things one way and then they forget although it may be nice to have everyone there on the day for convenience. However, is this the area that we would like to be married in. It is nto neither one of us are big town people we both love being away from the busy area of ANY town. Which is what we are trying to do and eventually people are going to have to accept that. They all have either had their wedding day or will eventually and then they can make those decisions, until then I think people just need to remember that fact and hopefully move past it.
Our Advice
You'll most likely get up set and lose your mind but just get past it.
As well wise words from Joni-> people are gonna tell you what to do and how to do things for your wedding. You just sit there with a smile and nod then do whatever you want to do.
Congratulations on your big day! I hope you two enjoy building the foundation for the rest of your lives on your special day! You guys look like a very happy couple.. something that is overlooked now a days. I wish you the best and hope you both have a prosperous future as man and wife.
Posted On: Sep 24, 2009 10:22 PM
Amanda P
Hey! Just wanted to wish you both best of luck in all your future endeavors! Congratulations!
Posted On: Sep 24, 2009 9:19 PM
Rebekah McHugh
Congrats, you crazy kids! I wish you the best. This wedding is going to be AWESOME!
Posted On: Sep 23, 2009 9:56 AM
Cory
Congrats guys!
Posted On: Sep 23, 2009 9:51 AM
Bradley Schaaf
Congratulations Katie and Andrew! I am so happy for you and so proud of you Katie. I wish you both all the happiest in the world. If there is anything I can do, just let me know. Congratulations again.
Posted On: Sep 23, 2009 12:15 AM
Kathryn A. McLean
I love you both so very much and look forward to life with you both in it.... More. :) I wish you guys only the best of luck with everything and offer my help and assistance in any way, everyday. You are family. Thank you for always being there for me; I am merely returning the favor.
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