MY MULTIGENRE STORY ON MY ENGAGEMENTLaura Van Valkenburg

Due: November 12, 2012

TO MY BEST FRIENDI’ve sat here for the past few minutesTrying to think of words that rhymeInstead I’ve come up with nothingAnd I’ve wasted a bunch of time I wanted to write you something sweetTo show you things I love about youI couldn’t come up with a way to do itI just wanted my words to be true I love you so much and you’re my everythingI couldn’t imagine life without you by my sideNo matter how stressful things get for usI know I’ll always have you to confide You are forever my lighthouseGuiding me when things get rough and darkYou offer peace and tranquilityAnd provide my heart with a spark

You are forever my strong rockProtecting me from all that’s badYou would never let harm come my wayAnd for that I’m forever glad

You are forever my eagleSo strong and brave and kindYou have the courage I’ve always lackedBecause of you, I leave my fears behind

You are forever my comfort zoneProviding arms filled with warmth and loveYou wipe away my tears and make me smileAnd my respect for you goes way above

You’ve been more than just my loverYou are my very best friendWithout you life just wouldn’t be the sameI’ll love you until the very end!

TOP EIGHT MEMORIES I HAVE WITH YOU(Because eight is your favorite number)

JUN

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We had been dating for a little over a year at the time of prom. I had my tonsils taken out exactly one month before and had lost so much weight my dress almost didn’t fit. I was so worried. We ending up going to eat at a country buffet restaurant before prom. We looked so nice and in love, another customer came up and put money on our table to pay for our dinner. It was such a romantic night and I will always cherish it.

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In the spring of 2009 we decided to get a kitten together. We rescued a kitten from a lady that fished him out of the Cape Fear River. He had fleas all over him and it took weeks to get him healthy. However, now he is the coolest cat in the world. He thinks he is a dog, and acts like it too! I am so glad we decided to get him and we both love him so much!

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On February 14, 2010 you proposed to me and I said yes! Although we were both only seniors in high school, I knew I wanted to marry you and I was so glad you felt the same way too! When we finally set a date our families were so excited and we celebrated over some delicious cake!

SEN

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Senior prom was a really great time for us to hangout with our friends. We graduated a month later and some of my best memories from high school were made at that prom. I spent a little too much time at the tanning beds and ended up looking like a Malibu barbie, but you still called me gorgeous. I enjoyed the night so much and I am so glad to have experienced that wonderful night with you.

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I never saw myself attending a large college before, especially 2 ½ hours away from my home. Meeting you totally changed my perspectives on my education and I am forever thankful for that. I am glad we decided to go to UNC-C together. It has been such a fun experience, and moving away from my family was good for me because it allowed me to mature a lot! Although living in the dorms wasn’t ideal, I definitely enjoyed meeting new people and branching out!

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For the past 4 summers we have both worked together at Fantasy Lake. It was so great to have you by my side after stressful days. We experienced a lot during the summers. We both learned a lot holding management positions, but it was also a lot of responsibility and stress. This coming year I will be returning without you, and I know its not going to be the same…

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Although we still have roommates, we decided to move in together August 2011. It was such a good change since we spent most of our time together anyways. However, shortly after we moved into our apartment, a waterline busted and it ended up flooding our office space and half the living room. As we called the landlord we tried to dry the floor as much as possible using whatever we could find. We ended up with a tub full of wet clothes and towels!

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In December of 2011 we set down and finally chose a date to get married on…May 24, 2014. At the time it seemed so far away, but now it seems too close! Since we have school to focus on too, we decided to start planning our wedding early so we wouldn’t have to worry about the two events conflicting. Its so fun looking at venues and picking out colors, even if you aren’t always enthusiastic. I know our big day will be fantastic!

ENGAGED IN COLLEGEBefore we went off to college many people, including our parents, had doubts about whether or not we would make it. People told us that we were too young and that there were just too many opportunities in college that we didn’t need to exclude ourselves from. I was so scared when I moved into the dorm not knowing what freshman year was going to be like for us. I was so confident in my love for you, yet the words of others made me fear for the worst outcome. However, we ended up proving them wrong and gaining their support after we showed them we could make it in college while being engaged.

My friends, family, and strangers all warned me about the “temptations” of college. They told me how the campus was going to be full of people of the opposite sex and how I shouldn’t limit myself to being engaged and not getting to enjoy single life. I have absolutely NO CLUE what they were talking about. Yes, there are tons of males and females on our college campus, but who has time to date? I don’t have time to get people’s numbers or schedule a dinner or go see a movie while I’m cramming to learn material in class. Fortunately we had already passed our “must go on a date to get to know each other phase”. We were fine not getting to spend every waking hour with each other. We were fine when date night meant we were eating food together at the student union and then went back to one of our dorms to watch a movie on television and finish homework. There was no pressure to spend one-on-one time with each other, and that was great!

I have single friends. I know exactly how lonely some of their lives are. College may seem like the opportune time to meet someone, but in reality, people are just way too busy to deal with relationships. In college most of the single people I know are into hooking up and typically never see that person again. I’ve never been interested in that lifestyle, and neither have you, which made us perfect for each other. On stressful days I was able to come home to your loving embrace instead of trying to quickly do my hair and make-up so I can take my stress off at a club.

People told us that we wouldn’t get to experience the “college things” if we were in a relationship. We decided to live on campus and in separate dorms freshman year. I hated my roommates and you hated yours. We had the college experience of not getting along with the people we lived with, which made us finally moving in together all the more special. We got to go out and experience parties together, which to some people might sound lame, but it was really great. I was never alone at the end of the night wondering who I was going to go home with. You were always there right by my side.

I think the hardest part about being engaged and in college is trying to find girlfriends for me to hangout with. You guy friends have no problem with us being engaged. They hang out with you alone sometimes, but majority of the time that invite me to come along. Although they typically try to get me to hook them up with someone, they NEVER pressure either one of us to live like we are single. However, trying to find girls for me to hang out with is so hard. Majority of the girls I meet on campus are single and don’t appreciate the fact I am engaged. They go out clubbing, and I don’t enjoy that without you with me. I’m not planning on acting like I’m single just to get their approval. You are my best friend and you are always there for me, and that’s the only approval I really need. I’ve found that it is really hard to find other females my age that are in long term relationships, but once I do, we instantly become best friends. It’s good to hang out with other people who have similar interests as you do.

With that being said, I don’t regret being engaged in college one bit. I don’t feel like I missed out on any amazing experience. The best part of my college experience so far, has been the moments I have spent with you. Although I don’t feel like many people would agree with being engaged so young, I think we are that one couple that actually has a great chance at making it. There is always an exception to every rule, and I truly believe we are it.

September 19, 2012

Alexander,

It’s hard to believe in just 20 months we will be getting married. That seems like such a long time from now, but it will be here before we both know it. I can’t wait to see you standing by the altar as I walk down the aisle. I’ve played that moment in my head so many times and I know I’m going to be crying like a baby! (I really need to learn how to cry prettier before then!)

I’ve had so much fun getting to know you over the past 4 years. You’re such a strong intelligent man, and I’ve learned a lot from you. You help put spontaneity in my ever-so-structured life. Some days I really don’t know what I would do without you. You are forever my rock and my safe place.

Yesterday when I came home from class soaking wet and cold because of the rain and you had me a cup of hot cocoa ready, my heart melted! You prepared dinner for me so I could take a hot shower and relax. I’m sure many other students that got caught in the rain weren’t so lucky to go home to that.

No matter where life takes us in the future, I know we will get through it together. I am so lucky to have someone like you to face life’s challenges with. You make all my dreams come true, and I hope I do the same for you. I will always be here to support you in whatever form you need. I love you Alexander!

--Laura <3

WATCHING OUR RELATIONSHIP GROW

When we first started dating, my sister had just recently had a baby girl. Her name was Calli and she was about four months old the first time you met her. She was a tiny pink ball and we watched after her together on multiple occasions. Over the course of our relationship, she grew and she grew.

We were dating when her first birthday rolled around. You came to her first birthday party with me and even decorated her card, although you made sure to remind me that babies can’t read. You claimed to dislike babies, but she always seemed to melt your heart. Over the course of our relationship, she grew and she grew.

We were dating when Calli got sick and had to get admitted to the hospital. You drove me there after we got off work. She looked so pitiful laying in the hospital bed ten times her size. My sister enjoyed our company that afternoon and it helped get her mind off her sick baby. That night, on the way back home, we got in a serious wreck due to a careless driver. Your car was totaled and we were both pretty banged up. However, we survived the wreck and Calli survived being sick. Over the course of our relationship, she grew and she grew.

We were dating when Calli turned 2 and we were dating when Calli turned 3. Do you remember her third birthday? It was a princess themed party and everything looked so beautiful. It took us forever to pick out the perfect Ariel Barbie doll because that’s what she wanted. That’s the longest I’ve ever seen you wait patiently for me to buy something! We were dating when she turned 4 this past year and had more friends at her party than me and you combined. Over the course of our relationship, she grew and she grew.

We were dating when she graduated this past May from “wee-school” and she looked so beautiful walking down the “red-carpet”. We were so proud of all of her accomplishments. At only four she had already started reading and writing. Her graduation ceremony was her entrance into actual preschool. Over the course of our relationship, she grew and she grew.

We have literally watched her grow with our relationship. In just a few short months Calli will be turning 5 years old, which means a few months after that, we will have been dating for 5 years! As I watch her grow, I think about how much she’s matured and learned and how much we have too. At our age, 5 years is a long time to spend with someone! From the perception of a kid, it feels like eternity, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! I love you more than words can describe and I can’t wait to continue growing with you…

ABOUT MEMy name is Laura Van Valkenburg and I am currently a junior at UNC-Charlotte, majoring in elementary education. I am engaged to my high school sweetheart although many people I know don’t support it because of my age. I am very happily engaged and wouldn’t want my life any other way. I wrote my multi-genre project for my fiancé to reflect on the time we have spent together and to let him know how much he means to me. I hope others who read my project will realize how much they cherish their significant other and understand that age shouldn’t always be a factor in determining how much someone loves another person!