The man cave is set up!

Matt and I at a wedding in August 2011

November 2011

Jon(Matt's brother) & Stella's wedding

I've been thinking about what to write about next and thought I should go with the flow. Obviously if this blog is about me & Matt, I shouldn't probably tell you how we met, etc....

November 2008 I started working part-time at The Fresh Market in Greenville, NC. Matt had started working there just a few months before. We worked different shifts for a while and then we both started working night shifts. That's when I noticed the cute hard working guy behind the deli counter. He was working as an Assistant Deli Manager. We never spoke but we definitely knew who each other was. I came in one day off the clock to get a salad but wanted it made a special way. He went out of his way to make the salad that I wanted. Little did I know that he had never made that salad before and was totally winging it.

The salad opened up the door of communication for us and we started saying hello to each other at work. The more I saw him the more I was amazed at his work ethic and motivation. You don't see guys very often busting their butts to help the public, but Matt did. I became more and more intrigued by him. He was quiet, polite and a hard worker!

One night we were both closing and we started talking. I politely asked him out for a drink....he said no! What?!! What he meant was that he didn't drink. Oh, I thought, that doesn't happen very often with males in their mid-20s. They usually stick to you like white on rice at the notion of a free drink.  We kept talking and decided to "hang out". We exchanged numbers after work.

Matt was only 25 yo when we met and I was 30 yo...eeeeeek! But I never could tell. He was the most mature 25 yo male I had ever met. He cooked for me many nights a week and is an amazing cook! You would never know he is a vegan(who does eat fish)...it's just easier to say vegan than explain the whole situation....by the way he cooked for me. He was generous with his time, food and handy man skills. Whenever I needed help at the farm, he would come over!

He knew from the get-go about my horses. After a while of helping around the barn, late nights with a sick horse or having a job that I never got a break from and essentially came first, he still stuck around. I couldn't believe it. Anyone with animals, especially with horses that live on your property, know that they are a full time job. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter....horses still need to be fed and stalls cleaned.  He still stuck around. I must be a lucky girl!

We finally decided to take the next big step and move in together after 2 years, but finding a place for all of our critters was going to be tough. After months of searching we found a beautiful place to rent in Washington, NC. A 10-acre farm with a 4 stall barn and an old farm house that was over 100 years old. We loved it!! We moved in in August 2011. Visitors are welcome anytime!!

I'm so lucky to have Matt in my life! Any girl with horses knows that finding that special guy who sticks around after the countless hours after being out at the barn, being gone most weekends to horse shows or going to get hay or feed is DEFINITELY a keeper!! When we moved in together I told him that I didn't want him to "get into" horses unless he truly wanted to. He was quick to answer, "don't worry, I won't" :) He is so helpful though when I have to work late. He feeds the girls and cleans their stalls. He said it's just like a big litter box so it's no big deal. Or when I had another stress fracture in my foot, he chipped in and helped me do chores. Thank you Matt!! I will never be able to thank you enough!

So to thank him, we decided that the loft upstairs would be his "man cave". He's been working very hard to get it all set up. He has a couch, bean bag chair, flat screen TV with surround sound, DVD player and Xbox. He is all set!! Now he just needs a mini fridge and microwave for his tofu:) Needless to say though, he is pumped about his space and I am truly happy for him.

I know all of us in a relationship sometimes take our spouses for granted. Let's try to focus on telling them how special they are to us every day, even if you tell them thank you for unloading the dishwasher or taking out the trash. Cause god knows, I HATE unloading the dishwasher!! And us girls that have guys in our lives that put up with our horse craziness and still love us, we need to be extra thankful!

Rock on!