As per request I'm going to talk all about Hunter today. Which is pretty much who I love talking about, and I just refrain myself. So today it's all about Hunter... well, Hunter and I and how we came to be us. Plus, it's his birthday. So, maybe if you're all super sweet and tell him happy birthday I'll show him. :)
Mancelona Camp 2010
Hunter and I met in 2008. I was thirteen, he was twelve. After his Mom died, he came to Michigan to live with his Dad. Once Hunter got here he became friends with Brad, and that's when he started coming to youth group. My youth group. The first time I ever met him he was at the church, goofing around playing basketball. (No shocker there.) He was tiny. Like, shorter than me tiny. He was also extremely adorable, and hilarious. He wore a long sleeved shirt and a Carhart, because after moving from Tennessee that's all he wore for a year or so. That first night after all the basketballs and flying objects had been rounded up, everyone sat in a big circle to start our lesson. Right then and there I decided I'd sit next to this boy, even though I'm painfully shy and didn't know what to say. We probably didn't say much other than "Hi" but it opened a door into our friendship, because after that every single week he'd come up to me and tell me about some near-death experience he had at school. There was one about a ceiling tile that was going to fall on him, but luckily he moved in time. The first time we ever got to hang out more than two hours was during the 30 Hour Famine that our youth group held in March of 2008. I had more fun with him than you can even imagine. We were friends.
Fall 2011
Around that time Tanner also started coming to youth group. Now, the story of Tanner and Noey is just as good as Hunter's and mine so I'll give you a little snippet. Tanner has been in love with Noelle since he was roughly ten years old. He saw her at Vacation Bible School (Do you see a pattern? The best boys you meet at church functions, apparently!) and knew she was "the one". The funny thing here is, that Tanner thought for sure that Hunter liked Noey. He was just positive of it, and instantly hated Hunter. They didn't get along for a really long time because of it, too. But, then one night on the ride home from youth, Hunter told Tanner that he actually had a crush on me. Ever since then, those two have been inseparable.
Now, because I'm a stupid, stupid girl I never really realized all of this. Someone told me that he had a crush on me, but I just didn't believe them. Because, I'm stupid. So instead. Ugh. Instead. There was this other boy. This boy that no one liked, because he was player. But he said sweet things to me, and I liked it. I liked being told I was wanted, so I got myself involved. And by "involved" I just mean we talked a lot, and he came to youth group some. But, my heart was all in. Which is tricky, tricky, business. (Just for a timeline for you guys, this was around March 2010) Hunter tried to warn me. He told me this guy was no good, and I just got mad at him and ignored him. How very stupid I am. Well, inevitably this guy just got sick of me. I was heartbroken. Hunter was there. In the background. He never was mean to me about it.
Well, as some of you may know, on May 20, 2010 my Daddy died. My sixteenth birthday. I was, quite obviously, crushed by this unexpected happening. But, my goal from that day on was to never stop living. To keep on going with everything I had previously said I would do, to keep living. So the day after he died, I had said that I would help out with a youth group fund raiser (Boy. I've been really involved in that youth group...) so I went. I was glad to see some friendly, loving faces. Like, Ben, Tanner, Michelle, and my now good friend Sara. And Hunter. There was something about the knowledge that he knew exactly what was happening that was comforting. He didn't hover over me, he didn't ask questions. For most of that day he was just in the background. At a certain point I was getting sort of stressed out by all the people and I went to lay down a little ways away near the church's soccer field. When I sat up and opened my eyes, there was Hunter. He'd been there the whole time. Just sitting with me. Being there. That's when I realized he was special.
Hunter and I had been close before then, but that summer. That summer we became best friends. Tanner, Noey, Hunter and I were inseparable. We did everything together. We saw movies sometimes twice a week. We were at the beach nearly every day, just walking, laughing, and laying in the warm sun. Hunter went to the summer church camp that I had been attending since first grade that year. It was the best time. A full week of being with him as much as possible. I remember one day that the youth camp went to an indoor water park. Hunter and I usually teamed up to go down the water slides together, and he was always a gentleman and never let me carry the tube. When we got to the top of the stairs there were these little boys who kept pestering us. Asking if we were boyfriend and girlfriend. We said no, over and over again. My face went beet red. Now, Hunter's told me that he wanted so bad to say yes. All in all, that summer was the best. But, at the end I screwed up. Big time.
Remember the player? Well, he started playing with me again. And I let him. Looking back, I don't even know why. A lot of the time I hated him. He was annoying. Made me feel bad. Hated when I was around Tanner, Noey, or Hunter. But he sometimes said sweet things, and made me feel pretty. Hunter warned me again and again to stop. That this was not smart. But, I told him to shut up and let me do what I wanted. I went to Homecoming with him, which wasn't fun. The night ended in an awkward hug. After Homecoming I left for Florida for a vacation, and this kid got sick of me while I was there. Now, I've been told that he actually hadn't gotten "sick of me" what really happened was that he was found with a girl in the school parking lot in his truck making out with this girl. Such a keeper, right?
After that Hunter and I didn't go back to normal. He was mad that I hadn't listened to him, I was mad I hadn't listened to him. It was a vicious cycle created by my own stupidity. We didn't talk much. There were no near-death stories, and there was no goofing around. There was one night in particular that I remember wanting our friendship back to normal so badly it hurt. We were at Brad's house, and we were sitting on the couch. Brad knows that I'm terrified of masks so he was purposely freaking me out. I was scared out of my mind and I just remember Hunter trying to calm me down.
We slowly started becoming friends again. There was even this one Sunday when I thought everything was perfect again. But, then, that Wednesday I found out that he had started dating this girl. I thought for sure that she must have asked him out, and he just said yes. But, come to find out, it was the other way around. She was pretty, and I couldn't blame him. There was this one time that broke me. We were in the church for a talent show, and I was sitting next to him as usual. When she came in late he asked me to move so she could sit by him. I moved. But I thought I could cry.
They dated for a month, and that month I realized how much I really liked Hunter. That I might even love him. That I didn't want to see him with anyone else. I complained to Tanner. I told him that I realized now.
This might sound really horrible, but it's the complete truth so I'll tell it, the night that he broke up with his month-long girlfriend he sent me a message on Facebook. He told me he needed to talk to me. That night he told me that he liked me. December 27, 2010.
We've been us ever since. Best friends. In love. And it's seriously the best thing in the world. I love him. And somehow, he loves me too. Which is crazy awesome.
I could talk about Hunter all day. I did a few weeks ago. There's just so much that I love about him.
Freckles and blue eyes are the best!
-His strength and happiness.
I've always been so impressed by his genuine happiness. He's seriously happy the majority of the time, even when he has every right to be sad.
-His humor.
He's hilarious. And he's not afraid to be goofy. Just a little while ago he decided to start playing basketball with "T-Rex" hands. And his near death experience stories? They're probably some of the reason I fell for him.
-His unselfishness.
I think it completely kills him that I'm as independent as I am, because he would literally have no probably with doing anything for me. Like carry shopping bags. He literally wanted to carry around my Victoria's Secret bags for me because I said it was heavy.
-His love of babies... and cats.
Seriously. What is cuter than a seventeen year old making faces at a baby? Nothing. Also what is cuter than a seventeen year old boy wanting to get kittens every time someone at youth asks if someone wants them? Nothing.
I guess that this is our story. A story of undying friendship. Of loyalty. Of love. But, our story doesn't end it. It will go on for years and years to come.
On Saturday my friends and I went out Goodwill shopping and afterwards out for lunch. I've never eaten Chinese before so that's where we went. First of all: I loved it. Delish. Secondly: The owner was just the sweetest little thing. She came and pulled up a chair next to us and asked us what we had been thinking of getting, we told her, and she described the entire dish to us and if we weren't sure about something she told us something else we may like. She was just the sweetest little lady ever. 
... {pretty} kitty who lays around while i try and pack. try is the keyword. do you have any idea how hard it is to figure what i really need when i'm living six whole hours away? i don't want to overpack. i don't want to under pack. it's a dilemma. any tips from former {or current} college students moving far away?
... {pretty} nails that glitter in the sun. i don't share with you often, but i adore painting my nails. i change them near daily and i'm really loving this combo going on right now. gliiiiitter.
... {pretty} handsome boy who is just about the cutest thing, um, well, ever. he didn't want me to post this anywhere, but, i love this picture. on so many levels. maybe it's because it was just a really great day with him. or maybe it's because he really is this funny most of the time. it just shows his personality, i suppose. 
... {pretty} sunsets. i can't believe that tomorrow night is my last night here. wow. this summer has flown by. so quickly, but it's been a good one. i'm not sure if i'm completely ready for a new transition in my life, but like it or not, it's happening. 
Dear Hunter,
...has consisted of getting dressed in pretty clothes, kissing the boy, drinking mango smoothies, and other random things. Also, watching Pretty Little Liars. I started watching it from the beginning, it's actually better than I thought it would be. I know, I'm so behind on the times.
Sad Hunter :(
Happy Hunter :) 
I'm headed off to Mancelona Camp this week, so I have a few scheduled posts. I apologize for the fact that I won't be able to mod comments until I come back, but don't let that stop you from talking back to me!
Unfortunately I had a little mishap with our DSLR so the only camera we had to take pictures for my party was my little phone and Instagram. Good thing that my Android takes nice pictures! Eventually I'll probably get some more pictures from Grandmas and the like, but until then this is what you get.
