This is my family. In flannel. :) This story is a long one - but a good one.
Matt and I met via eharmony.com in September of 2004. We both had done online dating in the past and had some experiences that led us both to agree that it was best for us to meet in person right away.
Our first date was at Luray Caverns - which was half-way between where we each lived. I was in Stuarts Draft, VA - he was in Frederick, MD. It was a public place (in case he was a psychopath) and had lots to do. A perfect first-date kind of place. Matt and I had only had one phone conversation (to set up the date) and had only emailed a couple of times. We had seen 1-2 pictures of each other.
I wanted to present myself well - but I also wanted to be true to who I am. I'm also a very practical gal. We were going into a CAVE. So, I wore jeans, hiking boots, a tight-ish fitting gray t-shirt and had tied a flannel shirt around my waist. I knew I would need something warm when going into the cave and I didn't want to wear a jacket. Practical. I was also still in that phase of my life where I carried a keychain/wallet combo that I tucked into my back pocket.
We went through the caverns, we had dippin dots on a picnic table, we went through a hedge maze, and we had a great dinner at Skyland on Skyline Drive. At the end of the date we decided it was worth having a second one. :)
Matt confessed to me a little later that he was pretty turned off by the flannel. Something about bad high school memories and Kurt Cobaine. I relayed this to my family. 'Despite his hatred of flannel, he likes me!'
Matt came to meet my family for the first time in November. We have started a tradition since I have moved to VA of celebrating Thanksgiving the weekend before Thanksgiving in TN (as I am on-call on Thanksgiving day.) My family decided to pull a little good-humored prank on Matt.
Matt and I spent our early afternoon at the Echols house. I was told not to show up to my parents' house until a certain time. I remember that we actually said our good-bye's and got ready to leave and then.....I remembered that the time had changed and we needed to stay another hour! I am the worst secret keeper ever - but I managed to not tell Matt what was going on.
When we arrived at my family's house they were all dressed in flannel! It took Matt a minute to figure it out - but when my mom handed him his very own red flannel shirt to wear, he got it. :)
I took this picture with me to Bangladesh that next February. I must have gotten it wet which is why there are splotches on it. Sad.
But it still makes me smile.
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