Paint and Pixels

The Story of Matt and Naomi


Today marks the completion of seven years of marriage between Matt and me. I’ve heard that this mile marker can trigger the onset of “the seven year itch”. I haven’t felt any itchiness yet today, but perhaps that is just because Matt has been at work all day, and I won’t be able to verify that there is no itchiness until he gets home (with flowers in his hands). I thought it would be appropriate on this day to record the very first steps of our journey that has brought us to where we are today- those first magical moments of infatuation. Here we go…

Chapter One: He likes you

It was one of those warm Colorado evening where you can comfortably stay outside all night. I was 15 years old and actively seeking a hot boyfriend to use for arm candy. A group of teenagers from my church youth group were rendezvousing at a local park to go “ice blocking” (where you sit your bottom on a block of ice and slide down a grassy hill, emulating sledding… one crazy thing teenagers do). As we gathered in the parking lot, a boy in the youth group named Jordan pulled me aside and gave me a secret piece of information that would change my life forever. Behind his car, where we wouldn’t be heard, he said below his breathe “Matt Haverland likes you”.
“Matt Haverland? Likes ME? No way.”
“Yeah he does. He told me last night at a sleepover. He likes you”. I stopped and thought. Suddenly flashbacks came pouring into my head. I saw images of us in the past year standing in groups, and Matt would be there with his hands in his pockets glancing over at me shyly… always laughing at whatever I said… always ending up in a seat next to me. I gasped as everything came together like puzzle pieces and at that moment made total sense- he DID like me! Little did I know how eternally grateful I would be to Jordan for betraying his friend’s confidence and revealing the truth to me.
Then panic set in… At that very moment, I knew at least two other girls who had their eye on Matt. I knew this because they had told me. If I was going to land this deal, I would have to spring into action quickly, and there would be competition that I would have to overcome. That night at the park, Matt told everyone that he had lost his keys somewhere in the grass. Perfect opportunity. When others continued ice blocking and what not, I stuck by his side, searching for the keys. This would definitely get me the points I needed. It turned out that his keys were actually locked in his car, but I don’t remember what happened after that.

Chapter Two: He held my hand

Fast forward a week or so. We were on a youth group retreat at a ranch out in the country. It was tight quarters with 30 or so teenagers in one tiny ranch house (a situation I would be disgusted by today). This was the perfect excuse for having to be in closer proximity than normal. Ten teenagers can easily squeeze onto one sofa- and of course I would be sitting next to Matt, which meant that our hips would be squeezed together and sometimes our elbows would touch. I was oblivious to anything else going on in the room. All I could think about was the heat that came from his arm and how the tiny hairs on his arm would sometimes touch my arm and ohhhhh, it was so exciting!!!
Then one night, as was tradition, the youth made a trip to the corn silos. There we would enter through the opening on the roof of the silo and dive into a gigantic pool of dry corn, and frolic, swim and play in the corn. In the pitch darkness, I was immersed up to my neck in corn, when I felt something warm touch my hand- it was another hand. Then it clutched my hand our finger interlaced- the most intimate way to hold a hand- and it kept holding. I knew whose hand it was. My heart could have pounded out of my chest it was so exhilarating. Hand holding was a definite sign that the deal was sealed- that deal being that we were “going out”.

Chapter Three: Score

After that things got even more serious- he asked me to go to one of his soccer games. He was the goal keeper for his school varsity soccer team, which means he was a total jock. This called for another moment of panic. I couldn’t just show up alone- I wasn’t that confident- but I definitely had to be there, lest any OTHER girls show up and take over MY territory. So I called up my super confident friend Christine (I was hoping that by gluing myself to her, I could be just as confident) and said, “oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Matt asked me"
“wait, what Matt?”
“Matt Haverland”
“oh that Matt”
“ok yeah anyways, he asked me to come to his soccer game, and I think he really really likes me cause he held my hand once, and I like, really think I should go, but I can’t go alone. Will you please please please come with me after school tomorrow!?!”
“yeah, sure whatever”. I was relieved…. until I showed up at school the next day. I saw Christine from all the way down the hallway- everyone did. She was wearing a fluorescent yellow suit. Full suit- pants, jacket, lapel, tie, everything. “CHRISTINE?! Are you wearing that to the soccer game after school?!!!”
“Yeah, why not?” Ok… so maybe asking my MOST confident friend wasn’t the best idea.
As we showed up to the soccer field I stalled about getting out of the car. She was like “come on!” and I was like, “Let’s just walk slowly”, but she practically skipped up to the soccer field where my studly man was playing, and she was completely oblivious to the fact that I was mortified. I’m sure he could hardly even watch the ball with the glare of that yellow suite on the sidelines. I was so embarrassed and tried to distance myself from her, but she stuck right with me, and cheered, loud. This was sure to ruin any chances I had with the guy.
But no… after the game, to my surprise, he actually invited the two of us back to his house for dinner! Me and Miss. Banana suit. SCORE! When we showed up to his house, he introduced me to his family, and then immediately became glued to the TV alongside his dad. They were watching America’s Funniest Home Videos…. And laughing hysterically- like seriously laughing their heads off like they’d never seen anything funnier. I thought “holy cow, what a dork! Does this guy not have ANY dignity?!” UNSCORE! I decided that I probably wouldn’t be with him much longer.

Chapter Four: The Date

Ok, so the thing finally became official when he asked me out on a date. I forget if it was over the phone, or in person, or through texting (oh wait, there was no texting). But I was extremely nervous and excited. My mom stood at the window upstairs as I stood in the room behind her, with no pants on. The plan was, as she saw him getting out of his car, she would call to me what he was wearing, and then I would know whether to put on a skirt or jeans. “He’s wearing shorts!” she yelled. I quickly pulled on my jeans and then ran downstairs. As we got into his car, he said “we’re going to Quinzo’s!”. Ok… he wore shorts, and we’re going to Quizno’s?! I was a little ticked, because I had sources that had informed me that the last girl he took on a date got to go to Macaroni Grill and he wore kaki pants. What-ev-er, I didn’t care… I mean, the guy laughs at America’s Funniest Home Videos- he can’t be that great of a catch, right?
That night, after our date we went on a walk down town. Along our walk we stopped in the courtyard of a fancy catholic church and sat down on a bench that overlooked a little fountain with a larger than life Virgin Mary statue that stood in the middle. We sat with our hands lying on the bench next to each other… but not touching. At one instant I think our pinkies touched, and my heart jumped, but then we both quickly pulled our hands away. Sitting there, with the virgin looking down on us, she must have said a prayer of blessing. She said “dear baby Jesus, may this cute little couple stay together forever!” Then, Matt walked me home and said goodbye- no kiss, not even any hand holding. Pfff…. I didn’t care!!! “I’m not gonna stick with him much longer anyways” I thought.

Chapter Five: The First Kiss

A couple days later I invited all my bffs over to watch a movie- James and the Giant Peach (a really great flick!). It turned out that the only person to show up was… Matt. So the two of us awkwardly sat on the couch and watched it together. As the credits rolled I was overcome with lust, and asked him to kiss me. He said “Ok” and proceeded. As we sat there making out (and listening carefully for incoming parents), I decided I really liked him. The way he kissed was way different than the last guy. He was gentle and slow, and he put his hand on the back of my head ever so softly, and I really liked it. The last guy (the only other guy I had ever kissed) kind of chomped when he kissed me- and he would rub his tongue on the roof of my mouth over and over again, until the roof of my mouth hurt, and as he would pull his head away, he would scrape his taste buds along the backside of my teeth. But I knew no different, and I was fourteen whole years old then, and was just glad to actually FINALLY be kissing a boy at all! But Matt was different- when he kissed me he treated me like I was fragile. When it was time for him to go home, we walked to the front door, periodically stopping to make out some more, because we had both realized that we really liked doing that a lot and didn’t want to have to ever stop. Kiss at the front door, kiss on the threshold, one more kiss outside, one more on the side walk, then at the gate, and then at the car….
As I watched his car drive off into the distance, I made a fateful decision… I decided that I would, in fact, stick this one out and see what happens. I was in love.

Chapter Six: The Rest of the Story

After this point in the relationship, things got increasingly more complex. We ended up journeying down a winding road that brought us to the point we are at today. The road had a few dysfunctional bumps and a few dark patches, but as the song says “God blessed the broken road”, and I can’t wait to see where else the road will take us!

It’s hard to believe we are the same two kids that fell in love that summer eleven years ago. I don’t get butterfly feelings anymore, nor do I get lightheaded and giddy. But I do have a feeling of security, ease and true love. I also have a best friend that I am pretty sure will be there for me in the most dire circumstances. Some things haven’t changed, though. I still find him glued to the TV watching American's Funniest Videos, laughing hysterically, except now he isn’t sitting next to his dad- he’s sitting next to his son. They both roll on the floor laughing… and I roll my eyes and think, “Those guys are dorks!”

Happy Anniversary Matt! If you are late home from work, I won’t worry. I will know that you stopped by the grocery store to pick up a card and flowers.