The first time we talked was on a school bus. We had first seen each other earlier in the day in U.S. History class. My first day at my new high school after moving to Maryland – the school counselor escorted me to class, and the teacher told me to sit in the front row, where no one else was sitting. I could feel the eyes of my new classmates on my back.
My sister and I were the new girls at a big school. We quickly found out that classes would be harder and more competitive than the small school we went to in New Mexico. We hashed over all of this on our ride home. My parents had just purchased our house, and we were going to meet them at the new house after our first day. The counselor told us which bus to ride to get home.
Mimi and I stepped onto the bus and found a seat near the front together. We weren't sure where to get off, so when I recognized one of the riders as the cute boy from my History class earlier, I decided to ask him. Guess who the cute boy was?
Cute boy Kris
The thing is, Mimi and I got on the wrong bus altogether. Kris did his best to help us get to neighborhood that we lived in – he knew it well since he often played street hockey at the park near it – and we got off the bus at the next stop, deciding to brave our way through the new suburbs on foot. We didn't have cell phones at the time, and didn't have much sense of direction either. Luckily, we happened upon our new street pretty easily after a 30-minute walk through random neighborhoods.
I saw a lot more of "that cute boy" in the weeks that followed. As the term went on, one of Kris's friends asked me if I would like to join their study group for the advanced placement exam. I needed the help, as the move across the country had unsettled my progress in the class, so I took him up on it. The study group included five guys – of them was Kris – and me.
Weeks of studying, and we all passed the exams successfully. All six of us in the study group decided to celebrate our success by a night at the movies. Kris and I sat next to each other, and we nuzzled up to each other all evening at the theater. We officially started dating in May, right after the movies. We had a great summer ahead, as well as our senior year of high school.
Kris and Lolly – 1998
My family loved him, and I quickly fell in love with him too. We were a great match from the beginning. We did the homecoming dance, the prom, the dinner with the parents, the late night phone calls, and holidays-together thing. My family teases me now that we were completely "joined at the hip" at the time. There's no denying it!
Senior Prom
We got engaged in August 1999. We went to college together, and fell even more in love. We began to plan our lives together. Kris finished college in record time, got a great job, and then the big day arrived: January 5, 2002.
Kris and I celebrated our five-year anniversary yesterday. We scheduled dinner at a nice restaurant in town, dressed up for the occasion, and enjoyed a beautiful evening together. We talked about our future and about our past.
We usually do not do an exchange of gifts for anniversary; right after the holidays and Kris's birthday we tend to have a low-key anniversary, usually dinner out and a nice bottle of wine. Kris decided to step it up this year with some other gifts, and I was completely surprised.
The traditional gift for the 5th wedding anniversary is wood, and Kris got creative in his gift-giving (with excellent tips from Jenna - thanks girlfriend!) He bought some beautiful rosewood needles for me! (Size 4.00mm/US6 circulars and 2.25mm/US 1 double pointed needles) I love his special crafty "take" on the traditional gift!
The modern 5th anniversary gift is "silverware", and we have plenty of that, so Kris got creative again and found some adorable sterling silver earrings – they are shaped like little balls of yarn!
And see what I gave him? (Okay, yeah, I just so happened to finish the sweater on our anniversary… but it counts, right?)
Pattern: Men's Bulky V-Neck Sweater
Pattern Source: Knitting to Go Deck: 25 Chic and Easy Patterns
Yarn: Reynolds Lopi Icelandic Wool in Charcoal
Yarn Source: Inherited from a coworker
Needles: Size US 11 and US 10
Started: December 15th / Finished: January 5th
*More pictures and details on Flickr*
The non-traditional anniversary gift?
Definitely wool.
Sweet story! Happy anniversary to you both! Loving the sterling silver earring, needles and you did a beautiful FAST job knitting his sweater.
Congrats, Lolly! We just celebrated our fifth as well! And I know someone probably already mentioned this, but I think the 7th is wool.
Maybe you two could do an exchange- you make a sweater for him and get a sweater’s worth of yarn in return.
Happy Anniversary Lolly! That boy is a keeper!!
And that sweater is great!
What a thoughtful guy! You guys sure are wise for your years–embracing a good thing when you find it and nurturing your love. It’s really heart warming to witness–thanks for sharing it with us.
Happy Anniversary! What a great couple you make!
What a nice love story, Lolly! So wonderful that you both grew in the same direction at such a young age and are still together! And you two are soooo cute together! Happy Anniversary! Love the sweater, too…
Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness to come….
What a sweet story! Many more happy years to you two!!
A beautiful story Lolly. You guys look so great together–love all around you. Congratulations!!
I have a great big smile on my face!! I have been dating my boyfriend for 3 years and we’re getting ready to go off to college. Your story really touched me, I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read about you and Kris, it’s the perfect love story. Congratulations on your anniversary!
What a lovely story! Happy anniversary Lolly and Kris!
You guys are CUTE! Best wishes on your anniversary. And the sweater looks great too.
Happy anniversary you two! We’ll be celebrating our 5th this year too.
Awwww you two are so cute together and I loved reading your story. Happy Anniversary and many more happy years together.
x
Awwwwwwwwwwwww….congrats and Happy Anniversary!
AWWW, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!! I’m a total sucker for “how-we-met” stories like this. so sweet! and you guys were high-school sweethearts, double awwwwww!
and what really thoughtful and lovely gifts you guys got for each other.
Especially the needles, they are too lovely. 
So sweet Lolly! Happy anniversary! Beautiful job on the sweater!
Congratulations, sounds like a lovely anniversary celebration.
AW! Big Congrats!
May you have many more!!!!!
What a sweet entry! It seems like you two have been married forever,…and I was there from the beginning! Happy Anniversary to the Best!!!!!
Congratulations. The sweater and the needles go well together!
Happy Anniversary! What a wonderful tale of your life together.
Seriously: Awwww!
How cute and sweet are you guys! Congratulations and happy anniversary you two!
Happy Anniversary! Lovely post, and what a great sweater!!
happy anniversary!!! i adore you both! what great presents
Awww… y’all are adorable! Happy Anniversary and many more to come!
A very happy anniversary to you and Kris. I loved reading your story. Great job on the sweater too!
Happy anniversary! That is such a great story.
Aaaaaawwww
Happy anniversary, happy people !!
Happy Happy Anniversary Lolly & Kris. So sweet, and the gifts, my goodness girl, please tell Kris to start his own blog to help our poor clueless hubbies out! Most men just don’t get our fiber obsession.
Happy #5 lady! Kris didn’t tell me what he ended up getting you, so I was interested to see what he chose from the two pages of suggestions I gave him. He was so cute to seek me out and ask – what a great hubby
The sweater looks great, too bad he probably won’t get to wear it until next winter.
Awww, happy belated anniversary! He’s definitely a keeper.
Awww!!! Happy anniversary to you and your sweetie. Sounds like it was fated to be.
you look so happy together! congratulations!
Happy Anniversary! That sweater looks great and I love the wooden knitting needles.
P.S. You guys look great together. And not just in these photos, but in pretty much every darn photo I see of you two. It’s nearly sickening.
I love hearing stories like that! I didn’t know you guys were together since high school…you both still look so young!
Good looking man you got there, Lolly. You’re a lucky lady, and he’s a lucky guy. Y’all make such a cute couple! Happy anniversary to you both!
Awww…so so so sweet! Happy Anniversary, L&K!
Congrats! I’ve only made it three years so far. You two are adorable.
Those earrings are sweet too.
Awww… yall are so darn cute!!
Happy Anniversary! You share the date with my beloved Granny Kate’s birthday. She would have been in her 90′s. It’s a magical day, so I’m glad to see it marked with more love and happiness from the two of you!
its such a lovely love story, and the thing is in all these years since you first met you both look just the same as you did in the prom photo! Happy Anniversary!
Lolly!
*sniff* what a sweet story! and what wonderful gifts! Happy Anniversary to the both of you!
Congratulations on five years! Good thing you didn’t get married a month later, my husband and I got married Feb 2, 2002 (02-02-02) and had twins. I hope that my husband is as creative when our 5 year comes around. WE usually just have KFC and hang with the kids.
high school sweethearts! how amazing and wonderfully old-fashioned! around the time you were getting engaged, i was wondering what the hell was wrong with me and men
Happy Anniversary! The sweater turned out very nice.
You guys are just too cute together! Happy Anniversary!
what a lovely story…and i am so happy for you both- especially you, a man who gives a woman rosewood needles, what a keeper!
happy anniversary! such a cute story. i love seeing pics of lolly in high school!
What a great story – movies are made of stories like these!