Memories.

The other day, someone asked me what my favorite movie is. I always have a hard time coming up with the true answer, but I finally think I have it figured out.

For some reason last night, I was in a reminiscent mood. And then Maddie put on her Itunes... and the theme song from the Disney version of Robin Hood came on. And oh the memories.... they flooded my brain.

A couple of years ago, Dusty and I had just started hanging out pretty often and we were trying to come up with fun ideas for dates together. I decided to surprise him one night and ended up blindfolding him and driving him to a surprise destination. I decided to take him to Mahtomedi where he grew up. Our first destination was his high school football field. Now before you go thinking that's all cliche (which it is), I brought him there because of the meaning behind the score board, where his dad's name is remembered, along with two other dads that have died. For those of you who don't know (and I really don't think he would mind me sharing, as it contributes to the story), Dusty's dad, Wade, passed away when he was 15 years old. He was an awesome guy, someone who my dad actually got to know very well during his years at Northwestern College. Anyway, we went to the field, and I gave Dust a gift of a blanket from Target that was exactly like one I had at my place, and a box of Monster cookies. I was really nervous that he was going to find it cheesy, but instead of making fun of me, he had a huge smile on his face, telling me he wanted to take me somewhere. We drove not very far to a nearby cemetery, where I "officially" met Dusty's dad. I know this probably sounds morbid and weird, but that night really meant a lot to me. His dad's grave site is marked by a stone bench, and we sat down, and he told me a few stories about growing up with Wade and how much he loved his dad. Getting to have that moment with a guy I really liked meant a lot because I finally felt like I was "in". I felt like I meant enough to him to have him take me to meet someone who was so incredibly special to him.

Now back to the scoreboard, I can't think of anything worse personally than to lose a parent, especially so young. But given the circumstances, how cool would it be to remember your dad every single football game of your high school career by looking at the scoreboard and seeing a dedication to his memory? I wish I had a picture of it, because it makes more sense. I decided to bring him there because it has personal meaning, and I knew it meant something.

We left Mahtomedi and then decided to keep making the night interesting and visited my old house in Northeast Minneapolis. I showed him where I grew up and took him around the neighborhood and we just talked and talked about childhood, friends, experiences, vacations, everything. We finally decided to end our night back at my parents place to watch a movie. We knew we wanted a Disney movie of some kind, and I suggested Robin Hood. When I was little, I absolutely LOVED this movie. It was a movie I watched every night and would even have my mom sing the songs to me before I went to bed at night. I was so pumped that Dust agreed, and I was so happy that we were able to watch together. I dunno what it is, I just remember that date as being so much fun, a special memory to me. We coined it "D-Day" because initially, it was all about surprising Dusty. It didn't really stay that way since we ended up "visiting" his dad, going back to the place I grew up, and ending the night with one of the best movies of all time. Not only did the question of my favorite movie bring up a great memory, but it made me realize that it's my favorite because of what I associate it with. That night was one of the most fun night's I can remember from the beginning stages of our relationship, and I loved it.

Why is Disney's Robin Hood a good movie? It's got everything! Soundtrack=cute and fun. There's romance, action, thrill, suspense, villainy, sadness, and comedy. Plus... Maid Marian and Robin Hood (who I believe are portrayed as foxes, haha) have to go through a trial separation from one another. Which is precisely what is going on with me and my guy right now. HELLO?! How couldn't I love this movie!!!

I decided to write out that whole story because it made me smile today, and gave me something fun to look back on. Now, the NEXT thing I'm really looking forward to is seeing Dustin Wade in just TEN DAYS!! In sunny Florida. WooooOO!!

So anyway, there is a little snapshot into my past for anyone out there bothering to read. I hope you enjoyed it. If not, I can at least look back on it with happy memories.

Watch the video to get a glimpse into my favorite movie :-)