How We Met according to Monique

The specifics are difficult to recall because we actually met about 15 years ago at a provincial Boy Scout and Girl Guide co-ed camp. I remember thinking Chris was really cute and liked how silly he was BUT he was forever going out with this other girl.

We would see each other on occasion over the years, since many of our mutual friends dated; girls from the North Shore Girl Guides groups and guys from the Richmond Boy Scouts. There were a couple of opportune moments when things in Chris' relationship seemed to hit a bump, but at those times, I was in a relationship myself. So I never did think that it would happen - but eventually the stars aligned.

Roughly 10 years after we had first met each other, we found ourselves both single. Actually, I guess I was kinda seeing someone in a rather ambiguous sort of way. But the guy I was seeing had told me he didn’t want to go out with anyone at that point, so in my eyes it wasn't serious.

Looking back now to the winter of 2001, the circumstances leading up to the start of our relationship are rather humorous. Our good friends Thomas and Paula were dating, and Paula got the great idea of setting us up. I dragged myself out of my sickbed to go skiing at Whistler and we went for dinner at the Kobe Steakhouse in Vancouver that night.

After all that I thought to myself "Well the guy isn’t even talking to me. I’m not sure if he’s even interested." To make certain of my suspicions, I invited Chris to my 25th birthday murder mystery party along with the guy I was kinda seeing.

At the end of the evening, I polled my friends and we all agreed Chris was so obnoxious that I was glad I was seeing the other guy. In hindsight, I chalk up his behavior to nervousness, though he blames his character role in the murder mystery as a snooty Englishman.

A month passed and we continued to hang out with Paula and Thomas. In January, Chris invited me to his birthday gathering at the Urban Well with a mixture of friends. Immediately after I sat down beside him, his phone rang. With an embarrased look, he turned away to answer it.

Much later on I found out it was his friends Monica and Josh at the next table, asking who I was and if Chris was dating me.

That evening I was the last to leave the party at Chris' place as he had agreed to drive me home. But first he had to show me his dragon boat and hip hop dancing videos... and then he kissed me. That’s how he got a really easy to remember anniversary.

We started officially dating after that, but for me there was still the issue of the other guy … so just to check, I confirmed with Chris "we’re dating only each other?" He responded "Yes, well I am."
"Mmmmm, so I’ve been hanging out with this other guy, he may be under the impression we are dating, do I have to break up officially with him?"
"Yes."

After many adventures, belly jiggling laughs, tickle torture sessions, and a camping trip ending upside down in a car on top of a canoe, we decided to get married. You’ll hear much more at the wedding!