SO - whenever I do decide to make this public and share with friends and family... I want to make sure I properly introduce us! So here is the story of how Team Hollowell started.
I'm from Rogers, Arkansas and Tripp (my hubby) is from Helena, Arkansas... what you might hear called "God's country" or the "Delta" as Tripp says ;) We met in college while attending the University of Arkansas annddd wait for it..... met in class. Nerdy, huh? We met in a business class called Human Capital during my sophomore year and Tripp's junior year and ended up working together on a group project. I knew of his name through one of my sorority sisters (Chi Omega - hootie hoo!), but had never met him. We ended up texting a bit here and there, but that was it. I had just recently joined the single world at this time, so I was not interested in anyone. whatsoever. period.
Fast-forward to a couple months later and this is where it gets fun and juicy ;)
Tripp is a year older than me so he had already taken a lot of the classes I was entering, so I randomly texted him and asked if he would mind sharing some of his notes/brain power. And so began the start of the absolute best years of my life.
I STILL wasn't interested in dating, but Tripp asked me to attend Destination Unknown, a Sigma Chi function with his fraternity, and I decided it was time for me to get out and just have fun. So, I did - we had a blast and I had wayyyy to many amaretto sours, but was super social and charming in my date's eyes ;) I knew Tripp was interested in me, but the feeling wasn't all that mutual... my family likes to say it was because of the sweater vests he wore in class ;).
I actually smoked the one and ONLY cigarette I have ever smoked at Destination Unknown and I cried in the bathroom (remember those Amaretto Sours I mentioned above?). So classy. Thank the Lord he let those fly.
Tripp later asked me to attend Derby Days date night (which was also his 21st birthday) and I said yes. I ended up getting him a couple of bday goodies for that night (but I wasn't remotely interested in this guy? rriiighhhtt, Katie) - a cookie cake, a shot necklace, a bday pin... and it was a night I will never forget. The somewhat nerdy, way too nice boy I met in Human Capital had a FABULOUS 21st birthday and I loved the crazier side of him that I saw.
From that day on, we spent more and more time together and simply fell hard and it was more than anything I could have hoped for. We are both Catholic and started going to church together... and everything just fell in place too wonderfully. Fast-forward through more college years, functions/parties, family meetings, graudation and first jobs...
This was early on in those first few weeks of being together... Tripp was at a formal with one of his friends and snuck over to come see me at another party :)
Pure joy and sharing it with my best friend in college, Mere. Nothing is too wonderful to be true.
This was him checking his watch and saying he had to leave.... NOOOOO!
Our first formal together. My mom was so excited for me... she bought me the most expensive formal dress I've ever purchased ha! We went to see a KC Royals game Friday night and then the formal to follow Saturday night.
Blurry, but I mean seriously - pure joy.
Dream come true - I convinced him to dress up as Harry Potter :)
Summer lovin'.
80s function.
We got engaged on November 3rd, 2009 at my parents house in Rogers, AR. Tripp and I knew VERY early on that we were made for each other and so it was really never an "if" we get married, it was always a "when." It sounds pretty crazy, but neither one of us questioned it one bit... spending the rest of our lives together was the most comfortable and exciting thought to the both of us. One night I was staying at my parents, he rang the front doorbell and proposed.
I said "I'm getting married" 50,000 times that night.
Although Tripp had to work a little harder than he would have liked initially, I love the story of how we met and started dating. I have no doubt in my mind that God was preparing me for this incredible man to come along and blow me away with his heart of gold and genuine love. "Thank You, God" was a phrase Tripp and I used 20 times a day during those first years together... we know it was all in his timing and plan.
After planning a wedding and so many fun events associated with it, we got married just over a year later on October 16, 2010 at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers, AR. This is the church we credit so much of our relationship to because it brought us so close in the beginning of our relationship... and it is home to us. The people, the place, everything about it.
Our wedding day was absolutely wonderful and we headed to Jamaica to celebrate and enjoy our first week as a true Team Hollowell! It was amazing. We flew back and spent our first night in Fayetteville shopping at Walmart at 1am for our first groceries together haha! Needless to say, we were beyond excited about being married and starting our life together.
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