Just the other day, or more like ten years ago this week, I married the "one" for me and this is how we met...
My older sister had just moved to a new place and decided to join an online group for stay-at-home mom's in her area. At a play date where all of the mothers met in person, she and another lady (who is now my sister in law) started discussing their siblings. They figured out that D and I might be a good match and exchanged our pictures. That night I got a call from my sister, asking if I would consider getting to know this guy. I had just come out of a God-inspired six month "fast" from dating and was not looking for anything (in other words, I was very content). Also, the last blind date I had been on was terrible, so I was in no mood to go on another one. I told her these exact words, "You can give him my email address, but I'm not making any special trips to meet this guy" (he lived two hours away). Well, that night I received my first email from D (his sis had gone straight over to show him my pic/tell him about me) and as they say...the rest is history! We emailed daily for about two weeks, and then I decided to let him call me. After talking on the phone for about a week, we decided to actually meet in person.
Our first date was on Feb 11, 2000. We met in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel about an hour from me because it was the half-way point. I remember him getting out of his SUV, lookin' all cute in a blue collared shirt and khaki pants (insert smile). It was a good first impression (although I had seen his pic that my sis had sent me through snail-mail). He opened the car door for me to get in. He asked me the same question twice in just a few minutes, so I could tell he was nervous, but I thought it was just adorable. He was really trying! We drove to a larger city nearer to where he lived and decided to eat at Joe's Crab Shack. I had suggested it, but with a motive. I thought that if we had absolutely nothing to talk about I could try to start a conversation based on some of the crazy stuff they usually have displayed in those restaurants (lame, I know)! I don't remember much about the restaurant, but I do remember that we signed our names right beside our booth. (Why would we do that if we didn't think something "special" was going on?! Hmmmmm.)
After we ate, D took me ice skating. He was the Minister of Students at a church and had recently taken some children there for an outing, so he thought it would be fun. It was! We skated around and talked for the longest time. My favorite part of this story happened at that skating rink. For some reason, D made the remark that he never fell when he was skating. I promise you not thirty seconds later, he fell down for no apparent reason!!! Oh my soul, looking back that is so funny!!!! Don't worry, nothing was hurt but his pride (insert smile with a wink).
We ended the night at a coffee shop where neither one of us drank coffee, but we just got some dessert and talked some more. The "it" moment for me, the moment that got me hooked (ok, besides some pretty good flirting), was on the drive back to my car as the night was coming to a close. We got into a really deep conversation (remember we had already been "talking" for a few weeks through email and on the phone) about what we wanted life to look like for us...as individuals, mind you...in the future. I remember D saying something like "Sure, I want children and I will love my children, no doubt...but whoever my wife is....ultimately, I will CHOOSE her. I want to love her first and put her first, before the kids, because I chose her and I will choose to love her for the rest of my life. Each night, when my kids go to bed, I just want to enjoy hanging out with my wife. I always want her to know that she is special." Now, that may not sound amazingly romantic to anyone else, but to me at that time, he painted a picture that I wanted to be in! He kinda was also saying (in not so many words), "I know what I want and I'm not playing games here" which was good to know, cause I was DONE playing games (can I get an AMEN from all my sista's who are still "in waiting" out there?! There's hope...hang in there!). Well, to try and make this long story shorter, guess what?! He chose me and he still chooses me and I am living in the picture he painted that night.........how sweet it is:)
I literally felt like I drove that hour back to my home on a cloud. I am not kidding you, it just felt like I floated home (I know, "gag me"...but it's true). I just remember praying and smiling and thinking about the night and praying and smiling and........floating.
And that's the story of how we met.
Now you know:)
P.s. I ended up making LOTS and LOTS of "special trips" just to see "that guy". We lived two hours apart, but we ended up seeing each other every weekend for the next 14 months (except for one when he went on a ten day mission trip).
My older sister had just moved to a new place and decided to join an online group for stay-at-home mom's in her area. At a play date where all of the mothers met in person, she and another lady (who is now my sister in law) started discussing their siblings. They figured out that D and I might be a good match and exchanged our pictures. That night I got a call from my sister, asking if I would consider getting to know this guy. I had just come out of a God-inspired six month "fast" from dating and was not looking for anything (in other words, I was very content). Also, the last blind date I had been on was terrible, so I was in no mood to go on another one. I told her these exact words, "You can give him my email address, but I'm not making any special trips to meet this guy" (he lived two hours away). Well, that night I received my first email from D (his sis had gone straight over to show him my pic/tell him about me) and as they say...the rest is history! We emailed daily for about two weeks, and then I decided to let him call me. After talking on the phone for about a week, we decided to actually meet in person.
Our first date was on Feb 11, 2000. We met in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel about an hour from me because it was the half-way point. I remember him getting out of his SUV, lookin' all cute in a blue collared shirt and khaki pants (insert smile). It was a good first impression (although I had seen his pic that my sis had sent me through snail-mail). He opened the car door for me to get in. He asked me the same question twice in just a few minutes, so I could tell he was nervous, but I thought it was just adorable. He was really trying! We drove to a larger city nearer to where he lived and decided to eat at Joe's Crab Shack. I had suggested it, but with a motive. I thought that if we had absolutely nothing to talk about I could try to start a conversation based on some of the crazy stuff they usually have displayed in those restaurants (lame, I know)! I don't remember much about the restaurant, but I do remember that we signed our names right beside our booth. (Why would we do that if we didn't think something "special" was going on?! Hmmmmm.)
After we ate, D took me ice skating. He was the Minister of Students at a church and had recently taken some children there for an outing, so he thought it would be fun. It was! We skated around and talked for the longest time. My favorite part of this story happened at that skating rink. For some reason, D made the remark that he never fell when he was skating. I promise you not thirty seconds later, he fell down for no apparent reason!!! Oh my soul, looking back that is so funny!!!! Don't worry, nothing was hurt but his pride (insert smile with a wink).
We ended the night at a coffee shop where neither one of us drank coffee, but we just got some dessert and talked some more. The "it" moment for me, the moment that got me hooked (ok, besides some pretty good flirting), was on the drive back to my car as the night was coming to a close. We got into a really deep conversation (remember we had already been "talking" for a few weeks through email and on the phone) about what we wanted life to look like for us...as individuals, mind you...in the future. I remember D saying something like "Sure, I want children and I will love my children, no doubt...but whoever my wife is....ultimately, I will CHOOSE her. I want to love her first and put her first, before the kids, because I chose her and I will choose to love her for the rest of my life. Each night, when my kids go to bed, I just want to enjoy hanging out with my wife. I always want her to know that she is special." Now, that may not sound amazingly romantic to anyone else, but to me at that time, he painted a picture that I wanted to be in! He kinda was also saying (in not so many words), "I know what I want and I'm not playing games here" which was good to know, cause I was DONE playing games (can I get an AMEN from all my sista's who are still "in waiting" out there?! There's hope...hang in there!). Well, to try and make this long story shorter, guess what?! He chose me and he still chooses me and I am living in the picture he painted that night.........how sweet it is:)
I literally felt like I drove that hour back to my home on a cloud. I am not kidding you, it just felt like I floated home (I know, "gag me"...but it's true). I just remember praying and smiling and thinking about the night and praying and smiling and........floating.
And that's the story of how we met.
Now you know:)
P.s. I ended up making LOTS and LOTS of "special trips" just to see "that guy". We lived two hours apart, but we ended up seeing each other every weekend for the next 14 months (except for one when he went on a ten day mission trip).
