So I generally post encouraging scriptures and thoughts on this blog, but today, I just wanted to write something a little different! My 1st year wedding anniversary was this weekend, so I thought I would share the story of how my husband and I met and ended up together. Most of you know that we went to high school together, but you probably don't know the whole story..
I grew up in South Knoxville and I went to South Doyle for a while. Well a bunch of stuff happened and my parents ended up pulling us out of school and homeschooling us for a year (I'll spare you the details). Since they were youth pastors in Anderson County and a lot of their kids went to Clinton schools, my parents applied for a county transfer to send us to Clinton Middle (for my brother-7th grade) and Clinton High (for me- 9th grade). We were told that we were past the deadline and therefore, probably wouldn't get in. My mom told the lady at the office that she believed God wanted us at these schools and that He could make it happen. We found out the SAME DAY that we were accepted. We had to wait for paperwork to go through so I had to wait about a week into school before I could actually go. I only knew 2 people in the whole school: one in my grade and another 2 grades ahead of me). Even though I was new, shy, and nervous, I never really felt super out of place. I went to our homeroom that day and introduced myself to some of the girls there and sat with them. This tall, awkward kid walks up to me and introduced himself and told me that I looked nice. I blushed of course because I was super shy. Little did I know that this would be the love of my life. I had lunch and homeroom with Alex, so I saw him a few times a day that first semester. Everyday, without fail, he would tell me something nice (that he liked my shirt or that I looked pretty, etc.). I didn't really know how to respond except for blushing.. At one point, Alex asked me to be his girlfriend to which I accepted, but it was a very very awkward friendship/relationship/whatchamacallit, so I called it off and we were friends for 2 years (yes, Alex is a rare one that got out of the 'friend-zone'). We would talk at school in homeroom and lunch and we would snap and text off and on after school.
Junior year, we spent a lot more time together outside of school than before. He came to my church some. In fact, I had tried to set him up with my best friend, Christa, who went to church with us at one point near Christmas that year. Christa and I invited him to our youth Christmas party. We were at the church eating and then we went caroling and inviting people to church at the campground next door. Alex came up behind me and picked me up in a bear hug and started running with me (as a joke because he knew I didn't like being picked up). Well, I have very long legs and one of them got wrapped around his as he was running and it cause him to fall face first. Instead of falling on me, he threw me forward to avoid more injury and we both fell into gravel. This is when I first realized that I had feelings for this goofball. Even though he had just as much gravel sticking in his hands and knees as I did, he ran over to make sure that I was okay. Of course, I was and we laughed about it then and we laugh about it now. I didn't say anything for almost a month though because, ya know what it's like to be a teen with a crush. Finally, I was talking to Christa and she convinced me to just talk to him and go for it (although I tried to set the two of them up.. they had already decided against the idea.. forever grateful for that!)
We began our dating relationship mid-January of 2015 and we've been together ever since. We got engaged December 9, 2016 and married just over 6 months later on June 24, 2017. We are expecting our first baby in September this year and we couldn't be more excited! Marriage isn't easy, but I love it because I am challenged everyday to serve my spouse more than the day before. Sometimes I fail at that task, but luckily, I have a forgiving, loving husband who is also human and makes mistakes.
If I have learned anything in the past year of marriage, it is this:
Serve one another even when you don't feel like it. Get up and get your spouse a drink or pick up around the house. It is the little things that make the difference. It has been said a thousand times, but it will never get old for me.
