Our Love Story: How It All Started

*This subject has been on my mind constantly the last few days, and I felt the need to share it, not only to document (I don't journal), but also to remind myself just how far Tom and I have come. For those of you reading this that are family members, forgiveness was granted so long ago (whether or not there was an apology), so please do not think we hold any grudges. I just needed to share our story and it's impossible to do so without mentioning such a big part of what helped shape us as a couple.*

Somehow on June 12th Tom and I will have been married five years. Somehow. That doesn't just mean, "Wow, time has really flown." It means so much more. It's not like we almost didn't get married, but we certainly had a rough time getting to the altar. A lot of you reading this supported us. A lot you know some of the story. I just can't help but remember where we were five years ago today and that trying time we went through.

But here is how Our Love Story began:

Tom and I met in December 2001, in hindsight it was a not-so-sneaky attempt at my mom's matchmaking ability. He worked with her at Family Christian, a lonely bachelor from out of state, and she felt sorry for him and often invited him to family dinners. The following month I invited him to a Super Bowl party that my co-ed single's group from Covenant Presbyterian was hosting. A month or so later he moved to Harper's Ferry, and so I didn't see him again until August at the fairgrounds for the Michael W. Smith concert. My mother had given him my phone number so he could find me there. He walked by me on the bleachers and he said he needed to get back to Harper's Ferry. At that moment I felt sad he was leaving and I knew......I liked him.

Tom moved back to Harrisonburg in November 2002 to take a teaching position at Blue Ridge Christian School. We spent almost every day together over Thanksgiving break. But Sunday came and went and we didn't hang out. We both admitted later how lost we felt without the other one around. A few days later we had "the talk." I told him I wasn't interested in casual dating and if he didn't think there was a possibility of us ending up married then not to waste my time. I made it clear that he HAD to agree with me on two things 1) abortion was wrong (yes, it's that big of a deal to me!) and 2) I had to have children someday. Well, On (Sunday) December 8th he went to work at an event at Harper's Ferry and said he'd call me on the way home. I was shocked that he actually called! (To this day Tom stills thinks it's funny that I was so surprised he kept his word.) He came over that night and we officially decided to start dating. Yea!

A few months into our dating relationship things started getting tense with my family. Even though my mother essentially set Tom and I up, she suddenly decided that our 14+ year age gap was too much and did not like the fact we were now a couple. I remember when my birthday rolled around that May that things seemed to get worse for some reason. Looking back I think a lot of their feelings were based on Tom's matter-of-fact way of saying things (it's the Jersey in him), and I know he did step on a few toes. But I didn't want to marry a pansy for Heaven's sake! That's one thing that attracted me to him in the first place.

Well, the months went by. We spent time talking, getting to know each other better, taking day trips to Lexington and Harper's Ferry, discussing theology and history. In July we went to New Jersey so I could meet the fam. (Though his parents couldn't wait that long and came at the end of June). We started talking about getting married and subsequently went shopping for rings. (It was such a fun "stage" to be in!) All the while I was feeling increasingly unsupported and careful of everything I said about Tom around certain people. However, our relationship continued to blossom into exactly what we'd both been looking for. (Of course, he was looking for much longer than me. Hahaha!) Unbeknownst to me Tom bought the ring I wanted in November, the day after we saw it, but due to "circumstances" held on to it for SIX weeks! He proposed on Christmas morning (2003) and I didn't hesitate to say "YES!" His family was thrilled. My family.....not so much.