I am 100% convinced I have the greatest husband in the world. He is so incredible. When he proposed to me, he promised to spend his life trying to make me feel like a queen. Anyway, I've never really shared our story, so I want to. To some, it's no big deal. To me, it's OURS. It's part of what makes us "US."
It didn't really take long for us to become friends. My roommate at the time, Tracy, and I had friends over after church every Sunday night. Sometimes it was several people, but more often than not, it was Tracy, Heather, Nathan, Mikey, Kara, Nick and me. We usually just hung out and watched a movie. Then Heather, Nathan, Mikey, Kara, Nick and I got together on days we didn't have sunday school and had our own Sunday school and lunch.
Nick and I became fast friends and I will admit, after we were spending nearly everyday (after work for me, and after classes for him) together, I was falling fast and hard. I tried setting my feelings aside. I just started praying all the time. One night, I remember writing in my prayer journal-a journal I probably still have packed away somewhere-that God would show me where everything was going to go with Nick. At some point, I truly felt that God said, "Relax, this is who you're going to marry. Just let it happen when it happens." As hard as it is to trust sometimes, I had to do just that. I think that all happened late fall/early winter 2003. Months went by before anything happened. We were together all the time though. I can't tell you how many times I was asked if we were dating. We may as well have just said yes because we basically were without acknowledging it (and there were no "benefits" with being friends, just for the record).
I invited him to go to my cousin's wedding in May. It was the first time he met anyone in my family. My mom was in town for my sister's (and incidentally, Nick's) graduation from Olivet, and then my mom's side of the family was at the wedding. He fit right into my family, and surprisingly, no one embarrassed him. If you know my uncles and my grandpa, you know that is quite surprising. I got a little scared when Randi (a family friend) kept pushing me to go do the dollar dance with my cousin. I told her I didn't have a dollar on me, so she handed me one, and sent me on my way. She walked right to Nick and started talking. I was nervous. You just never know what Randi will say! Turns out, she didn't get to say much! Nick out-talked Randi Hedrick. If you know Randi, you know that is no small feat! I was even more sure that he was "the one" after that wedding.
Nick and I met in August of 2003. Looking back, it's strange that we never met sooner. We went to the same college. One of my closest friends was one of his roommates. I was in their apartment for open doors once, but Nick was not there. Nick sort of dated a girl who lived on my floor, yet I don't remember seeing him when I did rounds during open dorms.
After I graduated from Olivet in May 2003, I began working at our church as the music secretary. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that would lead to meeting my husband. I remember Nick's mom being in choir and asking for prayer for her son (who normally was in choir as well) who had gone to Europe with the International Business Institute. The first time he was back for rehearsal, I saw him pass my office, so I asked how Europe was. He gave me a funny look, but answered me. I honestly don't remember his answer. I didn't ask him with the thought we might be married some day. I simply asked because I was being nice and doing my job.
It didn't really take long for us to become friends. My roommate at the time, Tracy, and I had friends over after church every Sunday night. Sometimes it was several people, but more often than not, it was Tracy, Heather, Nathan, Mikey, Kara, Nick and me. We usually just hung out and watched a movie. Then Heather, Nathan, Mikey, Kara, Nick and I got together on days we didn't have sunday school and had our own Sunday school and lunch.
Nick and I became fast friends and I will admit, after we were spending nearly everyday (after work for me, and after classes for him) together, I was falling fast and hard. I tried setting my feelings aside. I just started praying all the time. One night, I remember writing in my prayer journal-a journal I probably still have packed away somewhere-that God would show me where everything was going to go with Nick. At some point, I truly felt that God said, "Relax, this is who you're going to marry. Just let it happen when it happens." As hard as it is to trust sometimes, I had to do just that. I think that all happened late fall/early winter 2003. Months went by before anything happened. We were together all the time though. I can't tell you how many times I was asked if we were dating. We may as well have just said yes because we basically were without acknowledging it (and there were no "benefits" with being friends, just for the record).
I invited him to go to my cousin's wedding in May. It was the first time he met anyone in my family. My mom was in town for my sister's (and incidentally, Nick's) graduation from Olivet, and then my mom's side of the family was at the wedding. He fit right into my family, and surprisingly, no one embarrassed him. If you know my uncles and my grandpa, you know that is quite surprising. I got a little scared when Randi (a family friend) kept pushing me to go do the dollar dance with my cousin. I told her I didn't have a dollar on me, so she handed me one, and sent me on my way. She walked right to Nick and started talking. I was nervous. You just never know what Randi will say! Turns out, she didn't get to say much! Nick out-talked Randi Hedrick. If you know Randi, you know that is no small feat! I was even more sure that he was "the one" after that wedding.
We still did not start dating for another two weeks. Most people would probably frown on this, but I'm going to share it because it is part of our story. That fateful weekend began on Friday afternoon when his mom informed him he had to find somewhere else to stay because she was having impact kids stay at their house, and needed his room. With such short notice, he didn't have anywhere to go, so Tracy and I offered him our couch. Nick and I ended up staying up late watching movies. I think we must've gone to Steak-n-Shake first (we often did that on Friday nights to visit Heather). We watched Twister, and I, of course, fell asleep. When I woke up it was around 2:30 in the morning (officially making it Saturday) and that is when Nick asked me if I "wanted to make things official." That was May 22, 2004.
My prayers were being answered and my dreams slowly came true. Slowly to that point anyway. After that it was a whirlwind. We both must've known. Three weeks later, he told me he loved me. I could have told him that sooner, but I'm pretty traditional and like a guy to move first. By the beginning of July, we were already planning our wedding. We weren't engaged yet, but because of an event in my family, we knew we wanted to plan around that so my parents and sisters only had to travel once.
Then it happened. Our engagement. For anyone that really knows me, you know that I absolutely LOVE Chicago. I would go every weekend if I could. I'm going to copy and paste the story from our wedding website (I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors. I wasn't thinking of that at the time):
At the train station right after we got engaged.
Our Engagement photo
We went up to Chicago because I had mentioned that I wanted to. We went to Shedd Aquarium and walked through the Oceanarium, watched the dolphin show, and saw several different exhibits. Afterwards we began the long walk to Bennigan’s on Michigan Avenue where I suddenly began to feel sick (great timing, I know). Nick had mentioned a few times throughout the evening going to Buckingham Fountain. Since I wasn’t feeling good, I said I just wanted to get on the train and go home. He asked what time it was. I checked my phone and it said 7:22. We had just missed the train. He asked if I thought I could make it to Buckingham Fountain, and I really didn’t think I could make it another four blocks. So we crossed the street and sat in the park. I laid my head on his shoulder and he told me he loved me and promised to take care of me forever (still had no clue at this point). He stood up and then started to kneel (and I began to cry). Kneeling, he said, “If you’ll have me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel like a queen.” Then I can’t remember if he asked me to marry him or asked me to be his wife, but I hugged him, and through tears, told him I loved him, to which he responded, “so will you?” Of course I said yes. We danced in the park for a little while before going to catch the next train. We finally got home after an hour train ride and a 30 minute car ride. We went to visit Nick's mom because she asked us to. When we got to her house, not a single light was on. She had candles lit in the kitchen and living room. In the living room she had set up a little table with sparkling grape juice and oreos. She came down the stairs, gave me a hug and said welcome to the family. Almost immediately I felt like I was going to be sick. I backed away, said I was going to be sick and ran for the bathroom. Not your typical engagement story, but it makes for a funny story! Something to tell the grandkids! haha! But it was a night to remember forever.
We spent the next 10 1/2 months planning our wedding. There were some ups and downs. We knew what we wanted, others tried to convince us otherwise. Someone threw a shower for me that I specifically said no to-several times, therefore creating the number 1 thing on my list of humiliations.
September 10, 2005 came and it was a gloriously hot, humid day. It was about 95 degrees before adding the humidity. But it was sunny, blue skies and absolutely gorgeous! I watch my wedding DVD several times a year to remember that day-the day I chose to marry my best friend. Gregg Chenoweth did a great job officiating, and made our wedding so unique and ours.
We spent our honeymoon in Montego Bay, Jamaica. It was all fabulous. Life has just sort of taken it's course in the past 3 1/2 years of marriage. We had our first child, Kylee Nichol, on September 20, 2006, four weeks and one day before her due date. Our second child (our surprise child), Elijah Roman, came October 13, 2007, 13 days before his due date. We have had some ups and downs-lost jobs, a bad move, depression, unknown, and it seems to keep coming. But in the midst of it all, we have only grown closer. In the first two years of our marriage we were told we had endured more than many people endure in 10 years.
I just got a phone call from a very dear friend. She reminded me of James 1:2-3 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." She reminded me that Satan will be attacking us. We want to serve God. We want our marriage to stand the tests of time. Satan is going to beat us up all that he can to see us fail in both.
Today I am claiming the above verse and the following-
James 4:7-8 & 10 "7Sumbit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
That devil does not know what he got himself into messing with us. I have a husband who is incredible and will not stand to see our family fall apart. I am determined to do the same. I truly believe that God created us specifically for one another, and God intends for marriage to be a lifelong commitment, a covenant between Him, my husband, and myself.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
Matthew 19:4-6: "Haven't you read, he replied, that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate."
No comments:
Post a Comment