Six Years Ago Today...

Six years ago today, I was sitting at a corner table in Rubens with my best friend, Moriah. We knew we only had a couple of months together before we would permanently go our separate ways. It was really hard for me to think about that at the time, but I knew we needed to have a girls' night out to talk about all things serious in our lives. We hadn't had much time to talk with our busy schedules. She was superinvolved with everything, and I was student teaching that semester. She was grinning the whole night, and I just didn't understand how she could be so happy about leaving so soon. She asked me all kinds of questions, mostly about my relationship with Lee. We had only been dating about five months, and Moriah loved him so much. She thought he was perfect for me and she loved seeing me so happy. She had never been all that excited about anyone else I had dated. I was always a little bit jealous of her. She was a magnet to anyone who was around her. She not only made me a better person from just being around her, but most everyone was changed in some way by knowing her. She's a free spirit that never settles down for long in one place. She also was more talented than anyone I had ever met. I love this girl and miss her terribly. Back to our dinner date.

She asked me if I was really serious about Lee and where I saw our future heading. I told her that we were very serious, and I intended to spend the rest of my life with him whether he knew it or not. She filled me in on some of her future plans, and it broke my heart knowing we wouldn't be roommates much longer. She convinced me to attend one last Lockheart meeting that night before school ended. I reluctantly agreed to go, so after dinner, I drove toward the W. Instead of taking a right, I nearly took a left and went home, but I didn't want to disappoint her. I sat in our social club meeting quite distracted as usual.

At the end of the meeting, Jenny, our president pulled out a beautiful white candle with a red ribbon around it, and told us that we were having a candlelight ceremony. This is a Lockheart tradition. When a Lockheart sister gets engaged, she secretly leaves a candle outside the president's door. The president leads a candlelight ceremony at the following meeting. She lights the candle and announces "friends" and passes the lit candle around the circle of sisters. Next she says "Pinned" and we pass it again. Then she says "Promised" and we pass it again. Finally, the much anticipated "Engaged" is announced. Then the person who got engaged blows the candle out, and everyone is so excited about the surprise engagement. It is really hard to keep your engagement a secret until the following meeting each week.

I was upset because there was going to be a candlelight ceremony with a white candle with red ribbon. I told my freshman roommate and another very close friend, Tori that if I ever get engaged that was the kind of candle I wanted. I grabbed Moriah's hand and joined the circle and began humming the Lockheart traditional song for this occasion. I was still a little upset, and then it hit me. What if Moriah is engaged and she did not tell me; I am going to be furious!!!! No wonder she was smiling so big and so much! "Engaged" is finally announced, and when the candle reached my hands, I passed it to Moriah. She just stopped, and looked at me, and handed right back to me. Then my very precious boyfriend walks into the room full of thirty girls in a circle with their mouths open in shock. He looks directly at me and closes in the space between us and grabs my hands. I am still in shock at this point. His smile was so bright and perfect. He never quit smiling the whole time. Did I mention, I love this guy. He began telling some of the sweetest things with his nervous and shaky voice. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small, velvet, black box and gradually descended onto his knee. He then asked me some of the most beautiful and memorable words I have ever heard, "Will you marry me?" The room was so quiet that I could hear my heart beating, and I think I could have even hear Lee's beating too. I of course said yes and hugged him so tight. There were nearly sixty tear filled eyes on us at this point, but I never even got misty eyed. I was too in shock!!!

Every time I walk into the Educational building at the W, I have to peek into that large meeting room where my life changed forever. It was such a sweet and innocent time in our lives. There were no stresses, no financial worries, my mom was healthy then, and we probably couldn't have told you what infertility meant at the time. I am so thankful that God gave me Lee to go through all the hard times and good times with. He was the one who got me through one of the worst weeks of my entire life only six months after we got married. We left Columbus as a four of us, Lee, myself, my dad, and my mom, but very uncertain if four would return. We were headed to New Orleans for mom's emergency brain surgeries after a large brain aneurysm ruptured. He was there with me as we traveled down the long road to find out what was wrong with me - why couldn't I stay pregnant??? He was there the first time I heard Rowe's heart beat. He is truly my best friend and soul mate.

Jenny our president, Tori my freshman roommate, and Moriah were all in on it. They were the only ones who knew he was going to propose. Of course, my mbbff Erika knew ahead of time. Erika lived in Pell City, AL at the time, so she couldn't be there for the ceremony. I hope no one ever tells me a secret that big and expects me to keep it quiet. I think I would just burst!!! We used my candle from the candlelight ceremony in our wedding as our unity candle.

It is amazing how God can make our lives so much more fulfilled than we ever thought He could. We think we want something so much and that it is best for us, and we look back on those moments and see just how wrong we were. God has given me so many blessings that were a complete surprise. I have learned to never settle in any area of my life. My life is not perfect, and I am far from perfect, but God is so good.

These were my lovely bridesmaids minus one. Jenny, our president is on the bottom left. Moriah (Maid of Honor) is on the bottom right. Erika (Matron of Honor) is the second one at the top. Tori is on the far right on the top row. Cokes were not allowed in the bridal room, so they decided to break the rules and take a picture of it. I do love this picture and these girls. I miss them so much!