11 years later....

It was 11 years ago today that my best friend at the time, Brandy, called me and asked me if I wanted to go out with Brad, gave me his number and told me to call him. It was a Wed evening, after church, and I was standing in the kitchen washing dishes. I don't remember, but I don't think I called him. Brandy and I had recently gotten in lots of trouble for lying to our parents about where we were taking the car and my parents told me I wasn't allowed to hang out with her anymore. It was for the better but I'm thankful she and Brad spent the month prior to that trying to get me to go out with Brad's best friend, Chris! That's how I met Brad. We've been together ever since. I've never thought that God WASN'T involved in our meeting and our ever-growing love. He moved here from Columbus a year before we moved here from Cincy. Altho he didn't grow up in church, which was a must if my parents were to allow us to date, he went willingly. He got saved right before I turned 16 and would be allowed to date. When I say date I mean go out somewhere alone (I always drug Nat along before that), we spent lots of time together before that at my house or his.

Anyway, so here we are 11 years later and I love him more now than ever. I often think about the things that first attracted me to him and made me think I had a good catch. I think I'll share them with you!! They are in no particular order.

1. He was always so respectful of elders. I remember one time while we were at Exxon (I was in the car, he was going in) and this old man fell and Brad helped him. That happened more than once.

2. He didn't like his friends to curse or talk dirty around me (remember, we were in high school)

3. He was and still is a very hard worker.

4. He never pressured me to do anything I didn't want to do, you-know-what or otherwise.

5. He went to church with me even tho I know he wasn't interested at first.

6. He had muscles. =)

7. He was a football player.

8. We did lots of fun things (fishing, ride 4 wheeler)

9. He has always been self-less. He thinks of others before himself 95% of the time. Sometimes that isn't a good thing tho.

10. He quit doing a lot of things to be with me.

11. He liked me for me.

12. Whenever I asked myself where I would be or what I'd be doing if we weren't dating, I couldn't picture anything. Yes, I had my doubts about marrying him even after over 3 yrs of dating. And I'm sure he'd say the same thing if he were honest.

13. I really felt God wanted us to be together and so far, I think He was right! =)