our love story + a ring.

November 2012

received a 4 (or 5) page long text message from a girlfriend of mine describing this "doug" person who lived in kentucky--6 hours away from where i live. i texted her a few more times getting as much information on this guy that i could (with some question help from mom ;). i found out that she had given him my number and he said he would call me that weekend. my girlfriend sent me a picture of a computer screen shot of him through text.

cute guy.

The next day (a Saturday)

he texts: 'hey marli its doug from paducah."

right then, i found out that he was a man with very few words when it came to texting. haha. ;) we texted a few times.

 (i probably gave him question overload getting to know him better. haha!)

he never called.

The next few days and weeks

we texted on and off (i always let him text first because i didn't want him to think me as being "pushy". only some exceptions of when i texted him first). i sometimes went a week without hearing from him. i began to think that we would just remain friends and that the relationship wasn't going anywhere.

December 12, 2012

after not hearing from him for a while, he finally texted me on our way home from church wednesday night. i asked him if he had any plans for christmas and he said: "yeah i was thinkin bout maybe comin and c u."

*jaw drops to the floor*

i ran downstairs to tell mom.

December 13, 2012

(note: told him the night before that he could call and we would talk about him visiting us.)

i'm at work. his name pops up on caller id on my cell. HE'S CALLING!! (FINALLY) i don't answer because i'm at my desk at work and they prefer us not to talk on personal phones during work (and partly because i was just so shocked and nervous. haha!). he leaves a message.

i go into the upstairs bathroom and listen to the voice mail. it was the first time that i had ever heard his voice. i love his voice... i call mom and my legs are shaking. i'm so excited i don't feel like working anymore. ;) 

it was a long afternoon. i let my supervisor listen to the message (she has known me my whole life and is like another grandmother to me--she knew the story about doug already) and discussed the situation at hand with her. she agrees that if he hasn't called by 5:20, i would call him (doug and i had been texting during the afternoon and decided that 5:15 would be a good time to call back. nether one of us made it clear as to which person would call back. whoops!). i ran an errand when i got off work. it was 5:20 and he still had not called. so i call him. 

sitting in the mall (target) parking lot, we talked for an hour. i had to get on the road to get to my cousin's band concert. we just kept talking right up until i got off my exit (about 40 more minutes). 

he asks if he can call the next day.

i say "yes, i think that would be ok."

The next few weeks

he calls almost every night.

when he didn't, i worried.

January 4-7, 2013

his first visit to see me.

i was soooo nervous! come to find out he was too. ;)

it was just me and mom at home when he arrived. daddy and my sister were at work. doug called saying that he was at our gate. the butterflies were so bad. i started to feel nauseous and laid on the couch until he got there. the visit went amazingly great!

The next few weeks

continued the phone calls pretty much every night. we texted every now and then.

February 15, 2013

after trying to get them delivered to me the day before at work (had some complications with the floral company), i met the flower man at the country store up the road for my pretty arrangement from doug....oh, and my teddy bear.

April 18-22, 2013

his second visit here.

he came to my work and we went to chick-fil-a for lunch. he was able to meet my co-workers--they thought he was just the cutest thing (i agree :).

April 19

held hands for the very first time.

we were in the middle bucket seats in the white suburban and he was "feeling how cold they (my hands) were". i loved it. after mom, my sister and i ran the crater run in wetumpka and while we were waiting on our rewards for the night 5k, he put his arm around my waist for the first time.

April 21

while we were sitting on the couch watching pride and prejudice with sister on sunday afternoon, he put his arm around my shoulders for the first time.

April 23, 2013

he goes out and buys a laptop so that we can skype. we skype that night and he tells me that he loves me for the first time. he said it kind of quiet so i really wasn't sure if that was what he said or not. but then again, i was positive that's what he said--if that makes any sense. and of course i said it back! 

(and we haven't stopped saying it since. ;)

May 24-27, 2013

my first trip to go see him in kentucky. my daddy, mom, and sister made the trip with me. was able to meet his parents, the church family, and fall in love with downtown.

May 26

as we were saying goodnight, he pulls out his high school class ring (which he said had been lost, ;) and asks me if i would like to wear it. i eagerly took it.

July 22, 2013

doug always leaves voice mail (which i love) any time i don't answer my phone. this date was the first time he said "i love you" on voice mail.

our relationship blossomed and more trips to alabama and i to kentucky have been made.

this little bloggy space has been put on the back burner but my little instagram account has been hopping with new and exciting news.

soooooo, those of you who are following me on this little space on the internet and not my ig life, A U G U S T 2nd was a huuuuge and exciting part in my life.

a prayer that i have prayed the majority of my life has been answered by the greatest God that we serve.

the one that i have been "waiting for" in the story on the top bar of my blog is here.

life is so blessed.

August 2, 2014

HE PROPOSED!

we're fiance's!

(love the sound of that)

my nephew, colt, had been born the day before (an exciting and jam-packed weekend, or what??? :) on the 1st. i knew that i was going to get a ring on this weekend (bless his heart, and i love him to death, but doug cannot keep a secret. ;).

we went and stayed at the hospital for a couple of hours with sister, bro-in-law and new nephew and then doug and i went and registered at bed, bath, and beyond and target. on the way home, doug asked me if i wanted to go walk in downtown after we picked up the ring at my house (it was in his truck). 

i said: "sure!"

(i did not know what the ring looked like--he did a great job keeping that a secret. :))

from my ig post that night:

while we were walking hand-in-hand by the creek on the path, we came to a park bench in which he asked me to sit with him. we talk of full moons and the future. he gets off the bench and slips to one knee and asks the question in which i say: "YES!!" with joyful tears. he slips my purity ring off my finger and replaces it with the most beautiful engagement ring--custom made out of his mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers diamonds. i'm beyond blessed.

we went and showed my brother and his wife first. then, we went home to show mom and daddy. i texted a picture of it to my sister and then called her at the hospital. then, i texted other family and friends before posting it on ig and twitter.

doug called his mom to tell her and woke her up--it was quite funny talking to her half asleep.

 October 10, 2014

wedding day.

EEEEEEEEEK!

happy anniversary to the parents.

I am so blessed...

..to have the mom and dad...

...that God has given to me!

Happy 26th anniversary, Daddy and Mom! I hope you are blessed with many more years together in service for the Lord.

Love you both!

Love Story: Brian and Kim

Brian and Kim

How many years have you been married?

17 years.  Praise the Lord! 

Tell us a little about your courtship story and how you met:

We met in a Singles Sunday School class.  Brian got my number from a mutual friend after meeting me after class.  Our first date was a Sunday lunch following church.  He then took me to a local park by the river where we walked and talked for a few hours.  We lived an hour apart, therefore, it was not easy to see each other throughout the week.  On our second date, Brian came to where I lived and took me to a nice restaurant and a movie.  Following the movie, we talked until the wee hours of the morning.  Between the first and second dates, I had asked him a looong list of questions.  He told me later he felt like he was being interrogated – and he was!  I knew that I was not going to waste my time with someone I could not see myself with in a marriage relationship.  I did not want to play games, and was not afraid to let him know that.  Well, that did not drive him away!  I wanted him to meet my family – it was important that they liked him…they did!  Within a few months of dating, we knew we were going to get married.  He was drawn to me being spunky.  I was drawn to him being a leader.  We were drawn to each other, because we loved God and wanted to put Him first in our lives.

Did either of you become a Christian while courting or after marriage?

We were both believers when we met.  At this point in my life (at the age of 26), I would not have dated a man who was not a committed Christian. 

Tell us about your special day. Where did you go on your honeymoon?

Our wedding day was one of the happiest days in my life.  At the end of the evening my cheeks hurt, because I smiled non stop!  I was one giddy girl totally excited about the man I was beginning a life with.  We were surrounded by our closest friends and family.  Our bridesmaids and groomsmen are still some of our dearest and best friends.  I was a middle school special education teacher, and my students were a part of our wedding party.  It was wonderful having them with me prior to the wedding and being a part of our day.  My mother made my wedding gown and all of the bridesmaid dresses.  One of my favorite pictures is of my sweet Daddy walking me down the aisle – he looked so handsome in his tux and it was a thrill to live the moment of being on his arm going to meet my husband – an exchange of sorts, very profound. 

We went to an all inclusive resort on the island of St. Lucia.  It was beautiful, and extremely relaxing.  We were able to tour the island, snorkel, and be together 24/7 without interruptions. 

What was your first home like? Any new traditions you would like to share that you started together after marriage?

We rented our first home, and it was not a good situation!  The owner of the home did not care about the upkeep, and we often had buckets sitting all over our den to catch water leaks when it rained!  In hindsight, we learned from our mistakes in being too hasty to find a place to live and staying somewhere too long…we should have moved sooner than later!

We began the tradition of celebrating holidays with spiritual significance.  We wanted to honor Christ over Santa and the Easter Bunny. 

What was your first year of marriage like? What is one thing you would say to someone who has just gotten married or who will in the future?

Our first year of marriage was not pretty!  We had a very difficult time adjusting to married life.  Those difficulties stemmed out of sin in our lives – pride, pride and pride.  Did I say pride?  We made numerous mistakes in those first twelve months that took us down roads of heartache.  We chose to make decisions without wise counsel, and for that we had a price to pay.  We were shocked at how hard it was to live together!  We could talk for hours on the phone while dating, and thought we knew everything about each other, but once we lived together we were quite surprised by what we did not know!  Due to immaturity (both in our mid-20’s) and pride, we both shut down in our communication, which only created more strife and difficulties in our young marriage. 

I remember vividly going to an older woman for advice when I was stumbling around in shock over my not having a “happily ever after.”  I poured my heart out, grumbled, complained, cried.  She listened.  Then, without hesitation she said, “Kim, satan wants your marriage to be destroyed.  God wants to use you both in His Kingdom, and satan will do everything he can to stop your marriage.” With that, she encouraged me to fight against the powers that raged around us, powers that are of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil.  (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Little did I know that was only the beginning of fighting for what God wanted in our lives over what the deceiver of mankind wanted.  I wish I could say her words made everything better immediately, but in reality they did not.  It took many years of dying to ourselves, living for Jesus, asking forgiveness, granting forgiveness, and fighting hard for what we knew we truly wanted in our marriage.  Those are our daily tasks that makes our marriage strong today, by the grace of God and no less. 

I encourage young lovers to seek first the Kingdom of God.  Fall in love with Jesus above any one else.  He is the only One who can meet all your needs – and HE WANTS TO!  Do not let any one person draw you away from your first Love.  When people are jealous of your relationship with Jesus, you are doing something right.  Get involved in a Bible study. 

Secondly, surround yourselves with like minded believers and older adults who have traveled down the road of marriage.  Brian and I would not have the marriage we have today without the mentorship of older couples in our lives.  Realize no one has the perfect marriage, but you can learn from their mistakes and victories. 

If you are not yet married, DO NOT SETTLE FOR LESS THAN GOD’S BEST FOR YOU!  If you are pursuing a relationship with God, He will guide your path in a finding a mate.  Ask boldly before His throne of grace.  Work on yourself-ask God to show you what you need to become for your future mate.  Enjoy every day of being single. Take advantage of this time in your life to pursue your goals and dreams. Learn to be content in singleness.

What were your parenting years like? How many children do you have?

We have two children who are now in middle school – so we are still in the midst of parenting!  God has used our parenthood to show us His love, grace, and mercy beyond anything else in our lives!  Parenting has humbled us, revealed sin areas in our lives, and drawn us closer in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Would you like to share some of your greatest challenges and what you learned from them?

Brian is an entrepreneur – it is in his DNA.  We have had a few business “challenges” in our 17 years together.  We had to learn to work together.  I had to learn to embrace his God given gift of vision in business. 

We had to learn how to speak each other’s love language.  I recommend Gary Smalley’s book, The Five Love Languages.  This takes us dying to ourselves, putting Christ first, and loving each other when we do not feel it!  Love is not a feeling, it is an action.

We have learned God is our Source and Strength.  Our family is not our source and strength, this country is not our source and strength, and we are not each other’s source and strength.  God has shown Himself to us over and over again…He alone is Faithful.  Family disappoints, church disappoints, civil leaders disappoints, husbands and wives disappoints – but God Almighty never disappoints!

At the most unhealthy and unhappy time in our marriage, I sought Christian counseling.  It saved my life and our marriage.  Brian did not want me to go to counseling (remember the pride issue?), but I went anyway.  Now he would tell you it was the greatest thing that has happened to us.  We both know God continues to use what we learned from that very dark period in our lives to draw us closer to Him and to help others.

Any last advice you would like to give to a young lady, newly married, or woman who has been married awhile?

With all that said, I am married to my best friend, the funniest man I know, the provider for my family, father of my children, my greatest fan.  I am so blessed to have Brian in my life.  I was foolish to think marriage would be easy.  Through the hardships we have walked through with God's help and direction, our love has grown and taken on deep roots.  We are no longer foolish to think hard times will never come again.  We are on the look out for problem areas, constantly working on communicating with each other, making each other the priority over our children.  We love week-end getaways without the kids, and consistent date nights.  It keeps our marriage fresh and romance alive.  We now see the mystery of Christ's love for his church and the parallel of marriage between man and wife.  It draws us closer to Christ as we draw closer to each other.  And that is "happily ever after."

They Are "So Together"....

Let me tell you something funny!

Today is Nana and Grandaddy's 53rd anniversary.

They sat down this morning for breakfast and shared their cards with each other. They both opened their card and it was the same card!

Granddaddy had purchased his card at Dollar General in Millbrook and Nana had purchased her card at Dollar Tree in Prattville, but nevertheless, they had chosen the same card.
 

On the front the card read: We've got everything!
Inside read: Because we've got each other. Happy Anniversary!

Isn't that sweet?!

Love Story: Sonny and Carolyn

Sonny and Carolyn

How many years have you been married?

In August, 53 years.

Tell us a little about your courtship story and how you met:

In the Fall of 1957, when it came time for me to return to Freed-Hardeman in Tennessee, by what may have been the providence of God, I talked my parents into allowing me to stay home and accept my first real office job at Southern Sash Sales and Supply Company in Sheffield. I was able to purchase my first car, and really felt important; however, I missed my Freed-Hardeman life.

While settling into this new job, I met a faithful Christian co-worker named Hilma. Hilma mentioned that her friend, Tom, had a friend from Montgomery working in the Shoals area whom he would like for me to meet. His name was Sonny Solomon. I was very nervous about meeting this stranger, but gave consent for him to bring him to my family home that week.

My whole family awaited the knock on the door of this unknown guest and his friends. My younger sister, Linda, was giggling with excitement. When I opened the door, there stood Hilma, Tom, and Sonny, wearing a warm winter cap. He politely removed his cap, was friendly, and had a big smile on his face. Living in the country in the northwest tip of Alabama, our family rarely had visitors from 200 miles away, much less a city boy who might have a slight interest in their daughter. My parents were very kind to Sonny as they were to all visitors in our home. At the age of 19, and with the approval of my parents, our real first date, accompanied by Tom and Hilma, was to a drive-in restaurant to get a cup of hot chocolate. The weather was freezing cold and Sonny let me wear his warm gloves. He opened te car door for me, his language was pure, his manners were superb, and he treated me with the highest respect. He was a lot of fun and made me laugh.

Did either of you become a Christian while courting or after marriage?

When I found out that Sonny was not a New Testament Christian, I realized that I should not proceed too far into the relationship; however, I invited him to worship. He loved the services and the warm fellowship which was given to him by the Christians at the New Hope Church of Christ. Although he lived in Sheffield and I, in Florence, he continued to attend every service on the weekends. He was earger to learn by listening to sermons delivered by Brother Beck. He would also have spiritual conversations with my daddy, an elder, while working outside around the farm. After three months of seeking and learning, Sonny was baptized by Brother Beck who also performed our wedding ceremony seven months later.

Tell us about your special day. Where did you go on your honeymoon?

Our wedding day, August 2, 1958, was a very happy day.  The ceremony was in the old white wooden New Hope Church of Christ.  The building was small and had no air-conditioning.  The whole community was very excited because our wedding was the first New Hope Church wedding.  My attendants wore rainbow -colored dresses.  A few of the Mars Hill Chorus members sang the old traditional wedding songs which included "The Lord's Prayer."  Sonny  cried when I entered the auditorium from outside the building.  My Daddy escorted me very slowly and sadly (but happy too).  I sorta had to drag him in. 

 Our reception was held at my mom and daddy’s house.  Several of my younger uncles jacked up our car and tied my daddy’s  feed buckets on the back of the car.  They also put rocks in our hub caps which made a lot of noise.  As we journeyed to Memphis, TN, on our honeymoon, some cops stopped us  and made us empty our rocks.  We worshipped in Memphis on Sunday morning, went to the Memphis Zoo that afternoon, and came back to our apartment in Sheffield.  Grandaddy went back to his job at the Crump Camera Shop on Monday, and I went back to my job at Southern Sash Sales and Supply (a window company) on Tuesday.

What was your first home like? Any new traditions you would like to share that you started together after marriage?

We settled into our upstairs apartment located in Sheffield. Sonny continued his job at a very busy Camera Shop, and I, my job at Southern Sash Sales and Supply Company. Our one-year residency there was very pleasant as we were nurtured somewhat by an older couple, the Jacksons, who lived below us on the first floor. They loved us and treated us like their children.  Sometimes, I would come home from work, and she would have a plate of cookies baked for us.

What was your first year of marriage like? What is one thing you would say to someone who has just gotten married or who will in the future?

It was filled with adventure.  I loved being married though, but managed to stay in close contact with my family.  I also enjoyed getting to know Granddaddy's family in Montgomery.  They were very good to me.  This is where we began our family.  I loved being pregnant, and loved my doctor.  We worshipped with the College Church of Christ.  When Uncle Byron was one year old, we moved to a little house in Millbrook where we lived when we welcomed our beautiful baby girl, Lisa..

Be kind to each other.  Don't forget to use your manners saying please, thank you, and I love you.  Prepare a budget, and both work on it each month.  Try to remember the slogan, "Small leaks sink a big ship," and this applies to spending dollars and cents here and there unwisely.  Give God the first 10% of your earnings.  Write those checks before any other, and put aside for Sunday contribution.  Read God's word daily.

What were your parenting years like? How many children do you have?

The next five years were wonderful with my being in the home caring for our three children and Sonny bringing home his $300-a-month paycheck. The check paid all the bills and bought some groceries for the table. Fresh vegetables were also brought from my parents’ farm for canning and freezing. Hundreds of pounds of red and sweet potatoes from their prized potato farm helped to supplement the income. Sonny’s mother clothed our children using her employee discounts from Gayfers Department Store, where she worked in the Children’s Department. Sonny’s new-job opportunity upgraded to Parts Manager at Jack Hamel Volkswagen in Montgomery. The day was happy when he came home driving a new Volkswagen bus for our growing family of five, which was purchased for $2500 with payments of $40 per month.

Would you like to share some of your greatest challenges and what you learned from them?

Our marriage has been filled with the challenges of life. The worst was the loss of our precious son. A second challenge was keeping the children on schedule with their studies and all of the school activities, especially their participation in sports in grade school. In addition, as with most families, there were problems which we had to deal with and resolve. Finally, the travel distance of being 200 miles away during the final years of my aged parents’ life was emotionally draining. The sickness and death of these two beloved parents have left great voids in our lives. Every new day is a challenge but filled with abundance from God.

Any last advice you would like to give to a young lady, newly married, or woman who has been married awhile?

The best advice we could give to any couple before marriage is to first discuss their spiritual goals. Are we both New Testament Christians? Do we both commit to being faithful the rest of our lives? How will we spend our holidays? Do we have the same financial goals and are we willing to prepare and monitor a budget each month? Are we willing to seek marriage counseling? Don’t ever think you are too old to attend marriage enrichment seminars. We attended one in the past and we highly recommend the experience. Marriage is a wonderful institution made by God. To have someone to laugh with, cry with, hold my hand in worship, enjoy the children’s years of growing up, and now the grandchildren’s activities, are all such blessings. Try to read God’s Word daily and spend a lot of time in prayer. Trust in God’s promises, especially when it comes time to giving. Never stop saying, “I love you,” “I’m sorry,” “please,” and “thank-you.” These are sweet words that help smooth out the rough spots in marriage. Work together through adjustments such as children leaving home, deaths of family members, retirement, etc…. Never give up!