Soundtrack To I Do

If you didn’t already, you can read part one of our story here.

Photo by Laura Hernandez Photography

Not long after David and I met at our church’s college and career group, I joined the leadership team of that group, along with David and several others. The only person I told about my feelings in the beginning was my friend Jess, who is now one of my besties, but at the time was just a girl I was getting to know. I told Jess, “I know we don’t know each other that well yet but I need to tell you something kind of personal.” She encouraged me to go ahead. Then, without further ado, I blurted out, “I want to marry Dave.” Ha! Luckily, she is one of the best people ever, and so her natural response to this (after laughing) was, “You and I are going to be best friends.” She was 100% correct. She also told me that it reflected highly upon my character that I had feelings for him. (He’s pretty amazing, you guys. It’s no secret.) I told her that I wasn’t planning on doing anything about it, except to pray and wait on God. She agreed that was a good plan.

In January of 2011 (about 3 months after Dave and I met) Jess married Rene, the leader of our college group, and the love of her life. They had one of the prettiest, sweetest, and most fun weddings I have ever attended. Dave was a groomsman. He cleans up nice.

We both had a blast dancing with all of our friends. When the DJ announced the second to last song, Dave came over and stood on the edge of the dance floor near where I was dancing. (I, of course, was keenly aware of his every move.) The song was Footloose, and I was kicking off my Sunday shoes like nobody’s business. When the song ended, a slow song that I had never heard before started to play. I stood there for a moment, and then, as I was moving off the dance floor to go be a wall flower, Dave stepped in front of me and extended his hand. “Would you like to dance?” I responded, “YEAH I would!” like the total dork that I am. (Those who know Dave know how careful and conservative he is when it comes to girls, so I thought this was a very good sign.)

It was like that scene from Pride and Prejudice when Elizabeth and Darcy are dancing and all the people disappear and the music goes quiet. I had zero awareness of my surroundings (although I usually love to analyze the couples who slow dance together at weddings – a single girl’s pasttime.) I had taken my shoes off by this time, and I marveled at how much taller Dave’s six and a half feet seem when I’m in his arms. We talked about silly and simple things like my nail polish and the wedding and what time we had to be at church the following day. But it was still one of the most magical moments of my life.

And the song, I’ll have you know, is the #1 candidate for our first dance at our wedding! That will have to be a surprise.

More of our story soon!

Photo by Laura Hernandez Photography

I wanted to share with you all my little love story.I will just share little pieces at a time. It all started a little over two years ago…

In the early fall of 2010 I was living in Carmel Valley and working in Salinas. I had been back from Portland for almost a year. I had a full time job which challenged me and that I (for the most part) enjoyed, but I was feeling restless and unsettled. I had not planned to end up in this area, but this was where God had provided a job, so I knew that He had a purpose for me here. I was waiting to figure out what that purpose was. I knew I needed to get plugged in at a church somewhere, where I could serve and build relationships. It’s difficult when you are in that in between phase of life. Out of high school (and college) and not yet married with children. Many churches are sadly lacking ministries for that demographic.

After months of trying elsewhere, I discovered First Presbyterian Church in Salinas. They had a college and career group (called Hungry) that appeared to be just what I was looking for, and it turned out to be exactly that. The first night that I went to Hungry (in October 2010)  I was welcomed with open arms by people who have now become lifelong friends. I also noticed that night that there was a very tall guy who I thought was pretty cute.We were introduced to each other at the end of the night (he has a terrible memory and does not remember this, but I remember it vividly!) and as I left from there I found myself very happy to have found what I was looking for, and just a little bit excited to see that tall guy again.

A couple weeks later that tall guy shared his testimony at Hungry. The story of how God had encountered him with His love, and changed his life from that point on. I was smitten. I do believe that after that point, all hope was lost for any other man to gain my heart. It sounds crazy (but happily a little less crazy since he is my fiance now!) but it’s true. I don’t believe in love at first sight, but I do believe that sometimes a heart just knows when it has found its match. (His heart, however, took it’s sweet time figuring it out! But he was so worth the wait.)

A week or two after that, David and I had our first “real” conversation. He admits to me now that when we talked that night, “I thought you were really pretty,” and “it popped into my mind, what if I marry this girl??” You can’t imagine how happy that makes me to know, after all this time. At the time, of course, he dismissed that thought immediately, as well as any romantic notions he may have had at that point. David, you see, is a pretty intense kind of guy. Everything that he does in his life he does with passion and intention. (One of the things I love most about him.) At that time, he was very focused on serving God in ministry and knowing Him more deeply on a personal level. Relationships, as I would later learn, only seemed a distraction to him, until it was the right person and the right time (essentially, until he was ready for marriage.)

Anyway, I digress… Our first conversation was sweet and simple. We talked mainly about our jobs (he works full time at our church as the video editor, and at the time I was working at a group home with teenage girls.) He was fascinated about my job and asked a lot of interesting questions. I tried to stay focused and not get lost in his handsome face. That night as I drove the thirty minute trip home, I did not stop smiling the entire way.

More to come…