I’ve thought about how I should write this story, and I decided I’m just going to go off of how things fell into place. My name is Whitney, my fiancé is Brian, and this is our story!
I had not been having luck with the dating scene, so when my cousin was hanging out one night, she kept talking about how she had signed up for this site and she was getting all kinds of messages from these guys. I had said I would never do online dating because I had always heard horror stories about it. My mind started to wonder though, as the time passed that she was there, and her phone was continually buzzing with new messages or updates from this website. I decided to inquire more and ask what site she was on, and she said ChristianMingle. I didn’t think that sounded too bad! So low and behold, I signed up! It couldn’t hurt anything, right? And, I surely wasn’t meeting anyone on my own!
My screen name was TallBlonde29. I have to say it was quite a confidence booster to get smiles and emails from guys who were interested in me. I would respond and chat with some of them, but no one really caught my eye. So on June 18th when I received a smile from VAHokieFan, I smiled back. The next message from him was yet another smile, but also said, “If I email you, will you respond?” Me being the spunky girl that I am I responded with just a message that said, “I hope this answers your question.”
The rest, as they say, is history. Brian sent me an email asking about my children, line of work, etc. At the end of the email, he wrote Hebrews 4:15-16 and said that he just wanted to share his favorite verse with me. I thought that was really sweet! After exchanging a couple of emails, we moved to texting and talking on the phone. The first time we spoke on the phone, Brian was unbelievably quiet, and not something that this spunky, chatty girl was used to!
Brian asked me out to dinner on June 24th, but I got a little too anxious and asked if he would meet me the day before, just to break the ice. I had him meet me at a local Mexican restaurant. We were both nervous! I pulled in and I saw his car there and my heart was racing!! When I started to walk to his car and he got out, I couldn’t help but smile from ear-to-ear; he was so very handsome. We sat out on the patio and talked for hours, literally until the restaurant closed. I was attracted to him and my mind was working and wondering if he felt the same way. We went out to dinner the following day to an Italian restaurant, and he had told me that he had a dessert place for us to try. It was the sweetest place I had ever seen, not only that, but he was such a gentleman!! We had our milkshakes in the ’50s style “mom and pop” ice cream shop and proceeded to walk around town. We talked, laughed, and just enjoyed each other’s company. When we got back to our cars and it was time to depart, I could feel it coming….the first kiss!!! It was absolutely perfect, and I still get butterflies to this day when we kiss. The next month was tough because our time together was limited, but we decided that July 14th was the day we made it “official” as a couple; we were off of the market!!
We had only been talking for a week or so, and he was getting ready to go on vacation, so he would be gone during my birthday. The last night I saw him before he left; he gave me a card and one of the movies to a series I was missing. He had been listening to everything I said. It was really sweet!
When we were both back from our vacations he made reservations at a nice restaurant and took me to dinner. We enjoyed walking around together hand-in-hand and just enjoyed our time together. The next few months seemed to go by so fast. He is a school teacher and a football coach, so he was very busy with those responsibilities, plus he had his children to care for. My children started back to school and the chaos began as well. I can remember meeting Brian for dinner one night after football practice and looking at him across the table and saying, “I’m going to marry you one day”.
The holidays came and we shared those together, and things were going beautifully. From the start of our relationship, we decided that we wanted to center it on the Lord. Towards the end of the year, we started mentioning marriage. We would say things like, “if we get married one day then….” As time went on we started to talk a little more about it, and we even went to look at rings one time. Brian can be a hard cookie to read; he can hide emotion and be as cool as a cucumber.
In June of 2013, I asked him if he wanted to run off and get married. We both knew that we had met our match; God had made us for one another. After looking at things though that couldn’t be an option for us because we are blending two families, and we needed to do what was best for our children and their adjustment. He asked for my ring size a couple of weeks later and I instantly got excited. We were going on a vacation with his family in July, to the beach, so I KNEW he was going to propose to me then!! The timing was also near my birthday and our one year anniversary. I got my hair colored and summer dresses picked out, in preparation for what I knew was going to be THE BIG DAY!!
On July 6, 2013, we had been at a family gathering and decided to ride down to the county fair to get some yummy vinegar fries that they are famous for. However, once we got to the fair, we could not find any parking, so we decided to head home. There was such a cool, calm feel in the air. I caught Brian looking at me with a sparkle in his eye, just grinning from ear-to-ear. When I asked what he was thinking his response was, “You are one beautiful lady.” I just smiled; I enjoy his sweet comment and drove on. We got back to my house and decided to watch a movie. After changing into my comfy flannel pajamas and throwing my hair up in a ponytail, I went in to get the movie started. As I walked back through my kitchen to my bedroom to see if he was ready, something caught my eye and I stopped. It was a black ring box and it was open. I seriously think that I went into shock!! I looked at the ring, looked into the room for him, looked back at the ring, and about that time he came around the corner and got the box off the table; he got down on one knee, took my hand and asked the question I had longed for, the question I wanted to hear so bad…..Will you marry me? I couldn’t talk because I was crying, so I simply shook my head yes. He slid the ring onto my finger, got up and wrapped me into his arms. That was by far one of the happiest moments of my life. I’m going to marry the man of my dreams!
We are planning to have a small ceremony for family and close friends on June 14, 2014. The wedding date holds significance for us because it’s “our” number. We know without a doubt that God brought us together. Brian was ready to give up on ChristianMingle, until one day he scrolled through profiles and came across my picture. He took the plunge and won me over. We thank God daily for the blessing that we are to one another, and for Him bringing us together. I have met the man of my dreams, and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with him!!