All set?
Okay, here we goooooooooo.......
It was 1994, I had just graduated from High School and was SO excited about an upcoming vacation with a girl friend of mine to Myrtle Beach. We had an awesome plan, if my mom would just agree to it (thanks Bennie!) load up my MR2 sports car with all the cute clothes it would hold and drive down to spend a week at the beach.....sounds like a good plan, huh? Yep, we were HUGE planners back then. Anyhow, much to the dismay of my mom we pulled out bright and early to hit the interstate, 9 1/2 hours, one comment about how funny it would be if I met my future husband at MB and one speeding ticket later we were there!!!!!
We checked into the little shamble of a hotel, showered and got all dolled up for our first night out on the strip(cause that's just what you do in MB) you cruse the Grand Strand!!! If you have ever been there, you know exactly what I am talking about.
We drove up and down that stretch of highway for hours, blaring loud music and just being teenagers when we got stopped at a red light***hang on folks don't let me lose you know, this is when it gets interesting****
Next to us at the red light was a red truck. The driver starting talking to us(but he wasn't cute at all so I told him to wake up his friend) He went to elbow the sleeping passenger and when he raised up the heavens parted and the Lords angels began to sing! My heart stopped beating and sank to my toes! Most people doubt love at first sight or even believe it exist at all...but I am living proof that it does! I have loved him since that first moment!
We all pulled over in a parking lot and talked for hours. Then headed out to walk and swim at the beach...yes, it was almost 2 in the morning and yes he promised to save me from any sharks other wise there was no way this Kentucky girl was putting her pinkie toe in the dark ocean in the middle of the night...my momma raised me better than that!
We finally said our goodbyes in the wee hours of the morning after he asked me where I would be the next day. I told him we would be laying out on the beach and he said "I will come find you" in the back of my mind I was thinking "whatever!" but my heart was hoping for his words to hold true!
Later that afternoon my friend and I were laying out enjoying the sun, when all the sudden the sun was blocked, when I squinted to open my eyes I see a tall male shadow standing over me and something cold splashing all over my bare stomach.....it was him!!! He had found me and poured his beer all over my stomach! We spent the entire day together on the beach since he was leaving that night to head back to Georgia where he was stationed at the time. He promised to come back the next weekend and bring his brother since the base where he was stationed was only a 3 hour drive away. So we said our goodbyes and he headed home and I went back to enjoy the rest of my vacation.
The week flew by, as most vacations do, so on Friday my friend and I went down to the Grand Strand to cruise and we kept passing this black car and the guy kept waving at me...it was HIM!!! Again, he had kept his promise(man he was good)!!! We spent the entire weekend inseparable! He took me play putt putt, went out to dinner and walked on the beach. We talked about our lives, our families and what we had planned for the future. When the time came for us to say goodbye the tears began to fall. I hated the thought of never being able to see him again. He promised to write and call me as soon as he could(he was being sent to a school in Texas so he wasn't sure how much access he would have to a phone, since this was before cell phones!)
I think I cried the entire 9 hour drive home. When I got home I told my mom all about "the boy at the beach" and she listened without giving it much thought. A few days passed with no call. I started to think that this time he wasn't going to keep his promise so I headed off to continue my normal life. The next day, I came home to a message on my machine(you know the old kind that used the little black tapes?...yep...one of those)..it was from him!!!! eeeekkkkkkk!!!!! I still have his voice on that tape to this day ...is that a tad strange?
When we finally were able to talk, he told me he would be at this school for at least a month but after he got out he planned to drive to Kentucky in September and spend my birthday with me! Again, his word held true and he was there to celebrate with me and meet all my family and from the minute they meet him I knew they loved him as much as I did!
We kept doing the long distance relationship thing for several months, seeing each other once a month. I can't say that it was easy because it wasn't but it WAS worth the wait. We meet August 1, 1994. Saw each other once a month until December 24, 1994 when he proposed to me in the living room of my house(sorry it's not a very romantic proposal because I ruined all his plans). We decided to set our wedding date for the August 12,1995 almost a year to the day we met.
The next months flew by. He returned back to the base in Georgia to work and try to find us an apartment. I went back to finish my semester and plan the wedding. Once we said our "i dos" we headed back to MB for our honeymoon(where else would we go!) it was wonderful, but this time we stayed it a cute little bed & breakfast. We went back to see "Our" red light again. Going back to MB for honeymoon was amazing, being at the stop light again was surreal. Standing there with the ring on my finger and him by side just one short year later!
After the honeymoon we headed to Georgia to the apartment Chris had found. He went back to work and I started in to settle and "set up house keepin" as my Granny would say.
In October, we were blessed with the pregnancy surprise...WOW...2 months after we were married!!! Now that I look back, I would not have it any other way. I am so glad we had Kyle when we did.
In May, we bought and moved into our first house. I was 7 months prego and hanging blinds and curtains and putting together a dresser all by myself(told ya I was stubborn)
July 27th, Christian Kyle graced the world with his presence . A few weeks later Chris was given orders for a hardship tour to Korea and our world was changed even more. we kicked into over drive and tried everything we could thing of to keep him here. Finally our prayer were answered and he was granted an Honorable Discharge if he could find employment in the law enforcement field(since he was an Military Police at the time). now just came the task of finding that job before the time ran out. A few weeks later Chris was offered a job with a Sheriff's Dept in North Carolina (we would have to pack up and move again). So, on March 3, 1997 we loaded up and moved to North Carolina and have been tromping around in this state ever since.
Or marriage has been through many trying times, laughs,tears, being forced to be apart for 7 months and fear of the unknown. But no matter what, we put our faith in God and with his help we have remained together through it all.
He is the love of my life and my soul mate. There is no ones hand that fits more perfect with mine. But who knew that I would find him by the grace of God and one red light!
