five years of loooooooooove....

where do I even begin with this guy?

I know I haven't really shared much about Scott's and I's love story... mostly because he doesn't want to be embarrassed because of his sweetness.... I tell him that it makes him more of a man than any 'man' I know! :) Or potentially because my long term memory tends to be pretty fuzzy...

I do have to give you a little summary of our story... because today I'm celebrating our relationship... and it starts at the beginning! 2001 when I transferred from my local public high school to a local christian school.... Insert Scott {student at said school} into my life.  We weren't close in HS... we were in a class of 40 students so we were around one another but he was the scrawny, goofy, super-athletic guy.

Fast forward to our freshman year of college (2004) when one of our classmates at a party and we had a little HS reunion to catch up on life.  Scott and I chatted a little during the party as we usually did at these social events.  Also basketball games were a big deal at our HS so we would run into one another  when I was home over breaks.  Next thing I know... Scott and I are talking on AIM {nope... twitter, instagram, and iPhones weren't a thing yet...} quite often.

So the summer after freshman year of college we started hanging out with a group of friend- some from HS some from Three16 {college ministry}.  Before I knew it, Scott was my best guy friend!  Of course... this was perfect because he was really good friends with a guy I had a crush on - so I figured it would work perfectly for him to match make for me.  Oh my word, did God have a bigger and better plan for me.  Now, don't get me wrong, we are still very dear friends with that past crush.... thankful we can look at that time and just shake our heads and laugh about it!

Scott is pretty good at being intentional... let me tell you.  This guy knew waaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy before I did that we would end up together.  Love how the Lord did that.  He knew how much I needed to feel pursued.... especially because I have a 'take-charge' personality and it would be super easy for me to manipulate situations or circumstances to basically justify doing the pursuing for the guy.... {did I just say that out loud?}

I'm not even sure how this happened... but I think Whitney found out that Scott had a thing for me and OF COURSE told me {rule #1 of girl code: always relay important information to one another} of his affection :)  Apparently it was not God's timing because I was not interested.  We had some really good conversations when the news broke - and honestly I think it only deepened our friendship... which really felt like the first grown-up kind of thing to me.  You know... where a guy likes a girl but the girl doesn't like the guy... but yet they can talk about it and continue being friends instead of letting it be super awkward?  Or maybe it was because God knew best.  We'll go with that :)

 As our friendship grew closer, I realized how much I really didn't like it when he was dating someone. After the press release about his affections and before we started dating was probably a span of roughly eight months.  He dated 2 girls during that time... one of which told him that he and I were going to get together?!  I guess she could just tell by our friendship?  I don't know... but she was right!

Ok... here starts the mushy-ness.  I vividly remember the first time I tingled head to toe one time that Scott touched my knee to get my attention in the beginning of summer 2006.  We were sitting in a pew at a church in Grandview on a Saturday listening to a pastor talk about some research he had done on a local ministry.  It was the most confusing moment ever!  'Why did THAT make me get butterflies?'... We've been friends for several years and it was NOT the first time he had touched my knee to get my attention.  But for some reason it was different this time.

So... I kept that to myself for a few days - only because my BFF wasn't home from leading at camp until a week or so later.  I figured that gave me plenty of time to try and process what was going on with me! She came home and we had some girl talk over 4th of July... I remember so clearly because she told me 'Raylene... you never told me not to let you date him'.  You see - I knew it would be easy to just start 'liking' my guy friends because they were there and it was convenient.  I had told April to not let me date certain guy friends of ours.  Apparently I never gave that rule for Scott :)

So over the next month or so we were flirting feverishly... it was so adorable.  Internet... I'm SURE everyone around us at the time would agree with it's cuteness.

June 14, 2006 came and a few of our friends were heading over to Scott's to hang out and play games.  So of course I joined... this was such a blessing because the very next morning I was heading to St. Luke's on the Plaza to have spinal correction surgery.  While you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at me, I had sculiosis and my spine was the shape of an S.  Anyway... the few guy friends who were hanging out at Scott's that night spent time and prayed over me before I left that night.  It was one of the sweetest moments!  The next day after the 10 hour surgery and growing an inch and 1/2 taller - I was safely out of surgery and starting the long road of recovery.  I would be in the hospital for over a week and almost everyday I had friends visiting... and nearly everyday Scott visited me in the hospital and we played Phase 10 - one of my favorite games {and one of his least favorite games}

It was less than a month later - July 10, 2006 to be exact that Scott and I would have our DTR {define the relationship} discussion and start dating.  We established boundaries, expectations, and the intention of our relationship {intended to end in marriage}.  It was a beautiful discussion... I will spare you all of the details - potentially because I don't remember all of them.... but nonetheless - it was beautiful.

So there we were watching the credits of Top Gun because it was still super uncomfortable for me to ride in cars.. so we watched a lot of movies with pillows propping me up - when it happened... we held hands. {sigh}  I have to admit it was quite the transition to seeing him as my best guy friend... to my BOYfriend.  But no complaints here... I loved every second of it!

I was in college at the time just a couple of hours away - which was a very healthy thing for our relationship.  We talked on the phone in the evenings - because he worked full time and went to school part time while I did the school thing all day and was very involved with some extra curricular activities on campus.  I believe it we truly had a healthy balance of time 'together' {via phone} and away.  I didn't have texting like I do now... so it was much easier to maintain that healthy balance.

So we dated for a year and a month when he popped THE question!  Which you can read more about here!

Wow... it has been so fun recounting these memories the last few days as I prepare this post!  It is amazing that I love him more now that I did the day we got married... it is crazy to think that is possible.    Scott truly completes me.  The Lord knew exactly what I needed in a husband and have it through Scott.  He has such a calm and quiet spirit along with such an honest heart that teaches me sooooooo much.

Dear Babe,

Here are some of my favorite things about you today:

-how much you wish the Royals played all year around
-the discipline you have as you continue your education
-your non-anxious heart that challenges me constantly to not worry
-the love for the Lord that pours out of your pores - thank you for encouraging me in my relationship with Christ
-your discernment ... your wisdom comes from such an honest and caring place {so beautiful}

Ok... the tears are starting to well so I better stop there :)  I love everything about you!

Happy day-late anniversary!

Love,
Ray