SEVEN years ago... (a repost with a few updates!)

REPOST with a few updates!

This week marks six seven years since when Marcus proposed. I thought I'd retell the story here of that wonderful day...

At that time, I was teaching Business and Marketing at NCHS and coaching the Varsity Cheerleading squad. Marcus was working as the Athletic Trainer for NCHS and covered all sports practices and games. We had been dating about 6 months and things were going great. We had talked about marriage, but never anything definite. (To be quite honest, I knew he was the man I would marry from the beginning. I would have said yes if he would have asked me after only a few weeks!)

We had our first pep rally of the year that Friday afternoon. I had started losing my voice and so I asked Marcus if he would M.C. the pep rally for me. He said he would and the pep rally went well. We played games with the students and teachers, cheered on the team and got everyone ready for the game that night. It was about 97 degrees in the gym and so I was sweaty and covered with whipped cream from one of the games we played with the students. As soon as the students were dismissed, Marcus called over all the cheerleaders and football players. One of the students (Cody) took the microphone and started talking to the cheerleaders and thanking them for all they did for the team. Marcus kept asking me to come stand in the circle with all the players, but I was hot and tired so I was sitting on the bleachers. I went over and then one of the football players gave the microphone to Marcus. Marcus thanked the team and told them how much he'd enjoyed working with them. Then he said that if it wasn't for working with them, he never would "have gotten to meet Ms. Redmond and I wouldn't get to do this"...and then he got down on one knee, pulled the ring out of his medical bag and proposed. It was the most beautiful, exciting moment! My cheerleaders all were screaming and crying (as was I) and then the football team broke into a chorus of the song "My girl". For Marcus and me, it was absolutely the perfect proposal.

We were married six months after that and we've been very happy since then. EDITED: We are still extremely happy and he is still my best friend. But we're learning that marriage isn't just about being 'happy' or 'having a good time'. Marriage is making the choice to love even when it's hard...and difficult...and the last thing you may want to do. Our goal is to out-serve one another and to reflect the love that we have been so freely given through Christ.  I'm thrilled to say that I love him more today than I did six  seven years ago and I still get excited when I hear his truck pull into the driveway each evening. He's the first person I want to see and talk to when I wake up and the one I'm most eager to call when I've had a hard day. He is my best friend and my joy. I am so grateful that God blessed me with him!

(What I wrote above really was true...the first time I saw Marcus I told the Principal that I was working for "that's the man I'm going to marry". It took us months before we began talking with each other and months after that before we started dating...but it was worth the wait and all that it took to get us to that point!)

Here's a picture from the girls and me at the game that evening, and a picture of Marcus and I.