Avoiding Evil

Okay, we were supposed to write these entries at the same time, per Christopher’s request, but I didn’t get mine written before Craig did…sigh. Anyway, here is my version of how the whole thing happened, which may sound like a repeat, but here it is!!

I have known Craig for a very long time, ever since my first mission trip. Amazing…my first and his first, however, I had just finished 7th grade and he had just finished high school…lol…anyway, we went to Colorado. My earliest encounter that I can remember with him since he was a high schooler and I was just a youngin’ was on the charter bus that we were taking to Colorado. My mom went that year and we boarded the bus, Mom asked him his name, and he promptly informed her that he was George. Mom called him that for forever until she realized that wasn’t his name, but it’s still a story we laugh about today. Anyway, Craig and I didn’t really know much about one another, he was older than me and we didn’t really spend too much time together.

I went away to college at Missouri Baptist University in Chesterfield my freshman year and only stayed for a semester. In that time, I think I talked to him maybe once, but that was to ask a question about one of my religion classes that I was taking at school…we still didn’t really talk. When I moved home, I became very involved at church and with the youth group…trying to find a place to serve God. Still….no talking, and both of us were in relationships. In February of 2004, after both of us had ended relationships, I needed someone to talk to about my breakup…and as strange as this is, the first person who came to my mind to give me advice was Craig. Now, keep in mind that I hadn’t really had a conversation with him….ever, really….God works in mysterious ways. Anyway, I went in and he gave me some advice and we just chatted about life and all kinds of things…it was great! It was at this point, crazy enough, that I knew I wanted to date this boy.After that, we talked on MSN sometimes and actually carried on conversations at church, normal stuff. Pretty soon, we started talking more frequently and we would talk on the phone for hours about nothing. In this time period somewhere, we discussed dating each other and Craig…yes, it was his idea…said that we should wait and pray about it since we had both decided that the next person we dated woud be the person that we married. Then I got a job at the church, what a very cool thing…which only made it harder for me to conceal the fact that I wanted to date Craig.

Then came summer, and communication slowed down a bit, as we talked less and less frequently, all the while, we were praying for God’s will in the whole situation. We were both really busy and preoccupied with life to really take time out….however, it was in this time period that I knew that he was the one I would spend the rest of my life with. In the fall, we started hanging out…going to plays and things with groups of people and one night, we went to see Polar Express, and that’s when I knew, 100%, that we would spend the rest of our lives together…crazy, I know. I wrote him a letter…the most insane thing I’ve ever done, telling him that I loved him, even though we had never even been on a date, that I knew that we were supposed to be together forever. He didn’t respond for a couple of weeks, and I asked him what he thought…he was a little shocked, but we continued to hang out and spend time together and then we went on our first date on December 17th of 2005.

How did the proposal happen? After receiving three roses and a card at 12:45 a.m. on Saturday, and then 6 more and another card (for 9 months) we went out to breakfast at IHOP…now one of my favorite places to eat. We then went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens, so beautiful..and we walked all around. If you live in the St. Louis area and you’ve never been there…you must go! Then we ate dinner at the Melting Pot, which was pretty much the neatest restaurant ever and I don’t think I’ve ever eaten quite that much food. It was so much fun, too..very romantic and really quiet. I LOVED IT! Then we drove to Forest Park to row in a rowboat on the lake, as the sun was setting. We got into the boat and Craig had another card with him, which I thought was just another anniversary card. We rowed and talked and laughed for awhile, and then we rowed behind a little island thingie….I am still oblivious at this point, for those of you who know me, I’m sure that’s not hard to believe. Craig started talking to me about the future…still clueless….and how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, which we talk about quite often….still clueless and he hands me the card, which was the sweetest and most wonderful card, ever…still clueless….then he says, “I have a question for you.” DING DING DING!!! At that moment, it hit me! So he proposed to me, right there in that rowboat….how romantic! Yes, my ring is gorgeous, yes I’m so excited, and no, JD didn’t hide in the bushes with a video camera, so for those of you who wanted to experience the proposal too, I’m sorry.

So, what now? The date is March 11, 2006 and plans are already underway. We are both still excited about everything and I am pretty much on cloud nine still. There have been a few bumps in the road, but we’re doing great and are really looking forward to the wedding.

All this to say, patience is so important. God’s timing and His plan are so much better than anything we could come up with on our own. I am so blessed to have Craig in my life. He is my knight in shining armor, the love of my life, and I can’t wait to be his wife!

Kendall