Our Story

They say that if you ask the guy and the girl, you get two different versions, so that's what we thought we'd bring to you. We wrote our stories seperately and neither one of us saw the other until we were both done.

Leslie

The first time I met Matthew was during an honor’s get together. I had decided to run for vice chair and Matthew was the web-master. My roomie had told me there was one guy left on the council who was funny and sweet and datable. I just rolled my eyes and told her I was not interested. Well, after meeting him for the first time, I decided he was funny and sweet, and I just knew we would be good “friends”, but I never would have dreamed it would lead to something more! We acted silly from the moment we met each other. He hit on me for a solid hour pretending that he needed more information from me for the “website”. He proceeded to find out my entire life’s history! From the beginning of our relationship to this day, we have never taken ourselves seriously and have shared innumerable laughs!

Months have passed and it is now Christmas time. Matthew is in Tennessee and I am in Kansas City. We have spent the last couple of months getting to know each other. I had decided not to date anyone that semester, so Matthew tried his hardest to convince me I should. After all,“No one at Freed just doesn’t date. I will change that.” (Matthew cockily said that to me after I turned him down the first time.J) Well, after informing me that he was over me, we grew pretty close. We went to New Orleans together and I simply adored having Matthew around. Out of everyone on the trip, I enjoyed the time I spent with him the best. He was protective of me when we walked down the streets and was always good for a laugh. When the trip was over, he remained on my mind. So over Christmas I found myself thinking about him. He was one of the main reasons I could not wait to get back to school.

So when we returned to school, I no longer was planning on keeping myself from dating. (Thankfully!!) I could not wait… I just had to hope and pray that Matthew still wanted to go out with me! So after Mrs.Shelia and Jessica locked him in the honors house with a phone… my wish became true. J Our first date was shared at Snookums the local steakhouse along with Milton Sewell our university president (anyone from Freed will see the humor in that! Tara, Jami and Jess especially!). We then saw the worst movie in the world which bored both of us, but for some reason he asked me out again. Yeah! I know this surprised some of his friends who enjoyed giving him a hard time for not walking me to the door where they were inside the lobby greeting me with whistles and cheers!

A year and a half later, hundreds of hours spent laughing, thousands of smiles, and we are now engaged! He proposed to me on June 18th, otherwise known as father’s day. (This seemed fitting seeing how we jumped out of an airplane on mother’s day last year!) He took me to the pedestrian bridge overlooking the Nashville skyline. We sat on a bench where he gave me a scrapbook he had made. In it were our some of the memorable events from the previous months. On the last page was a picture of his cell phone calling my dad. He then told me he had a present for me from Zambia. It was a jewelry box made by Bennett, one of the guys who was baptized while we were in Zambia. Inside the jewelry box was a ring and he got down on one knee and proposed. Of course I said yes! Then we proceeded to call some friends and family (among those was my sleepy dad who rolled over and said, “That is great. He finally did it.” And then rolled over and went back to sleep! He was a lot more excited in the morning!).

So now we are planning a wedding, but more importantly, a home. I can not think of anyone else on this planet with whom I could spend the rest of my life or with whom I could not live without. I thank God that he has given me my best friend to marry, hold, grow with, love and cherish for the rest of my life. Matthew has been there for me through surgeries and victories, in tears and laughter and I look forward to the memories our future has in store for us.

I love you Matthew!

Matthew

Before Labor Day in the Fall of 2004, I was in the Joy Simon McDaniel House at Freed-Hardeman for a Freshmen honors mixer. I was in charge of the sheets to get information about all of the Freshmen. After Leslie gave me hers back, I kept returning with extra questions for her. I had never hit it off with someone--or had so much fun getting to know anyone as with her that night. She was funny, cute, and all around wonderful lady--and I wanted to get to know her better! Her roommate told me the best time to call her, so I called that very night.

At the time, Leslie wasn't quite as interested in the prospect of a date as I was, and evidently my suggestion that "rules were meant to be broken" was not going to affect her decision not to date that semester. A few more rejections, and I eventually gave up! During that semester, we became close friends. I even (mistakenly) told her that I was over her! Over Christmas break, I watched the Titans play the Chiefs on TV, and thought about giving Leslie a call...but didn't! I found myself missing her and was really excited when we first got to see each other after break.

With the help of her roommate and the Honors secretary, I called Leslie again on the first Friday night of the semester--and got a date for that night. From that point on, she's been by my side, and the rest, as they say, is history. It's amazing how things work, though. I have always had "find a Christian mate" on my prayer list, but it was one of those things I tended to say by route. I remembered a long time later that the night before I met her, I spent a long time praying about that and reading the scriptures. Coincidence? Providence? I don't know, but I sure feel blessed!

In the time since that first date on January 21, 2005, we've grown through so many experiences. We went to New Zealand, Zambia, New Hampshire, Kansas City, Atlanta, and have been with some of the most wonderful people around. I would not trade this time for anything and it is amazing to look back at the wonderful times we've had and dream of all the wonderful years to come. It has simply been the best year and a half I could ever imagine, and I look forward to at least 60 or 70 more years! I thank the Lord for bringing us together and helping us to grow. We've had amazing memories. I remember being shocked and appalled when she beat me in go-kart racing. She tried to teach me how to do cartwheels. (I was sore for several days!) I remember staying at the hospital while she was having her knee surgery and wanting nothing more than to see her be ok again. I remember sweaty hugs after soccer games, long nights of homework in the honors room, late night phone calls during a long-distance summer, Bible studies together in the Gardner Center, fun nights at Roby, faces while I'm preaching, cooking dinner for her in the apartment, making beef jerkey accidentally, shooting off fireworks semi-dangerously, laughing together, talking about everything or absolutely nothing, loving life together and praying together virtually every night for more than a year. It has been wonderful!

Proposing to Leslie was the most amazing night of my life. I'm thankful that the Lord gave me the courage and the opportunity...(I know some of us had doubts!) and that she said yes! We had several dates to the pedestrian bridge in downtown Nashville, so I took her up there. It had been a stormy night, and Leslie and I have always loved watching a good lightning storm. (In fact, it was under one of God's beautiful light shows that we first talked about marriage). We walked around for a while just enjoying the view and talking...we looked at a photo album and laughed and cried and had a wonderful time. I'll never forget the feeling I had when I went down on one knee and I opened up that box. I'll never forget the look in her eyes and the way everything else in the world went blurry. I'll never forget her two simple words, "I will!" I already can't wait until the next time we get to exchange rings. God has blessed us very much, and I know that I have been blessed more than I can ever deserve. I look forward to the rest of our lives to try to return that blessing to her. Leslie, I love you. Thank you!

This page is Printer-Friendly.