Our Love Story- Part 1

I thought it appropriate that I share Blake's and my "Love Story" on Valentines Day. Our "story" is one that we have shared often with friends. We were even  invited  us over for dinner after we became engaged, and the couple confessed by dessert that they just really wanted to hear the low-down from our lips. :) For some reason, I have never written it down until now. Now seems like a good time, though...

August 2001

I(Lydia Cook at the time) was a senior in high school(homeschooled), but had just turned 16 the month before. Blake had moved to Louisville only a week or so before... to begin his Mdiv at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. A long-term friend of my families had recently moved to begin the same and he and Blake met their first day in Louisville and the 2 men became fast friends. Brad brought Blake to Ninth and O Baptist their first Sunday in Louisville and it was that day that I first met him.

And that was that. We saw each other around a bit. Waved. Might have been friendly enought to greet one another as we passed. But that was it. No sparks. No love at first sight.

August 2002

The following August is when it all changed. I graduated from highschool and turned 17 right as I was moving from our church's youth group into the singles ministry. There were few college students so all singles were grouped together at the time. I don't even remember how we first began chatting. I don't remember what we chatted about. I do remember arriving at our single's department's weekly trip to O'Charlies and wanting to sit beside him. I remember caddily asking for advice on a "boy problem" and hanging on every word. I didn't really need help. I knew how I was going to proceed in that particular situation(not claiming I was an example of maturity).

Through out the next few weeks we often found a way to sit beside one another at events or services. Conversation flowed easily. We smiled readily. Numbers were exchanged at some point and texting playfully began. I was attending Boyce College... It was Southern Seminary's undergraduate so Blake and I were often in the same coffee house, same cafeteria, same study lounge.

I can't even remember who said "I like you" first. I can't remember the conversation. I can't remember the timing. I just know it happened by the end of August/beginning of September.

Even in my own mine, the memories of that next year are hard to put in order... But, Valentines Day is a day for smiles and heart's so this is where I'll stop today.

To Be Continued...