A Little Cheer

Last week was rough. 

Blake took Riley to pick out some flowers to brighten the weekend.

Perfect. 

Our Love Story - Part 2

October/November 2002

Sometime around fall, our attraction to one another was becoming quite obvious to those around us. It's funny because now a 6 1/2 year age difference doesn't seem that scandalous, but almost 10 years ago... Well, we were certainly the talk of our friends. Some were supportive. Some were extremely against(for no explainable reason). There was still no official "dating" conversation. Not even any "dates". A few even paid visits to my dad "concerned" about the "situation" so by the end of November, Blake had set up a meeting with my dad. My dad wasn't comfortable with the age difference. That was that.

I will say that at the time, I was utterly devastated... But as a parent now, I would probably feel exactly the same way. Shhh... Don't tell daddy that. :)

February 2003
Stearing clear of one another was all together impossible. The texting and phone calling halted. We sat on separate sides of the sanctuary and walked past the coffee shop when we saw the other already there. I even went on a few dates. But then Valentines Day rolled around I found myself seated at a table in Red Lobster that Blake was the server for... Valentines day is my grandmother's birthday and Red Lobster is her favorite restaurant so it was a logical choice, but it was awkward. I am pretty sure I didn't participate in a second of conversation the entire meal. That was all it took. I wanted to be with this guy.

That encounter opened the door for less uncomfortable conversation at church and school and with in a few weeks it was too uncomfortable not to discuss. We liked each other. We wanted to see no one else. And we prayed for a few weeks...

Late April 2003
Blake went back to my dad. He was much more blunt this time around. I think he even went as far as to express that he saw our relationship heading to marriage. :) Dad didn't say no. He didn't say yes. He asked for time. He had hoped that the initial "no" would be enough to spur us on to other interests... But that just didn't happen. He realized that this was actually going to require prayer because this guy wasn't going away. And I didn't want him to.

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...