Q&A Part 4: Me and B.

So, ya wanna know about "us" huh? Well, this should answer all your questions, but get comfy, it might be kinda long.

We met clear back in the end of '82, beginning of '83. My parents had moved about an hour from where they used to live, and after splitting their time between the 2 denominations they had each been brought up in, they decided it was time to strike out on their own. They found a church meeting not far away, and we have been there ever since. At this church was a family with 2 children a boy and a girl. Here's the boy, B. about 14 years old, circa 1984:

These two kids would watch the few children that were at the weekly evening Bible study, and keep us out of trouble. Yep, I was one of the kids being watched. Me, circa 1984. 4 years old.
Fast forward a number of years, for various reasons none of which are important to this story, B.'s family had left the church, and we lost contact with them. Sometime in the '90's, B. came back to our church. I remember him in about 1997. I was 17, and most of my friends had moved or were going to different churches, and I was feeling a bit lost. So I ended up hanging out with the young adults/ college group, thanks to my very dear friend Becca. And met back up with B., who teases everyone to distraction, but I could take it and though not as quick as he is, dish it back. Interest in guys came and went, but in the back of my mind, there was the standard of B. no one quite matched up to: good steady job, a house- not being rented, and a steadiness. Most of the guys/ men I knew were on the flighty side.

I went on one blind date, with a guy my brother worked with. Dan and his then girlfriend doubled with us and "Bad Date Paul" said all of 3 sentences to me the entire evening, one of them being "girls are weird!". In 2002, I was planning my parents 25 wedding anniversary with a surprise party. I invited everyone from our Wednesday night home group, and B. called a few days before the party to say he was coming, and what would be a good gift? We ended up talking for a couple hours (about????? I know farming came up). I got off the phone knowing one thing: I had just fallen head over heals and I wasn't quite sure what to do about it. "Over my cold dead rotting body" I would say when anyone had said "hey, what about B., he's a good guy", and now, I was facing a plateful of my own words. I ate 'em.

He didn't come to the party, he baby-sat his niece because a relative of her dads died.

About a month later, he, another friend and I were discussing a 3rd friends wedding. B asked if we were going with anyone, Erin was a member of the bridal party, so he asked if I wanted to go along with him. Um, is the pope catholic? YEAH. We had fun, and everyone kept asking me

"are you here, or here?" Plain old here.

Nothing exciting happened except I invited him to the derby at the fair since two of my brothers were running, but he declined. Then showed up with a buddy of his, and ended up sitting 2 rows away, the skunk. I forgave him (not that he apologized) and spent the rest of the fair hearing from a few different people about this "perfect guy for you, he has a farm, oh he is perfect". I successfully dodged him for 3 hours, to the lengths of walking out of one gate, through the parking lot and coming through another gate just to get to the other side of the fair grounds. He eventually caught up, and asked if he could give me a call sometime. I said yes (I kinda felt bad...) and I discovered that pretty much his only criteria for a woman was that she was breathing. No go there thank you.

I decided to fast about it, for a week. "Lord, if nothing is going to happen, please take away these feelings for B." And then I put out a fleece. "Lord if he is not the one for me, please don't let him be at home group tonight". He was there and asked me to another wedding. We went. And that was all until December. The resurrected college/ young adults group was having a Christmas dinner, which I was NOT planning on going to. I would only go if (haha fat chance) B. asked me. I wore my black dress that I wore to the weddings. I thought the flowers, though stunningly gorgeous, were a little excessive for a group dinner. When he asked me what I wanted to do on our next date, I nearly fell off my seat and swallowed my tongue.

We dated for a year. He wanted me to be sure I was okay with some one so much older, I would've said yes if he had proposed right after the first wedding.

December 20, our "one year anniversary" (that sounds so corny), he gave me 2 dozen red roses and a bridal magazine, and we went down to the Amish community in our state. I did some Christmas shopping, and thought B. was mad at me because I was taking to long. He was so quiet and strange acting. We left and were driving toward the restaurant for lunch when he handed me the disposable camera he had brought along. "Here, take some pictures" Uh okay.

Suddenly he stopped the car along the side of the road. "Whats wrong?" "Nothing, I want to take a picture." "Oh, okay." I handed him the camera and he got out. "Aren't you getting out?"

"Why?" " So you can see what I'm taking a picture of." This guy has lost his marbles....

I jumped out, and B. snapped a picture, of this tree:
I started to get back in the car. "What are you doing" "Getting in, its cold!" "Well wait a minute. Remember I told you when we first started dating that I've never told a girl I loved her and wouldn't until we were ready to get engaged?" "Yeah." "Well, I just wanted to tell you I love you." "Oooh! I love you too!" Hug hug kiss kiss and I turned to get back into the car. Again.

"Wait! I'm not done yet!" What the heck? Its cold out, he said he loves me, what does he want now? When he opened the side door and dropped the towel on the ground, right there on the side of the road, I knew what was coming. One knee "Bonnie will you marry me?" "YES! YES! Wrong finger, YES!" So that's how we got engaged and dated and met. We got married on April 16, 2004, the same day as my parents had 20 odd years before. We had the date set clear back in October, and I knew he was planning on proposing sometime between Christmas and New years. I had always wanted it to be a surprise, and considering I kept trying to get back in the car, I never saw it coming. I even told people who said "Oh I bet he's going to propose to you down there" that he wasn't.

Now, dinner is finished, and I am hungry, so I will close.