Warning: only proceed reading this blog if you truly care about our lives b/c otherwise you may quickly lose interest in what could turn out to be one long run on sentence. I may have undiagnosed ADD and often divert and add in random thoughts. Plus, this stuff is personal:-)
The year was 1998…my not yet sister in law Julie had never been to Disney World so she and my brother were planning a trip so she could finally meet Mickey. Randy and I were asked to tag along. Randy and I knew each other but not too well, but who really cares when you’re young and hearing the beach call your name--right? My opening announcement as Randy picked me up from work the day of our trip was “let’s get one thing straight, I don’t have a boss” (sidenote: seriously why would I say that? I suppose I was anticipating being rushed and steamrolled by those three). He took my proclamation in perfect stride (he still has this amazing ability to divert my attention so that he neither feeds into these types of things but I also don’t feel like he is dismissing me…quite the talent I must say) and we headed back to the house to load up the white space shuttle (aka my parent’s white chevy lumina) and start our trek.
We stayed in Cocoa Beach at a very basic Holiday Inn on my brother’s employee rate. Randy and I decided we had no desire to go and visit Mickey. I suppose I had just been so many times growing up in Florida and he had just been the year prior and didn’t get all the hype. Not to mention I was making my big bucks as a “jewelry specialist” at JC Penney and needed to spend my money wisely. Please allow me to digress…Diversion:.the fact that I was a “jewelry specialist” in itself is hysterical to anyone who knows me well. The only piece of jewelry I own is my wedding ring. When I was being interviewed the lady said “oh you went to a Christian school…well I know I can trust you with diamonds”(sidenote:really? Not that I wasn’t trustworthy but what a silly assumption to make…she obviously doesn’t know some of the preacher’s kids that I knowJ I kid, I kid). I had many a fun time working that job and could not have made it through without my partner in crime Angela Runion---those stories will require a separate blog. Ok, back to the main subject here…
Disney World Day: Julie and Ronnie left early to head out on what seemed like the biggest day thus far in her lifeJ She was as eager as a child on Christmas morning. I wish I had some of the pictures from their day at the park b/c the excitement in her eyes is ridiculous. Well…Randy and I had our own glimmer in our eyes. The day was spent with Randy sleeping in really late. I got tired of waiting and just went to the beach to soak up some rays. (sidenote: I don’t think I gave too much thought as to why he was sleeping so late but I would later learn I married an insomniac who had been up all night while I was snoozing away poor thing). Once Randy got up, we walked around Cocoa Beach visiting Ron Jon’s surf shop, Wendys, swimming and hanging out at the beach.
I’ve posted the Poem he wrote on the 1st anniversary of our 1st kiss. The details of this story will help you understand some of the lines. As we sat across the table from each other at Wendy’s there was this awkward tension. I had in colored contacts in and he kept staring at me. I was so uncomfortable that I asked him to stop looking at me. We both knew we liked each other but I suppose neither one of us wanted to admit it. Later as we were hanging out at the beach underneath the stars he started asking questions about how I felt about him…fishing for me to give him as sign that I was interested. I could have tenderly said I had feelings for him, found him attractive or that I’d like to get to know him better, but no…. not wanting to expose my feelings or feel vulnerable I proceed to say…., “there’s definitely some physicalness” (sidenote: what?! seriously who says that? How embarrassing! My cheeks are flushed just writing about it. GoodNESS sakes!). Since I couldn’t grab the words that had just exited my mouth, we just sat in more awkward silence. Screech…potentially sweet moment derailed. The moment passed and we headed back to see if the Mickey fans had returned. As we headed up the steps back from the beach my sweetheart made his move….I’d tell you all about the fireworks but it’s just too embarrassingJ The rest as they say is history. From that moment on we were inseparable. The new Mickey Mouse club members came back late in the evening with Julie having the day of her life. I’m sure they knew, but we made no mention that we had our own fireworks that day as wellJ The hotel we stayed in was one of those outdoor kind with wooden railing. As we were leaving the hotel I noticed that on one of the railings there was a carving that said “Jessica Brown”. I thought it was just too weird if he actually carved it but I didn’t want to ask either because that would be weird too…after all, we just kissed for the first time yesterday! Many months later I asked him if he saw it or wrote it, he said he didn’t write it and didn’t see it either.
This picture of the four of us was taken by our beloved neighbor Mr. Hughes. He and his wife, Sarah lived beside us when we grew up in Florida. Each time we revisited Florida after moving we’d be sure to stay with him. This picture was a day or two after our first kiss. This picture evokes a range of emotions for various reasons, but is one I hold dear to my heart. Look at those four baby pups! Not a care in the world in our comfy traveling clothes ready, posing in front of the shuttle for our dear friend, ready to face the open road…..and unknown to all of us…Randy and I were about to embark on our own journey of love.
Diversion: The next time the four of us would revisit Florida was when baby Laura was about 6 months old. We decided we’d drive to Florida on Labor Day weekend….a weekend drive to Florida---something I vowed never to do again. Mr. Hughes made over her like he was meeting his grandchild for the first time. It was so sweet. One memory from that trip is on the way back God was so merciful to us as a car spun out of control across on lanes on the highway, flipping into the median. It was so surreal for all of us and seemed like it was happening in slow motion. Thank you Lord for your hand of protection over us!
During our first year of dating, we’d celebrate our first kiss on the 28th of each month. My Papa would roll his eyes each time Randy would pick me up for our “anniversary”, teasing about whether we were now celebrating silly things such as Tuesdays. Like all couples we’ve had times when life was very good to us and times when we felt as though it was beating us up. One of Randy’s favorite quotes is “life is a grinding stone…what it does to you depends on what you’re made of”. We love hard and at times fight hard, but all in all we’ve never lost our passion and in the end “tis nothing so sweet as true love”.
On our first anniversary we went to Cleveland to stay with my Aunt Dee Dee and Uncle Bruce. It was our first “vacation”. This picture of the two of us was taken as we were leaving for our anniversary dinner on the Nautica Queen…aren’t we so young and sweet?!
We are now in our 13th year of smooching and our love has grown deeper and stronger with each year. I’m reminded of the verse in Ecclesiastes about a threefold cord not being quickly broken. One translation says, “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Together, Randy and I are strong, but with God on our side we are impenetrable. “And now abideth Faith, Hope and Charity, but the greatest of these is Charity”. Happy 1st Kiss anniversary my Love!
I recognize that I am sooooo blessed and certainly do not deserve the husband that God has given me. I never want to lose focus of what is most important in my life. For all of you who feel that being such a romantic couple is corny or unnecessary…it may be, but if you can make someone else (your love) feel special by taking that extra effort to be “sappy” why wouldn’t exercise your power to put a smile on their face? As Alan would say, “You better check yourself before you wreck yourself”..if you don’t know what movie this is from (my dear mother) don’t worry..it’s highly inappropriate anywaysJ
Ok..to divert on another path: On a spiritual note…I definitely do not claim to be the most spiritual person, but my heart has been pricked. I heard a message recently about fasting and taking time to hear God’s voice. The preacher stressed the importance of being in a place where you can feel God’s leading. He said that if Samuel had not been in a place where he could hear God’s voice then Eliab would have been king of Israel, not David—God’s chosen. Eliab looked like he was the perfect fit from the outside, but God looks on the heart. The message was about taking time to “fast” things in your life that take up time and energy so that you can slow down life to focus on the important things that are often neglected. We have some areas in our life that we need God’s guidance on upcoming decisions. Now, I know that many feel that fasting is just about food (sidenote: if you are one of those people please reserve your judgment for a moment or rather just go ahead and squelch it), but I decided to “fast” the internet (ie facebook, personal email, travel sites, etc). Now this may not seem like much on the surface, but each time I would normally look down to my phone to check facebook or log onto my laptop provided an opportunity for my desired focus on God to be brought to the forefront of my mind. Even if it was just a moment at my desk I was able to take time to talk to God and seek His will. In such a busy world, why don’t we all take those scheduled times of reprieve to recharge and realign our focus on God and family. Love you all!
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