He likes to say that he was just dating the whole drill team, one by one, and he saved the best for last, while she smilingly says that although she had never officially met him before their first date, she definitely knew who he was, he was the really cute older brother of one of her friends ;) He first noticed her at a drill team competition. She was the captain of the drill team, and then they came out on the court, he leaned over and pointing at her, and asked his friend, "who is that girl"? He got her number from a friend, and not long after that, called her to ask her out. Because he was just confident like that. She said yes, to the boy who had the guts to ask a girl out, over the phone, that he'd never spoken to before. She was just 16, and he just 20 months and two grade levels older than her, was 17.
Their first date was the Sunday night after spring break, and he took her to church. He showed up at her house and rang the doorbell, and she opened the door to find him standing there in a t-shirt that read "single guy for rent", jeans with rips all up the sides of them, and with a busted up mouth from where he'd gotten his teeth knocked out the week before during spring break (which is story all in and of itself). After closing the door behind them when they left, her parents looked at each other and asked "who is that boy? and why did we just let our daughter leave with him?"
The day after that date, he met with his youth pastor for lunch, to let him know that he'd found the one. "She's the one Iwant to marry" he said. "Is she a Christian?" his pastor asked. He replied (a very new Christian himself) "I don't know, but I sure hope so!" Less than 3 weeks later through the testimony and encouragement of several people from the church that she'd started attending with him, she became a Christian.
And the rest...is history as they say ;)
He loved the way she laughed at all of his jokes, and she loved the way he made her feel protected, and special. She loved that he led with confidence, and he said that he'd never met a girl who was so thoughtful and kind to people. He says that lavender was his favorite color for her to wear, it made her eyes shine. She was a good listener, and would sit patiently and listen to him talk for hours even if she didn't have a clue what he was talking about.
He proposed to her at her Senior prom. She was 18, and he, just 20 months older and now graduated from HS and going to junior college, just 19. And for the second time, the girl said yes. Yes to the boy who didn't really care very much about what other people thought of him, yes to the boy who drove fast, sometimes just to hear her scream, yes to the boy who had the guts to ask her out on a blind date just 2 years earlier.
Her parents asked them not to get married until they each had a few years of college under their belts. She went to the University of Texas that fall to become an elementary education teacher, and he rode his motorcycle down to Austin every weekend from Ranger Junior college to see her. After one semester of that he walked on to the UT football team, and officially became a Longhorn so he could be near her allll the time ;) They were poor college students, trying to make good grades, and have a little bit of fun in the meantime. Dates on Friday night sometimes consisted of buying a pizza to share and then scavenging underneath all the vending machines in their dorm until they had enough change to buy two cokes. It was a fun, happy, easy time, he remembers. Where your biggest stress was the paper that was due the next day and your weekends were filled with hanging out with the person that you loved.
They finally tied the knot after two years of college. August 10th, 1985 in the hot Texas sun ("I had sweat running down my back", she recalls) they said I do to each other. The sweet thoughtful girl who looked good in lavender, said yes for the third time to the boy who had the guts to ask a girl out over the phone that he'd never seen before. And he said yes to the girl that he'd known was the one 4 & 1/2 years before, after their first date.
30 years ago today, my dad showed up at my mom's house, in a t-shirt that read "single guy for rent", jeans with rips all up the sides of them, and with a busted up mouth from where he'd gotten his teeth knocked out the week before during spring break. And after closing the door behind them when they left, my grandparents looked at each other and asked "who is that boy? and why did we just let our daughter leave with him?"
And I'll be forever grateful that they let her go... ;)
They celebrated last night with a dinner date (since dad was going to be out of town today) and I grabbed a few pictures of them when they got home.
30 years, 7 kids, multiple job changes, 2 states, 16 houses later. . .he still thinks she looks beautiful in lavender, and loves the way she laughs at his jokes, and she still loves the way he protects her, and how he makes her feel special.
30 years is a long time to love someone, I can't wait to watch them for the next 30 ;)
Much Love.
Jessica Shae
p.s. pretty sure he still gets a kick out of driving to fast, just to hear her scream ;)
