I truly believe that God knew what he was doing all along. Everything we went through, people we met, dated....led us to where we are now. I think he knew exactly what he was doing. I have said before, if we had of ended up seriously dating in the beginning, we wouldn't have worked out. I know for me, I had to go through what all I did to truly appreciate him now. If I had of dated him when I was young and not experienced with life, I would not know just what a blessing it is to have an honest, trustworthy loving husband.
One of the most special things to me is the fact that we do share so much. We grew up together. So many of my memories include him. His mom and whole family went to the same church as my family, so I already knew all of them when they became my family. His cousin was one of my best friends. Every entry in my diary from the age of 13-17 had his name mentioned...either I loved him or I hated him...but he was there.
I moved to Monticello when I was 12 yrs old. I cannot tell you the moment I met him, but as I remember back...he is always there. My very first memory of him....I was in the 6th grade, my friend Mandy was 1 yr older than me asked me to come along with the teen group....and Clay said, "why do you have to invite her?" I just laugh at that. See, I technically couldn't be part of that group until I was in the 7th grade. I read in my art journal entry last night, a page I wrote about him. It said, "when I first met him, I thought he was the meanest boy I had ever met. I would not go to things with the youth group b/c he would be there, and I thought he was so mean. And then, my heart softened......" I DIED out laughing when I read that! I am so glad I wrote that stuff down, b/c I truly had forgotten that!
The next memory I have of him was 4 of us crammed on a row that was made for 3 on our church van on the way to see the Christmas lights in Star City. I think that was the event that I realized that I had a crush on him. I used to stare at him during class and look away when he looked at me. After church, (b/c my mom was always the last person to leave church) I would stand outside church and talk to him. This was by far my highlight of the week. My mom would say she didn't want to go to church on Wed night and I would be like...NO, I want to go! I think all my diary entries correspond with the day of the week that I went to church. He and his mom lived less than a 1/2 a mile down the same road I lived on, so I had to pass his house EVERY time I left mine. Ironically, my Sr. year I had a wreck and totalled my car....right in front of his mom's house....and his cousin (the best man in our wedding) was the one that came out to help me. The back end of my car flipped around and knocked over his mailbox....(he had moved away by then, but his mom still lived there, and I remember how he used to complain about people messing with their mailbox, and here I was knocking them all the way over!) I was amazed that it happened right there in that spot.
We became really close friends, then drifted apart and lead seperate lives, dated a few times, broke each other's heart...but always found our way back to each other.
I can remember when I went to school at Louisiana Tech for photography, (I only stayed there a few months) he talked me into moving back home to be with him. Shortly after, we broke up, and once back at UAM, I went in a whole different direction. From time to time I would wonder how things might be different had I finished my degree in photography... and now look at the successful business he has created for us! He has more than made up for convincing me to come home!
I am not sure when our friendship led to dating the very last time we were together before we got married. It was like we were going places as friends, and next thing I knew, we were dating, talking about getting married. I do remember the moment I fell in love with him....this time with the person he is now, not the person I wrote about in my diaries, fantasized that I could date. We had rode out to lake Monticello one night and were just sitting in his truck talking. Really talking. He said something about having children, and how he wanted to be a good father to them.....and that is when I knew. I wanted him to be my husband, and to be the father of my children. And he is, and we have 3 beautiful children....2 of them with his beautiful eyes. And he is a wonderful father....the best I have ever known. I am so proud of him. I am proud to say I have known him through the good and the bad, watched him grow up. He is a very loving husband, amazing photographer, and so smart, and loves our children more than anything in this world, and I know all of that without a doubt. He IS my best friend.
This is a group of photos of us that is on the cover of an album I made for him the Valentine's that we got engaged.
This is the very first photo I have of us together. I was such a geek! I was 13, and he was 15. In my diary, all I had to say about this trip was, the ride home was so much fun!! And that would be b/c Clay was sitting beside me and being nice!
I had a whole series of photos taken the same night as these. This was when we were NOT dating....but everyone around kept asking if we were.
That is my sister helping Clay blow out his candles on his cake that I made for him and surprised him at a teen meeting.
This is a photo of our youth group. That is me in the pink dress, and Clay is behind me.
This used to be one of my favorite pictures of him....
This was when I was 18 or 19, one of the times we dated briefly
Here he is blowing bubbles at me while we are trying to pick out our wedding invitations.
