So far, the best year of my life.

Warning: this blog post will most definitely contain lovey-dovey stuff that crazy people who are in love talk about. Could cause nausea…please exit the page now if you’re not up for it.

The reason I am posting this blog entry now is because one week from today, I will be at home which means blogging will not be a top priority of mine. Gotta get my priorities straight upon hitting American soil (Seeing my people, eating at Chick Fil A and drinking an extra-large-venti-largest-size cup of that delicious American drip coffee, and celebrating the 4th of July like never before) So here we go.

Next Thursday will mark an exact year of a day that I will never forget. On June 30th of last year, I was pacing around my house like a psycho. (Just ask Mom). I was more nervous than every cheerleading competition combined. Why was I so nervous you ask? Because THE Jacob Lee was driving from Nashville, TN to Birmingham to take me on our first date! No big deal. Just kidding, it was a huge deal because Jacob and I had been hanging out and talking every single day in Auburn during our Spring semester of freshmen year. But we never flirted or even touched the subject of being anything more than friends. Then he went off to China for 6 weeks during May and June. We didn’t talk until the very end of June when he called to ask me on the date. (Hey Mom, remember when he called me and I literally gasped and started sweating I was so nervous???) True fact. So I hadn’t talked to/seen Jacob over 6 weeks and now he was driving 3 hours to take me on a date. Don’t forget that I had a major huge crush on him too. I wasn’t sure if I would make it to the door when he called me and told me he was in the neighborhood. We were 2 little nervous wrecks when we saw each other and hugged for the first time. But it was perfect. We went to eat lunch at Saw’s BBQ because it is so delicious and I thought it was a good place to go. Don’t even worry that Mom & I tested out restaurants that week to see which one would be the perfect place. I mean, I had to suggest a place because it was my city that we were going to be in. But I didn’t want to suggest somewhere too nice for lunch because I didn’t want him to think I was a diva. So Mom and I researched to say the least (we did well Mom..I think it was a success). Anyways, I don’t think it could have mattered less where we ate because we just picked up where we left off and chatted all afternoon, not paying attention to anything but each other. But the date does not end here, people!! Round 2! Jacob dropped me off at home that afternoon and then went to a friends house to let me get ready for our dinner date. YEP, 2 dates in 1 day. Told you he was legit. Now this was the serious date...I made it past the 1st cut, thank you Jesus. After lunch, I still had no clue if he liked me or not so I came home and told Mom that I needed to “step up my game”…which meant I took another shower and changed outfits a good 17 times. I remember it like it was yesterday when Jacob rang the doorbell (I was freaking out again) and came inside to meet Nat. Oh yeah, after eating lunch at Saw’s, we drove by Mindy and Rhett’s house and Min and the babies just happened to be outside (how convenient!) and got to meet The Jacob that I had been talking about all semester. Nat heard that Mindy got to meet him so her and Mom schemed up a little plan where Nat would “just happen to be driving through the neighborhood” (remember we live in Liberty Park which is definitely not a neighborhood you are just cutting through to get to the other side of town). If need be, they would say that Nat needed to come pick up something from Mom and Pop’s and it just happened to be at the exact hour that Jacob was arriving. Way to go peeps! Hey, I gotta have their approval…gotta do what ya gotta do, right? So Mom and Nat got the door when Jacob arrived while I was changing into my final outfit. I remember coming into the kitchen and hearing the guy who I had such a huge crush on tell me that I looked “great.” I just thought that was so perfect. Not too much, but just enough. (Good job Jakey, you’re perfect). Then we went to eat dinner at Sol y Luna. Couldn’t even tell you what kind of food it was because I was too busy gazing into Jacob’s eyes and wondering if this was real life. To sum it up, it was the most perfect date I could have asked for and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. It was game over from that day on. The rest of the summer for us was spent taking trips back and forth to Nashville and Birmingham and living in our little fairtytale bubble. I even talked Jacob into meeting me halfway in Huntsville just to eat some BBQ with me one night because I couldn’t help but see his face! I realize now that I have written a novel about our first date, but I just can’t help myself..my fingers are typing 90 to nothin. (Please exit out of the page now if you think that was too much love). This year has been one of the most exciting, fulfilling and just plain incredible years of my life. I can’t get over how much the Lord has blessed me by entrusting us with this relationship and by providing me with a man who is seeking Him daily and leading me in the most perfect relationship I could ask for. I have learned so much this year. Jacob has shown me what it really means for a guy to pursue a girl, to take care of her, to honor her, to encourage her, to make her laugh, to take her on adventures, to invest in getting to know her on a real level and to always point her to Christ. I never thought I was emotional or sensitive until Jacob pointed this out to me. He is the one who taught me the beauty of being sensitive and vulnerable and I really feel a little bit sorry for him now for doing that. Poor thing. He can say something sweet to me and I’ll cry instantly. I just can’t help it. I have never cared for someone the way I care for Jacob. I care about him more than I care about myself. I respect him and admire him so much. I could continue writing for a good 5 more hours about all the things I love about him, but I’ll spare you. If you don’t know Jacob, you really need to meet him and hang out with him. I seriously do not know a single person that doesn’t like him and doesn't think he is the sweetest thing ever. He has the warmest, calmest spirit that instantly puts you at ease. He is slow to speak, but when he does..it’s meaningful and valuable. He’s always the same, he is so rational, thoughtful, and at peace. Me on the other hand, I am spastic and irrational. He is the logical piece that I’m missing. I love the way he doesn’t change to be someone for me. He is so loving, not because he has to be since he’s my boyfriend. He really loves people, cares about everyone and treats them the same. Gosh, I just think he is so incredible. He brings out the best in me and is always making me laugh. He has never stopped pursuing me and making me feel like the most special girl in the world since June 30th, 2010. Sometimes my cheeks get sore from smiling so much when I’m with him. We have made the sweetest memories over the year and have had so so so much fun. It’s the little simple things that I’ll never forget…coffee dates, getting up before the sun rises to go hunting, roadtrips to see our families on the weekends, Auburn football games, going to church and house church with our friends, adventuring in Europe (not so simple), playing on the farm with the animals and 4 wheeler, going to concerts, going snow skiing with our friends, going on double dates, sitting on the porch swing during thunderstorms, date nights to Amsterdam, going on bike rides, bonfires, long car rides, walking to class together at 7am, playing tennis, cooking, playing guitar together-I am no good..but he’s a good teacher, studying together, grocery shopping while he pushes me in the cart, reminiscing over all of the times we hung out freshmen year when we liked each other, dancing to Trotline at the Fiji house, going to formals, driving each other to class on rainy days, being THAT puppy love couple, the list goes on for miles. I am so excited for what is yet to come..I know there will be so many laughs, smiles and just really awesome quality time. Next week, I get to go to Sol y Luna for a replay of last year’s big date. I can’t believe it’s been a whole year already. I am so honored to be dating Jacob Lee and am so thankful that the Lord has poured out His abundance into our relationship. Isn’t so awesome that our God loves His children so much that He blesses them down to the little details of a relationship?? He is SO GOOD and so faithful and so loving.

Thanks to those of you who stayed with me this whole entry. I really can’t help but share about this huge blessing in my life. I hope it made you smile. If it didn’t, you don’t need to worry because I smiled the entire time while I wrote it. Woo hoooo!!

Psalm 100

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship Him with gladness; come before Him with songs of joy. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His, we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving; and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His great name. For the Lord is GOOD and His love endures forever and ever and ever; His faithfulness continues through all generations!!!” 

The entry would be incomplete without some pictures of the couple. 

July of 2010, when Jacob brought me home to meet the fam

Night out in Nashville with our friends

Date night in Auburn

Weekend home in B'ham

Lunch after church on a Sunday

Duck hunting in Louisiana

Fishing!

Snow skiing in Colorado

Snowy date 

Chillin in Europe 

Redneck wedding social-don't be alarmed, the hickey is not real.

Football game! War eagle people. 

Hangin out with my roomies in Auburn..the best

Hanging with our project uplift little buddies