The Proposal

You may have saw on some type of social media, or maybe heard through the grapevine, but something big has happened in my life. 

4 weeks ago, this guy asked me to marry him...

and I said yes. 

Now if you had a front row seat to watch it all unfold, or if you read this, you can testify that the last ten months have been nothing short of a "But God" moment. One where He stepped in, changed my heart completely, and gave me the gift of falling in love with a man that loves Christ above all. 

This post is tell you our engagement story (mainly because people are supposedly "dying" to hear the story...Tammy and Hank! ;) ). So it's going to be long...because I'm not leaving out the small details. Here's THE story. 

First, let me cover the basic questions: Did I know it was coming? Did I tell him the ring I wanted? The answer is yes and no to both. Adam and I had talked about how the Lord was leading us to marriage, so yes I some what knew it would happen in a certain time frame. He asked what I liked as far as a ring went, but it was a 5 minutes conversation that happened months ago. 

The week before Thanksgiving, Adam was scheduled to help run lights for SCA's high school musical, Beauty and the Beast. This meant rehearsals for Tuesday and Wednesday night, and performances on Thursday, Friday and two on Saturday. I attended the Thursday night performance, and after Adam and I went to eat with our close friends Scott and Marie.

**Side note: We spend a lot of time with Scott and Marie. Its been a joke for a few months that when it comes to secrets Scott is the one to tell, not Marie. Scott is the closest thing to a human Fort Knox I've ever met. No lie. 

At dinner Marie asked if I wanted to go shopping in Tallahassee on Saturday. Thinking Adam would be busy with two performances, I said, "Sure, as long as I don't have to babysit for Renee. She's supposed to let me know if she needs me Friday or Saturday." {Cue first curve ball I threw Adam. Let's just say he made some speedy phone calls the next morning making sure I babysat Friday. Also, I randomly decide to go get a manicure Friday during the day. RANDOM, people. I don't make this a habit.}

Saturday morning comes and I'm getting ready for Marie to pick me up. {Woke up before my alarm, had time to curl my hair, and decided not to look grungy. As in, I put thought into what I was wearing. Again, I'm look back and go, "Why in the world did I do that? That's not really normal of me..."}.

Marie and I drove to Tallahassee, Florida passing through downtown Thomasville, Georgia. This is one of Adam and I's favorite places. It has fun, cool shops and restaurants, and where we went on one of our first dates. That date included a trip to the Big Oak {complete with a park and gazebo}, which is a location that comes into play later :) . Marie at this point mentions that on the way back she'd like to stop and look at the bookstore downtown. 

I need to throw in that at this part of the ride I'm beginning to not feel well. Not full blown car sick, but something similar. We aren't even to Tallahassee yet and I'm wondering if this is such a good idea. But we go on, have lunch at Panera and head to the mall. Of course in the car and walking around we talk "what ifs" of weddings and married life. Its just want girls do... especially if you are two girls in serious relationships. Before we leave the mall we went in a jewelry store, so I could point on the cut of diamond I liked. {Marie ends up talking to a lady who pulls out a ring that looked a LOT like the ring I would see later on in the day.}

Its get to be early afternoon,  and I'm kind of done with the whole shopping thing {which ends up being curve ball #2}. I'm definitely ready to get on to Thomasville. I remembered that the shops closed around 5 or 5:30pm, so I prompt Marie to the idea of heading back. Its only a 30 minute drive to Thomasville, so no big deal... until Marie starts driving 15 mph under the speed limit...which I notice and call her out on. Lucky for her, there were road work signs out. 

We get to downtown and are taking our time looking around the bookstore. What I don't know is that Adam and Scott are FLYING to Thomasville because we are early. {Marie is suppose to have me at the Big Oak at 6pm. Its 5:15pm. I'm ready to eat and go!} I had mentioned to Marie that we could eat dinner at this cool little pizza place, and was starting to hint that I was ready to eat {have I mentioned I didn't feel good?}. So Marie and I get in the car, and I start trying to direct her to the pizza place. She then acts busy on her phone and goes the opposite way for EVERY. TURN. I tell her. She gets all distracted, borderline ditzy, and ends up driving past the Big Oak, which is conveniently a block and a half from the pizza place {walking distance, people. Even though this was not a part of the plan.}. I point out where we are, and she asks about the Big Oak. As I explain what it is, why its important to Adam and I, she parks and I then become busy trying to figure out if the pizza place is open for dinner. I start to walk up to it, then turn to find Marie walking in the opposite direction. {I really think I probably gave her the most confused, aggravated look possible.}

"I thought we'd just walk down there! Check it out before it gets dark." She says with a smile. 

"Ok, sure." Literally thinking, Of course you do. Because this day could not have worked out any other way. My hair is curled.  I like what I'm wearing. We just saw a ring I love. I love this little town, and this would be the perfect opportunity for my boyfriend to surprise me... but he's not. Because he is watching Beauty and the Beast for the fourth time. Lord, please get a hold of these thoughts!! They are ruining my time with my friend!

As we begin walking downhill, I see a little white truck roll through the four-way stop at the corner of the park. 

"Ok, that's just weird." 

Marie mentions something about a nearby house and I feel myself look at her as if she was from another planet. My heart is racing and I'm beginning to walk slower. 

"This isn't happening, Kristin. Get. a. grip. "

We get to the edge of this little park and I see movement under the massive oak tree branches. Out walks Adam from beneath the tree...in a suit...looking pale. Cue me freezing in place. {He says his first thought was , She's really gonna make me walk all the way up to her"}.

He gets to me and it all happened really fast...

Me-"What are you doing here??"
Him-"What do you think I'm doing here?!.. Take a walk with me?"
"Sure..." 
Walking while he says, "I've really lied a lot to you lately..."
"I'm sure it was for a good reason..."
Takes me over to the gazebo stairs. Drops to one knee, "Will you marry me?"
"YES!"

Scott {who rode with Adam} and Marie hid to take some pictures, and came out once we called for them. We celebrated at our favorite restaurant, Jonah's, and called our parents. In between it all, I got the details of Adam's side: from the curve balls I threw him, to the lies he told to cover up the surprise. 

All in all, it was a great night, and the Lord gave us a great story to tell. We have been BLESSED beyond measure by all the love and encouragement we've been given by friends and family. {Also happy to say Scott and Marie got engaged exactly 2 weeks after us!!}

So there you have it: I'm engaged, and the soon-to-be Kristin Crosby. Has a nice ring, don't ya think?

"For the LORD is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 100:5

Adam.

I couldn't stand him. Could. not. 

Truth be known, he couldn't really stand me either in the beginning. I thought he was arrogant and over confident. He thought I was stuck up and a stick in the mud. 

To make things worse (or more humorous now), we actually told people we didn't really like the other. 

But today... I'm beyond grateful that that's not the end of our story.

After a few months, in the midst of working together and having a few mutual friends, little by little Adam Crosby grew on me. At first it was a tolerance for someone who seemed very different than me. Next, it grew to a respectful camaraderie as co-workers. That's how it stay on my end for a while. I eventually had to admit that the more I got to know him, the more he seemed likable. (But definitely not date-able!)

I can remember that during that time, I shared my thoughts with a godly, much wiser woman in my life. I told her that Adam just wasn't what I was looking for. To me, he didn't seem like a good fit at all, and all the things I wanted in someone (you know, someone not arrogant or over confident). 

Then this dear friend, who is cautious when putting her two-cents in on my life, said to me very sweetly and kindly, "All I'll say is this, you might actually need someone a little confident in your life so he's not a one of these..." as she referred to the rug under her feet.

Ouch.

 I can literally replay in my mind that conversation we had in her kitchen. I can remember how her words stuck to me. They still do. Because while the wall around my heart was 10 feet tall and five feet deep, it was at the moment that the wall cracked the tiniest sliver and I said, "Really, Lord?". 

Shortly after, I finally laid it before God and said,"Ok. I'll be open to the possibility of dating Adam." (do you hear my skepticism?) It was then that I began to see past his, as he would call it, "hard candy shell". I saw his go-getter attitude and drive to do things right and with excellence. His ability to confidently say he would do something and follow it through to the nth degree. His passion to see students in our church grow into godly men and women. Add on the fact the he started making me laugh (it really doesn't take much, but hey, it was new coming from him).

To try and wrap up this story, after four months of saying "Nope" "No" "NO!" to folks around me, myself, and even God, I realized that I actually liked and wanted to spend time with him. So I sat before the Lord, and got REAL honest with Him and myself.

"I'm scared."
"Trust Me."
"God I'm not even sure I like him..."
"Trust Me."
"But what about..."
"Trust Me. "
"But what if..."
"Trust ME. Not him. Not the situation. Me. Take a step, and trust Me."

So after an awkward middle school moment on my end of, "hey..I like you...back", Adam took me out of my 25th birthday. Our first date.

(This is a first of a couple of posts. Stay tuned for the engagement story!)

Bright Plaid Shorts

It never ceases to amaze me all that kids pick up, repeat, remember, or say without any prompting from adults. I guess it is one of the reasons I love children and find them so intriguing. God teaches me so much as I try and see the world from their perspective. Last night was no different.

I did a couple of quick laps around the block with a friend of mine (this whole exercising thing has never been quite my forte'), and then headed  to a dear friend's' house to watch her three year old daughter for a few hours. I show up with Chick-fila in hand, and wearing my "work out" cloths: long sleeve t-shirt, leggings and gym shorts. Cue curious Kerianne...

"Miss Kristin, um why are you wearing shorts over your pants?"

"Well, these are actually leggings, and I wear them to keep my legs warm while I exercise."

"Um well you're wearing shorts over your pants." She said in a "that's ridiculous"  voice.  I just laughed as we sat down to some dinner. 

After a while, she began to dress up and show me her blue and pink wedding dresses (actually, they are princess dresses that she calls wedding dresses and I'm not even sure she's ever been to a wedding... is it innate for little girls to dream of weddings? another topic, another day...). Then all of a sudden she appears in her normal shirt and pants with one addition: a pair of bright plaid shorts. 

"Look Miss Kristin, I match!" 

At first I didn't get it. Only on the second or third time of her saying "I MATCH!" did it dawn on me: she matched ME!

Now, no worries, I don't think I scared her fashion sense for life. But standing in my friend's kitchen, watching her curly headed, bright eyed daughter look up at me with a grin... it all became much more real. 

I'm not saying shorts and leggings are bad. 
I'm not saying they are fashionable. 
They actually look quite ridiculous.

I'm saying that little ones watch, whether they are 3 or 13 or 23. The soak up and pay attention to more details than we realize. I can still name the 12th graders that I watched, as a 6th grader, walk into the cafeteria. My friends and I were enamored with the idea of being the star football player, head cheerleader, and the most popular. 

So they watch, what's the big deal?

The big deal is that as followers of Christ we are to point all people to the cross and our Savior. Point them with our walk, our talk, our dress, our work, our life. 

Praise the Lord that only Christ knows the details and depths of my sin and shortcomings, and uses me anyway. Praise Him that He gives gentle reminders that we are His light in this dark and dying world. Reminders like bright plaid shorts. 

"...I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." Isaiah 49:6b