Friday. I love Fridays. I love knowing the weekend is nearly here. Saturday’s usher in the ability to sleep in, a great weekend church service, the freedom to wear sweatpants all day, the lack of work stress…Today in particular I am celebrating passing my PHR certification exam. YIPPEE! So, in the spirit of celebration, I am taking this day off from posting about TTC and instead, sharing the story of how Josh and I met. I figure Friday’s are the perfect day to read about a good old fashion love tale. Enjoy!

The year was 2003. Trucker hats, low cut jeans, and slim fit tees were in. R. Kelly’s “Thoia Thoing” was playing on the radio. Location: Upland, Indiana at Taylor University. The city of … well, not much, other than Ivanhoes where you could get 100 different kinds of shakes and sundaes. Enter Chelsea, 18, college freshman. Enter Josh, 21, college senior.

My friend Katie and I were hanging out with a friend from our brother floor who persuaded us to break from the standard Friday evening plans of hanging in the dorm room during open house, to run up the road to get a slushy with his friend “Ritchie”, who just got a new car. Although I was feeling slightly unsure about leaving my neat dorm room that was waiting for visitors to venture out to see a new Jetta, we decided there (literally) was nothing else to do, so we went.

*Vroom* Up pulls this cool college guy (A SENIOR) in his hot black, 2 door Jetta. With his tight Hollister shirt and slightly tilted trucker hat he grunted “Sup ladies.” (at least that’s what I envision). Katie and I tumbled into the back seat, our friend Jamie taking the passenger seat and off we went to the gas station.

Now I truly don’t remember much about the car ride. I just remember being dropped back off at the dorm 10 minutes later, Coke slushy in hand and trampling back up to the room. Then casually, about 15 minutes later, Ritchie casually just happened to be walking through our floor for the open house and stopped in.  I think he probably just stood there, thinking he was cool. “Whatcha guys up to?” I remember him saying, this look of interested indifference on his face. “Uh, nothing.” I probably stammered back, doing my best to flirt but feeling totally intimidated by his (perceived) coolness.

Fast forward 30 minutes. After confirming there was nothing to do, Katie, Jamie, Ritchie, and I decided it only made sense to get back into the Jetta and roam around the cornfield filled streets of Upland in search for a cow to tip. (Um, naturally and only after dressing in black.) After driving down dark roads (it was probably close to midnight), we decided there were no cows around, much less, did we have knowledge of how to actually tip a cow should we find one. (This was pre-iPhone age of course).

So instead, we pulled over, got out of the car and safely decided to lay in the middle of the street to watch for shooting stars. I remember nothing more from that night other than a lot of laughs and letting my arm casually brush Ritchie’s as we laid on the gravely road.

I have no idea what it was about that night, but I remember arriving back to the dorm and telling someone with a certain confidence that I would marry Ritchie. I am positive I got some weird looks from my floormate, but I just knew. It sounds corny but from there, it all fell into place.

We met in November. We started dating in February. (Our first date is a story I’d love to share with you sometime.) We were engaged in August. It sounds crazy, even to me looking back, but I can see God’s hand in our relationship and all that He has done in us to prepare us to live life together. As we approach our 7 year anniversary this July, I couldn’t have imagined a better partner. He makes me laugh. He knows me better than I know myself. He finds joy in making me happy. I am so blessed to have him in my life. Love you “Ritchie”!

Here is a brief timeline of our relationship via old pictures…gotta love it!

Our first date – Valentine’s Day 2004

The best is yet to come!