Ok, so we both met October 2007 over a weekend youth conference in London. We had noticed each other a couple of times over the course of the weekend and spent a total of about 5 minutes talking to each other on the last evening. Neither of us were in any way looking for that someone special, so the fact that we noticed someone came as a surprise. Stephen left the conference on a high (yes, the conference was good...but hey, he'd met me!) and I left rather confused as to why I could not get this person out of my head! We got in touch via a social networking website and started sending messages and emails back and forth. It was not long until we both realized that this was something much bigger than just a casual acquaintance. I remember staying up long into the night composing book-length emails and then everyday anxiously waiting for a reply. We had exchanged mobile numbers and we're calling each other on a regular basis. We had become best friends, but neither of us we're happy leaving it there.
On the night of December 15th 2007 I sent Stephen a text message asking him if "this was just friends" and if it wasn't, what we're we going to do about it?! He called me about 10 minutes later and laid it all out - it was pretty obvious that we we're more than friends, that he really wanted to and believed that we should be more than friends and asked me if I felt the same way (...how awkward would it have been if I hadn't?!). Obviously, I felt exactly the same way. We could not have planned to meet each other if we had tried! God definitely had His hand on us and had impressively worked everything out without us having to do a thing.
It took me about 5 days from that date to realize that this was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. It wasn't based on anything in the physical - I had seen Stephen's heart and it was that which I fell in love with. I remember a conversation we had one evening in which we discussed it. The fact that we were partners for life went almost unsaid - it was so obvious! We met up in January 2008 and many times after. Living in two different cities and having completely different schedules is very challenging but it made our relationship stronger.
The evening before my birthday Stephen proposed (06/07/2008). We we're in Brighton and he drove me up to the Dyke (the highest point in the city). We we're the only people up there. The view was incredible.
We went for a short walk but it began to pour with rain. We ran back to the car and Stephen told me he wanted to give me my birthday present. He got the gift out of the book (while in the car) and then got down on one knee in the back of the car, said the most wonderful speech and then presented me with the ring and asked me to marry him. (I so wish I had recorded it somehow...I was so overwhelmed that I don't remember much of what was said - sorry Steve!) Everything was so perfect! I had told him I wanted a really personal proposal, nothing public or showy, and he did SUCH a great job!!
I am moving to Brighton at the beginning of January 2009 (so soon now!). We are looking forward to getting all the finer details of the wedding sorted. Lots has already been done - we've found the wedding gear (dress etc) and booked the church and reception (which are probably going to be held in the same building - Citycoast Church). It going to be really great seeing more of each other...feels like we've waited a long time, but at the end of the day we would never want to go back and have things happen a different way. God's done a pretty good job of it all so far and we are completely trusting Him with the rest =)
