Love Story, Part 8...FINALLY!

"BUT, being the obedient (and love struck) girl that I was, I painted the little wooden plaque, wrapped it in tissue paper, tucked it into my purse and then layed out a fleece for my Lord. Knowing FULL well that I wouldn't be afforded this opportunity, I said to my Lord..."The only way I can give this to him is if I find myself completely alone with him" - gutsy eh? Who do I think I am testing God like that? I KNEW that couldn't happen. It had never happened before, why would it happen now????......"

I arrived at Sunday evening church servcice and found my friend Kim with her hubby Brad sitting in about the 5th row, close to the aisle. I sat down next to Kim, and we began chatting, while I kept one eye perusing the area for my "target". There he was walking down the aisle, passing us and heading for his 2nd row spot, (yup, not gonna have that chance today, am I God?). That's when my dearest friend Kim (the NOT shy one), loudly calls to Mike (whom she's met only a couple of times)... "Mike, Hey, Mike! There's a seat right here!". She then proceeds to ask her hubby to move over one, she does the same, making a space between her and I. Oh, I wonder how many shades of red I turned. I don't know if he felt pressured, awkward or irritated not to be sitting in his specific spot in the 2nd row, but he seemed happy enough to plop down between Kim and I.

(Those eyes just melted my heart, they still do...)

We made small talk while my heart danced a jig inside my chest. I struggled to keep that calm, "this is just casual friendship" look on my face,...wanting to just sit and stare into those eyes for hours....then praise and worship started and I had to re-focus my priorities!! :)

After church, we chatted breifly and said goodnight. I headed toward the childrens ministry building to pick up my son and Mike headed toward the parking lot. *Sigh*....see...I KNEW it couldn't happen...maybe I shouldn't have tested God...I probably really messed it all up with my big "fleece"...

The doorway to the childrens building is a busy place to be, lot's of families in and out the double doors. Just as I went inside the door, I remembered something I needed to pick up in the lobby, so I quickly turned around going against the flow of "traffic", I opened the door to head out, and right there in front of my face was Michael. He had opened the door to come into the building, and he stepped back outside to let me through. As I stepped out the door and we stood there face to face...would you believe this??????...........there was NO ONE around. We stood (in a very busy entry way) COMPLETELY alone. I felt the laugh of God tickling the back of my neck...."thought it couldn't happen huh?".....

With one VERY deep and VERY nervous breath, I said "Oh, I have something for you". My hands were trembling. You see, I'm not the kind of person who does confrontation well, not ANY kind, good or bad. I get nervous, I get shaky, I was REALLY nervous now.

I reached into my purse and pulled out the little tissue paper wrapped plaque. Mike took it and unwrapped it. I explained that I had no idea why I made it for him, but I just felt like God wanted me to. He told me that was one of his favorite verses and thanked me. We said goodnight, I picked up my son and instead of driving home, we floated there on pink fluffy cloud made of cotton candy.....

When I arrived home, there was a message on my answering machine...it was MIKE! :) He wanted to make sure he had said Thank You... (good one)...apparantly he had called our mutual friend, Angela, to get my number. I quickly called her and got his number too! Now that he had called me, he wasn't gettin' away. :)

(Our first date without Cris, Church Christmas Banquet)

We began talking often on the phone and decided the following week to go out after church for ice cream, with my son,...NOT a date, just hangin' out. We did a lot of "hangin' out" over the next few months, until we finally started "Dating". Neither of us believe in dating for the fun of it...the goal is marriage, and we believe in only dating someone you think you'd marry. Wow...I was READY NOW!!!! BUT, Mike was not. He's the analytical one, the thinker, the "take it one day at a time", the wise one, the planner, the be careful not to make mistakes one....

(Mike and Cris making dinner at Mike's Apartment)

After 2 years of dating, I was wondering what the deal was. I was sure we were on the same page, was this guy serious or what? How long do we have to date? I'm not gettin' any younger, if I'm not the right one, let's just break this thing off and move on. Oh impatient girl!!!!! The man has a reason, BE PATIENT!!!!

(Spending time together)

So, right around that same time, Capt. Mike planned a date for us. We'd been out on dates before, but this time we were going to the "Chart House"....a very expensive, nice place on the river. I started to get goosebumps and my heart was beginning to do that familiar jig inside my body.

I just KNEW he was going to ask me to marry him, I just KNEW it, but I didn't WANT to KNOW it, because what if I was wrong, then I would feel let down instead of enjoying a nice evening... I tried to NOT KNOW it. I wanted to just enjoy the evening...Oh, but the butterflies persisted to dance around inside...

During dinner, a couple we knew came over to our table. They were there celebrating a birthday and asked if we were there for a special occassion with that "gleam in their eye" the one that says "is this IT??"... :) Mike said "no, just a nice date night". However, in my mind I SCREAMED "YES!!! He's gonna get down on his knee in 2 seconds, right here in this restaurant and propose to me!!!! - I just KNOW IT!". :) But I just smiled and said "happy birthday"...

During dessert, Mike said he had left his wallet in the car and needed to go get it. Oh SURE,...YUP, he's gettin' the ring, I just KNOW it!!!! He's gonna come back, get on his knee and propose to me right HERE!!!! My heart tried to jump out a few times, I stuffed it back in. He returned with his wallet, we finished dessert, he paid the bill and we left. Ok, fine, I was wrong, see I KNEW I was wrong. I told myself not to get my hopes up, it was a nice night, just ENJOY it!

He suggested we drive to a little park along the river and walk and chat, nice idea, I was no longer thinking anything. It had been a lovely night.

We walked to the pavilion at the edge of the water and Mike kept walking a little away from me, he would teeter on the rocks and walk here and there, tossing rocks into the water....(little did I know HIS heart was doing summersaults and his stomoch was trying to release the meal we just enjoyed - the boy was nervous!)...I was thinking that he wasn't doing much "chatting". Then we went and sat on a bench in the pavilion, we "chatted" about things, life, the thought of marriage,...then I opened my big "shy" mouth...

I'm almost embarrassed to admit this, but perhasp it because Mike was having an extremely nervous moment. For someone who always has it together and is calm and cool in ANY situation, he was having a real hard time getting out what he wanted to say. We all know that God once used the mouth of a donkey, so this time he chose me...it went something like this...

ME: "Why don't you just ask me to marry you?"

Mike: "OK"

I giggled, not thinking he was serious.

MIKE: "shouldn't I get on one knee?"

I giggled, still not really WANTING to believe that I BELIEVED that he was for real.

ME: "yeah" (smile)

He did.

MIKE: "shouldn't I give you a ring?"

...this is where I hestitated to giggle, because it's easy enough for him to do all the other things in fun, but for him to give me a ring means he HAS one on him, FOR ME!!! ....I stumbled and stuttered over my words, barely getting them out...

ME: "...um....yes..."....

Then on one knee, under the stars, as a breeze blew tiny waves across the rocks, he pulled a little green treasure box out of his pocket and opened it up to reveal a precious ring with a sparkling diamond. He put it on my finger and asked me to be his wife. I couldn't breathe, but somehow I WAS able to say "YES!!!!". :)

(This is what I looked like when I was floating on the pink fluffy cloud...)

(Capt. Mike praising the Lord in my Apartment a few days before our wedding)

The next day on my lunch hour, I floated to Kim's house for lunch on a pink fluffy cloud made out of cotton candy... :)....she asked about our date, I said it was "nice",....laying my hand palm down on her counter as we chatted,..."So, nothin' huh?"....I smiled,....she looked down at the ring and I think she left on a big yellow cloud made out of smiley faces, then she came back and we screamed and giggled and danced around and cried and all that good stuff....I think she was almost as excited as me! :)

(The Big Day! ~ Kim and Kathy)

(My Love)

(Our Little Man)

That was May 22, 1999...just over 3 months later I became forever

Mrs. Charest ~ blessed!

(September 4, 1999)

(November 5, 2009)

Thanks for stickin' around to read until the end, have a beautiful day!