Memory lane

When I've found myself sad when Kennedy is so far away, I like to reminisce on some old memories that we have. Kennedy brought up that we have been married for almost 8 months and have not known each other quite a year yet...so we have been married the majority of our length of time of knowing each other if that makes sense. All that to say, there hasn't been a moment since Kennedy and I started dating and now where I have questioned if our story has been a part of God's plan. I'm thankful for the circumstances that have brought us both where we are today and have brought us together. When talking to a friend the other day, we agreed how important it is to marry your best friend. I want to say it is necessary...but I know that certain situations and things that come in life would be so much harder in marriage if not walked through with your best friend.
Kennedy sent me this in part of an email back last June- which was about a month and a half after we started dating:

All of the events of our lives have been part of God's plan to bring the two of us to where we are right now in our lives.  That in and of itself is enough to make me really happy with what I think he has planned for us and our future together.  I hope and pray that no matter the happiness, the sadness, the joy, the trials, whatever the situation, you remember what it feels like when God draws you to himself and says, don't worry about your future.  I have plans for you and they are ultimately for your good and not your harm.

I really like the last part as he was emphasizing the verses in Jeremiah, that God knows the plans He has for us. Last April was when we were "matched"/brought together, the weekend after we met in Huntsville for the first time, then the second time we actually spent time together in person, we started officially dating. It is funny to think about how quickly we got to know each other, but I knew he was my best friend from very early on. I remember before we met up, we had only talked on the phone a few times and we would talk for several hours at a time, and then kennedy would graciously let me go at about 11 pm because I was waking up at 4 am to go workout before work :). I kept asking him the day we met up what he would be wearing, because I could probably pick him out in the crowd, but it would help me recognize him quicker I thought. We laughed about this for a while later, but he told me he was going to be wearing jean shorts (in a very serious tone)...which I was really hoping he wasn't...but I kept telling myself it was ok if he showed up in blue jean shorts, because I really liked his personality and that we grew to know each other so well so quickly. So fashion was not a HUGE priority. Thankfully, though, he did not show up in jean shorts. Another funny thing I remember from the beginning is Kennedy saying he never met someone who texted as much as I did...I think I reeled him into being a major texter now.

I remember when Kennedy drove up from Enterprise to meet my parents, and then I went down to Tampa to meet his. The first few weekends we hung out, which were in various locations- Huntsville, Auburn, Orlando, etc., we spent a lot of time playing Mad Libs...and Sudoko. One specific memory I have that I cherish is when we went to Orlando to a conference with my church group in Nashville- Kennedy met me there and went to the conference with us. I think the weekend before is when I got to meet his family very briefly for the first time and then we had several hours to kill before meeting everyone...so we decided to go sit at the beach and chill. I think we had two chairs, the Sudoku book, and we sat there playing Sudoko and talked. I think we walked a little bit up and down the beach, which if I haven't mentioned, I am not a fan of birds. And Kennedy would walk in front of me or run ahead of me to chase the birds away so they didn't come near us. I would say it was this day that I knew I cared for Kennedy and wanted from that moment to spend the rest of my life sitting around playing Sudoko or Mad Libs or contemplating life love and other mysteries with him. Kennedy and I have had some good and funny times, and also this more recent circumstance we find ourselves in...but I go back to what Kennedy emphasized from the verses in Jeremiah that God has plans for us that are for our good not our harm...and for our good means what is most glorifying to HIM.