Who would’ve thought that innocent chats with well-meaning friends in 2021 would lead us here? On several occasions, a dear friend mentioned she had a friend with similar interests to me she wanted me to meet. She described him as a joyful, burly, servant-hearted man who loved outdoor adventures. We eventually met at a school dinner theatre event where my friend’s son was the star. We only chatted briefly (we didn’t sit together), but we had fun playing games afterward at our friend’s house. The next day, I told my friend she could give Clay my number. My first impression of him? Funny, outgoing, smart, and definitely a Southern gentleman. I hadn’t seen a guy with monogrammed sleeves since my days in Louisiana! After some very formal texting for a couple of weeks, we met in Waco, the halfway point between Fort Worth and College Station, for our first date. True to Clay’s style, he had a packed itinerary: Dr. Pepper Museum, a walk in the park and around town, dinner, ice cream, and a nightcap. I didn’t know he had cows, which explained the hay on his shoulder. I figured it had been a while since he’d had a woman making sure he was presentable before leaving the house! Several fun dates later, we had our first "big" date in Fort Worth and boy was it a doozy. After picking me up at my friend's house, we had lunch, enjoyed a line dancing class, saw Hamilton, ate dinner, went thrifting with a mission of finding an outfit for the other person for $20, created three splatter paint pictures (the real reason we went to the thrift store), and then headed to his house for smores. I was exhausted so I politely asked him if he could take me back to my friend's. Bright and early the next morning he called to find out my Starbucks order before picking me up for church. After church, lunch, and a walk through the botanical gardens, I drove back to College Station. I slept 11 hours that night. I didn't know what God had in store for us and how we would make a long-distance relationship work, but I did know I wanted a life that had more Clay Crawford in it. And here we are today. God has continued to bless our relationship in more ways than we ever dreamed of.