My husband (Doug) and I had been sharing our redemption love story with other couples for several years when we decided it might be a good idea to write it all down (in case we forgot how and why we got- and stayed married!). We had a good 4-5 pages completed before, well, life got in the way, so we we filed the manuscript in the “to be completed- one day” file where it has stayed ever since…… That is, until, my sister gave me her copy of Ree Drummond’s (The Pioneer Woman) book “Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, A Love Story.” After immersing myself in Ree’s story of how she met, fell in love, & married Marlboro Man (her husband, Ladd), I began reminiscing about how it was that Doug and I began our journey towards becoming one flesh……and I got the sudden urge to start writing page 6.

It all happened almost 20 years ago on a Sunday morning in the middle of June. My college roommate and I had pulled an all nighter (no, we weren’t studying) with a group of friends and then crashed at her parents place. It was near lunchtime when I awoke to the sound of several people chatting it up in the living room. Since I couldn’t fall back asleep, I finally rolled out of bed and drug myself to the sofa, where I plopped down & began digging the sleep out of my eyes. It was then that I noticed 3 young men impeccibly dressed in suit & ties. Suit and ties?! They had just come from church and there I was, hungover, with my hair looking like I’d combed it with an egg beater, in clothes I had worn the previous day, and NO make-up! Great first impression. Not as if I cared anyhow. I was the girl who was taking my father’s advice….date ’em all. No need to be serious with just one. My roommate introduced us….so and so, Doug, and so and so. I began checking out the only one who’s name I cared to remember: Doug. He was tall, a little on the skinny side, but had nice broad shoulders and piercing, gorgeous, blue eyes. Then I noticed his bottom lip was sticking out like it had been injected with Novocain. I’d never been one for being shy, so I blurted out “what is that in your lip?” Startled, he replied “a dip.” “A dip?” I abruptly replied, “that is disGUSting!” He smiled politely and rejoined the others conversation. 5 minutes later, I was completely bored, and famished so I announced that I was going to Taco Bell. I asked if anyone wanted to go, but the church boys had already eaten, so they said their “good-bye’s” and “nice meeting you’s” and strolled out the front door. My roommate and I then hopped in my red Firebird and drove to the nearest Taco Bell drive thru. I ordered my usual taco supreme & burrito supreme (with no onions) and then turned to my roommate and said “that Doug is pretty cute- I think I’ll marry him.” She cracked up laughing and said “wouldn’t that be so funny if you DID!?”

-Jodie