Tyler William Shope.

"Even when the skies get rough,
I'm giving you all my love.
We've got a lot to learn,
and God knows we're worth it."

Good morning, all!
I'm just in a good mood this morning. Yeah, I'm exhausted. But that's ok. I had an awesome time with Tyler last night. Speaking, of Ty, I just realized that not everyone knows all the things that brought us together.

My sophomore year, I had to do physical therapy for my back.
Ty's junior year, he had to do it for his ankle.
It just so happened that we went to the same place at the same times.
We never asked each other's names.
He made fun of me because I had to lie on a table and be broken in half while he got to do ladders and fun things like that. Once, my back was already so bad off that Papaw had to help me walk to the table, and I had to be lifted on it. Tyler was on the table next to me, and felt bad for me. Being a football player, he was selling those fantastic World's Best Chocolate bars. And he gave me one. We talked, and He tried to make me feel better as I was pulled apart by the therapist. And I cheered him on while he fought with a balance ball, and the tire flips. But then we each finished our therapy, and that was that. We were both with people, so we never thought anymore about each other.

[When Papaw first met Tyler as my boyfriend, he recognized him from physical therapy. We had no idea. But we started talking, Papaw asked him if he remembered giving a girl candy bars. He said yes, and she always wore crazy knee socks. Papaw grabbed a picture of me looking pretty vicious on a Bow Flex. Ty gets all excited, and yells, "That's her!" And I was like, "Well... That's me." Crazy right?]

A year and a half later, I was working at McDonald's. When we got the Summer's new crop of kids. One's name was Shyla Shope. We never mentioned family, or anything really too intense. but she was nice, and we got to be pretty cool friends. I took her home a couple times, and we'd grab a lemonade after work on occasion. She quit, and I dropped most of my hours when school started back up. So that was that.

I dated Aaron for two more years, dated Josh, and Jon once, and Justin a little bit. All the while, Tyler dated Brandi, then Jessica (that lasted all of a week). Seeing how bummed out Ty was, Shyla (Tyler's cousin!) started thinking of cool girls she knew, and she thought of me. She begged Tyler for a week to just sent me a friend request on Facebook. He finally did. Then it took her another week to get him to message me. He did. He sent me my first message two days before Thanksgiving. the next day, we were texting. we went on our first date (this was the first time we'd knowingly seen each other in person, and spoken on the phone) on December 5th. We went out 5 times that week. On December 12th, he asked me to officially be his girlfriend. On May 2nd, 2012, he asked me to marry him, and I said yes! Out wedding date is set for August 2nd, 2014. However, I'm pushing for August 3rd, 2013.

Why? Because I'm most likely going to Athens for school next year.
I have two schooling options. (Tyler and I will both graduate in Spring 2015)
Do 4 years majoring in Middle Childhood Education here, then 1 year of extra classes for alternative licensure in Athens. Making 5 years total, and 4 years away from Tyler, being married for two of those.
OR! I could do two years of Middle Childhood here, and two of Integrated Ed (let's me teach 7th-12th) in Athens. Making 4 years total, and only 1 away from Tyler.
The only catch with number 2 is money. Athens is expensive. To afford it, I'd have to live with Tyler in his apartment there. I'm ok with that for religious reasons. I'd really like to be married first.
But then, Tyler and I would lose our health insurance because right now, we both have it through our parents. That's a problem. I'm sick all the time. That's a big problem.

I know that's sort of confusing... I'm confused, too!
But it might work out. We might find health insurance we can afford. It will work out. How it will work out is still up in the air. But I have faith in God. And I know that He will still love, and cherish, and bless me as long as I stay faithful to Him.

I just have to keep telling myself that this WILL somehow be ok. In one way or another, this will work out. eventually, we'll make it through this nonsense.