How We Met

In honor of Valentine's day, I thought I would share how Stephen and I met. Some of you may already know this story if you've been reading this blog for a while, but I know there are many who don't know, so here you go!

Stephen and I knew each other while attending Union University, but we didn't really hang out much; we just had some mutual friends, so our social circles crossed occasionally. (One time I drove him and another friend to a movie, and Stephen was singing some song. I asked innocently, "Who sings that song?" When he replied with the artist, I said, "Let's keep it that way, okay?" I was a real gem.) Stephen graduated from Union two years before I did but got a job working in the library, so I still saw him every now and then. Once I graduated, however, the only time I saw him was when were both in a wedding of some friends of ours.  I then moved to Knoxville to attend graduate school in August of 2005, and Stephen was still working at Union.

While in grad school (or maybe before, I'm not quite sure), I created a MySpace profile. (Remember MySpace? Haha.)  MySpace and Facebook both helped me procrastinate writing lots of papers in grad school, and one day in April 2006 when I was on MySpace, I received a message from Stephen. He had come across my profile and said hello and just wanted to see what I was doing and where I was now.  So I wrote him back and filled him in on the basics, he wrote me back, and then we began corresponding on a daily basis, often with multiple emails. We found several shared interests, and it wasn't long before I began looking forward to hearing from him and wanting to know more about him. What's crazy is that not long after we first started writing each other, one of our mutual friends from Union wrote me and told me she had a wild thought: I should marry Stephen!  Hmmm...

After almost two weeks of writing, I gave him my phone number (somewhat nervously and hesitantly), and he called me not long after that. Though I was worried that we wouldn't have much to talk about and that it would be awkward, we talked for three hours, and it was the easiest thing in the world! Our phone conversations continued, as did our writing (we each have upwards of 130 pages of emails saved in Word files), and it was pretty obvious that we were both very interested in pursuing something beyond friendship. After discussing it and praying about it, we began dating with the purpose of seeing if we could envision a future together. Even though a long distance relationship was not ideal, we made it work. I made several trips to Jackson to see him, and he came to Memphis several times to meet my parents and other family members when I was home from school for the summer. I also went to Illinois and met a bunch of his family when his grandfather passed away.  I was sorry to meet them under such sad circumstances, but it was great to meet his family.

I knew very early in our relationship that I wanted to marry Stephen, and he apparently felt the same way because we got engaged a mere three months after we started dating! I certainly don't recommend that time frame for everyone, but for us, it worked. There's the old saying,
"When you know, you know," and we definitely knew it was meant to be.

I am beyond blessed to have Stephen in my life, and my love for him has only grown, especially now that I am able to see the role he plays as Charlotte's father. I love you, Stephen!

And I sure am glad Tom invented MySpace. :)

Valentine Festivities

Would you believe that as I am writing this, it is snowing AGAIN? For those of you not aware, I live in west TN, and snow just does not come around that often. If it does, it is just a light dusting and often doesn’t stick, but this time makes the third time in a month’s time when there has actually been snow on the ground. While this snow is nothing compared to what the states up north are getting, I’m sick of it all and ready for spring!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Stephen and I started celebrating Valentine’s Day on Thursday night by going out to dinner. We figured the restaurants would be less crowded on a weekday than when it got closer to the actual holiday. Romantic, right? :) We had planned to go to a local BBQ place, but when we got there the credit card machine wasn’t working, so we left. We ended up going to Chili’s, and we splurged and got ribs and shared a dessert (Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie, and yes, I am aware of how many calories are in it).

Then on Friday at work I got a lovely surprise–two dozen red roses! Sadly, I took pictures with my phone and have no idea how to transfer them to the computer, but believe me when I say they are the most perfect roses I have ever seen. All my coworkers were oohing and awing over them, and it was so fun! He also got me some perfume (Lucky You). I have the best husband! Friday night we saw The Blind Side, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

On Saturday morning we packed up the car and headed for Memphis. My mom’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day, so my dad was hosting a big family dinner at their house that night to celebrate. That afternoon we met up with my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew to get a family portrait made. The last one we’d gotten made was almost 3 years ago, so we were definitely due for another one! Our photographer was a little kooky, but we got some shots that turned out well. All of the grandparents then came over that night for dinner, and we all had a great time. I love being with my family!

Sunday morning was church, and after eating lunch with my parents, Stephen and I headed back to Jackson. I took care of the laundry and went grocery shopping, and then the weekend was pretty much over. It went by fast, as always, but I am so thankful for my sweet husband and my family!



How did you spend your weekend?

A Walk Down Memory Lane

I stole this from Heather, and it works out well because it answers the first question she had: How did Stephen and I meet?


1. Where/how did you meet: We both went to Union and met there because we had some mutual friends, but we didn’t really hang out or anything. I did drive him and some other people to see Star Wars: Episode 3, and apparently I insulted his singing (with the old "Who sings that song/why don’t we keep it that way?"comment). He remembers this, but I don’t because of course I never say things like that. :)

2. How long have you known each other: Um, I’m not exactly sure, but I am going to go with 6 or 7 years.

3. How long after you met did you start dating: A long time. Though we probably met in 2001 or 2002, we did not start dating until 2006, when I was in grad school at UT Knoxville and Stephen was working in Jackson. Stephen found my profile on MySpace, sent me a message, then I replied back. Before I knew it we were messaging several times a day, then we started talking on the phone and the rest is history. :)

4. How long did you date before you were engaged: Not very long! We started dating on May 5, 2006 and got engaged on Aug. 4, 2006. I’m sure some people probably thought we were crazy, but we just knew it was right, and we didn’t have any reason to wait. You can read the engagement story (and more about how we started dating) here.

5. How long was your engagement: Too long! I had to finish my second year of grad school, so we didn’t get married until June 2, 2007, 10 months after we got engaged.

6. How long have you been married: 2 years, 5 months, and 17 days. :)

7. What is your anniversary: June 2, 2007

8. How many people came to your wedding reception: I think about 150.

9. What kind of cake did you serve: The wedding cake was alternating layers of french vanilla and carrot cake, which is my favorite kind of cake. The groom’s cake was an amazing chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and strawberries on top. It was soooo good.

10. Where was your wedding: Carahills Estate in Eads, TN (aka, The Middle of Nowhere). You can read my post about our wedding here.

11. What did you serve for your meal: Since our wedding was at 1:00 p.m., we served hors d’oeuvres. I didn’t eat much of it so I can’t remember exactly what we had, but I know there was a chocolate fountain. :)

12. How many people were there in your bridal party: 4

13. Are you still friends with them all: Yes, though we don’t keep in touch as well as we should.

14. Did you or your spouse cry during the ceremony: I cried a ridiculous amount, through most of the vows.

15. Most special moment of your wedding day: Getting married to Stephen would have to be the highlight. :) I also loved that Stephen’s dad, who is a pastor, performed the ceremony. I might be a little biased, but I think it was one of the most meaningful wedding ceremonies I have ever heard.

16. Any funny moments: You can read about the infamous wedding present I gave Stephen here.

17. Any big disasters: Not at the wedding itself, but we did get ourselves locked out of the car while eating dinner at TGI Friday’s in Jackson. I had a minor meltdown in the parking lot because we were on our way to Nashville, and we couldn’t get in touch with anyone because everyone still had their phones off after the wedding. Finally, Stephen’s coworker Paul came by and took us to our apartment, where I ran inside and found a spare key.

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon: Chattanooga, TN. We stayed in Nashville at the Embassy Suites on Saturday night and then drove on to Chattanooga Sunday morning. Chattanooga is one of my favorite cities, and we had so much fun.

19. How long were you gone: 5 days

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change: I would make absolutely certain that we got pictures taken with everyone! We didn’t get pictures of us with our grandparents, and that really breaks my heart.

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on: The right side. It’s weird, but in our other apartment, I slept on the left side.

22. What size is your bed: Queen

23. Greatest strength as a couple: Our friendship. Stephen and I are each other’s best friend, and we genuinely love to spend as much time as possible together. We have so much fun together, and we can be completely ourselves. He brings out the best in me.

24. Greatest challenge as a couple: My inability to handle conflict. I tend to shut down if we are disagreeing about something, instead of trying to talk through it.

25. Who literally pays the bills: Stephen

26. What is your song: "Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You" by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

27. What did you dance your first dance to: We didn’t dance at our wedding. We did dance to Michael Buble in Stephen’s kitchen on one of our first dates, though. :)

28. Describe your wedding dress: The dress I wore was the first dress I tried on. My mom made me try on others, but I knew it was the one. It was a strapless A-line gown with a thick fuschia band at the waist and a gorgeous train trimmed with the same color fuschia. Here's a view of the back, which I loved:

29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding: I LOVED the flowers at my wedding. My bouquet had roses and stargaze lillies, and the bridesmaids had daisies and roses. Take a look:

30. Are your wedding bands engraved? No, they aren’t.


Feel free to fill this out if you're married. If you do, link to your post in the comments!

Two Years

Two years ago on this date, I married the love of my life. And I haven't looked back since. Stephen and I have learned a lot from each other, have grown together, have shared our lives with each other. Even though it hasn't always been perfect, I've always held confidently to the truth that on June 2, 2007, we both promised to love each other forever, no matter what may come, and with that firm commitment and our faith in Christ, we'll face each day together. I know that the only change in my love for Stephen will be its increase, for I find new things to love about him all the time. Each day that we are married is a blessing, one I hope never to take for granted.

Stephen, you are God's gift to me, and I cherish all the moments we have had and all the memories we will make in the future. I love you, always and forever.

Rain: A Love Story

Rain has followed mine and Stephen's courtship from the beginning. Take the following examples:
1. We had planned to have a picnic on our first date. It rained. So we saw Mission Impossible III and had our picnic inside instead.

2. 3 months later, Stephen had planned to propose to me on a bridge at Natchez Trace State Park. It rained. He proposed to me in his apartment. It was still beautiful. I still said yes. I still love him.

3. On the afternoon of our wedding, as we were standing in the parking lot of TGI Friday's, locked out, it rained. We still made it to Nashville's Embassy Suites, our stop for the night (and it was an awesome hotel).

4. When we went to St. Louis to celebrate our first anniversary and excitedly walked up to the entrance of Six Flags, it rained. When we came back the next day and had ridden just one ride and were in line for another, it rained. We simply donned our totally awesome St. Louis Cardinals ponchos, watched people with looks of envy pass us, and waited it out.

5. Just last week, Stephen and I took his parents and our parents to a Redbirds game. We had front-row seats right behind home plate. I don't even really like baseball all that much, but even I thought it was amazing. Three innings in, guess what happened? It rained.

I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to learn from all of these rainy experiences, except to remember that we choose how to respond to everything that happens to us. In each of these situations, we could have stomped our feet, shaken our fists at the heavens, and bemoaned our bad luck (and I probably did some of that), but did we really lose anything? No. Every time, we ended up enjoying ourselves anyway. And while we've been dealt several times of physical rainfall, thus far we've been incredibly blessed not to experience that metaphorical rain of hardship, rain that seeps into your soul and causes you to take cover. We praise God for that now, and it is my fervent hope that even when our happiness is clouded by trials, we'll still praise Him. He is constant, though all around changes. And even when we do face those times, I have no doubt that while we may come through it soaking wet, we'll be the better for it. Think about all the benefits of rain: Without rain, we wouldn't appreciate the beauty of sunshine. Without rain, we wouldn't see rainbows. Without rain, grass wouldn't grow and flowers wouldn't bloom. Without rain, crops would die. Without rain, our world be a lot more grim.

If rain means a better us, bring it.

One Year Down--Many, Many More to Come

On April 6, 2006, my life changed forever.

But I didn't know it yet.

On that day, I received a MySpace message from a guy named Stephen Mount. I knew him from college, and we had some mutual friends, but we hadn't seen each other in a few years, so it was a surprise to hear from him. However, I responded to his message, and after a flurry of emails and endless phone calls, we were a couple. And I was completely smitten. I knew early on that I loved him and I would marry him, and he must have too, because just 4 months after that first email, he asked me to be his wife. I thought at the time that August 4, 2006 was the happiest day of my life, but then our wedding day came, June 2, 2007, and I couldn't imagine being any happier or more in love than on that day.

But I was wrong.

Every day, I find I fall a little more in love--become a little happier--just waking up next to the man I call my friend, my confidant, my love, my husband. He makes me laugh, dries my tears, soothes my fears and calms my worrying, gives countless hugs, serves me, looks after me, protects me, places me first. There are many things I love about Stephen Paul Mount, but one of the things I love the most is the way he loves me (selfish, huh?). He loves me unreservedly, unselfishly, unwaveringly. I know there is nothing I could do that would cause his love for me to wane because on June 2 he committed to love me always and forever. In making this commitment he is making a choice to love me every day, even when I am terribly unlovable, and I in return choose to love him always and forever.

In realizing Stephen's love for me, I realize the extraordinary love that the Lord Jesus so freely and graciously lavishes on His children. If I am secure in Stephen's love for me, how much more so should I be secure in God's love? And yet I doubt and forget and worry. It is no accident that Paul in Ephesians draws a parallel between Christ and the Church and a husband and wife. The marital relationship comes the closest to reflecting God's immense, extravagant love for His people, yet even the love between spouses cannot compare to the depths and the riches of God's love. What a precious gift we are given, that we are able to love! But we love only because He first loved us. God created marriage first and foremost for His glory, and I long for Him to be glorified in us.

Stephen, how grateful I am that you sent me that first fateful email, and how grateful I am that each day is a gift because you are in it. I love you, forever and always.

"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you." ~Psalm 33:22

Why I Love Marriage

Now that I've been married all of 16 days, I feel qualified enough to speak on the many benefits marriage brings. :)

1. I get to see my best friend every day. This to me is the greatest thing about being married. Stephen and I spent so much of our relationship not even in the same city, so being in the same house and sharing everything and spending all our time together seems like some sort of dream. We have a lot of fun together, and when he comes home from work my heart is just so glad to see him.

2. He is always there for me. If I'm feeling upset or stressed, as I was this morning, he is there to listen to my (often irrational) concerns, hug me, kiss me, tell me he loves me, and before I know it my spirit is lifted.

3. We're a team. We both cook dinner, we both clean up, we tackle situations together. It's fabulous.

4. I have a live-in masseuse. 'Nuf said.

5. Stephen has a Gamecube, so we can play endless hours of Mario Kart. Can't beat that.

6. Upon marrying, our movie collection doubled in size.

7. I can get "free hugs" whenever I want.

8. I don't have to think about myself all the time. That may sound odd, but really, it's great that I have another person to focus my attentions on. Instead of always thinking about what I want and what's best for me, I'm thinking about what Stephen wants, what's best for us, how I can best serve him. In this way I see how much more Christ loves us totally and unconditionally. It's a lesson in love.

9. Watching TV or a movie is much more fun if you're watching it with the one you love.

10. There's someone around to take out the garbage. (Kidding! Well, sort of.)

Obviously, I'm kind of a fan of this whole marriage thing, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Tales from the Honeymoon (of the G-rated kind)

I'll try to keep this brief, but you all know that brevity is not one of my best qualities. Stephen and I went to Chattanooga, TN, one of my favorite cities, for our honeymoon. Stephen had never been there, and I was excited for him to experience it. We left from Carahills on Saturday and headed to Nashville, where we would spend the first night at The Embassy Suites, but first we stopped in Jackson to eat dinner, since both of us had eaten very little at the wedding. We had a yummy dinner at TGI Friday's, even though it was pouring rain outside, but the winds of misfortune were blowing our way. As we were leaving, Stephen couldn't find the keys. We went back to our table to make sure they hadn't fallen out there, then we traced our steps all around the restaurant before going to the car. I was hoping hoping hoping that they wouldn't be where I thought they were, but sure enough, we got to the car and there they were: on the front seat. We were locked out. On our wedding day, on our way to the honeymoon, in the rain. Lovely. I of course handled the situation in a completely appropriate pathetic fashion. I cried. I had a spare key, but it was in our townhome. Fortunately, I had the keys to the townhome with me, so if we could just find a way to get home, we could get the spare and be on our way. Of course, everyone we tried to call had been at the wedding, and they either had their phones off or on silent. Next step: call AAA. I have had to use my membership a few times, and they've never been all that speedy in responding, so I was not very hopeful. Sure enough, the man informed me it would be an hour to an hour and a half before a locksmith could come. This did not make me happy, so I cried some more. Finally, Paul, Stephen's friend and co-worker got Stephen's message and came to our rescue. He took us to our place, where the spare key was right where I thought it was (amazingly enough), and we were then on our way. We toyed briefly with the idea of just staying in Jackson for the night, but decided to go on to Nashville, and I'm glad we did. The Embassy Suites was really nice, our room was dark and quiet, and they had an amazing complimentary breakfast buffet in the morning.

I wish I could say that was the last of our misfortune, but there were a few more surprises in store. I wanted to get Stephen a present for our wedding, and while at Hallmark I saw this:


My mom had gotten us one called "Together" for an engagement present, and I thought this one was so sweet. I gave it to Stephen on our wedding night, he opened it, and then looked at me, puzzled. What he opened was this:


Yes, that's right. I got the wrong box! What's most annoying about this is that an employee handed me this box after I showed her the one I wanted. I couldn't believe it. I was upset for a minute, but it was so funny we couldn't help but laugh about it.

On Sunday we got to the Marriott after enjoying a delicious seafood lunch at Easy Seafood Co., and we headed up to our room. Excitedly, I opened the door, and then said, "This is not going to work." They gave us a room with 2 beds! So we hauled all our stuff back down to the lobby, and we got a new room with no trouble.

Thus concludes this week's edition "Honeymoon Misfortunes." More on our trip later.