2011 February 16 | Beneath My Heart

Thank you for listening to the story of how my husband and I met. I have loved reading your sweet comments.

It’s actually been fun reminiscing.

If you missed parts one and two of our love story, please click on the links below to catch up. I’ll wait for ya! :)

And now for the final chapter…

I realized today that I left a little information out of the story yesterday.

The reason Cy and I met at the weight room was because he was working there. He was a senior in college at the time and that was his part time job.

He told me that he had actually seen me there a week or two earlier working out. He wanted to meet me then, but didn’t. He claims it was “love at first sight” for him. :)

After he saw me, he did a little “research” on me. He called his sister and friends to see if they knew more about me. He was also trying to find out if I was single.

Ha! Yeah, I was single!

So he told me later, that he began praying. He prayed that God would allow him to see me one more time. He said if I came and worked out at the weight room again, he would not let me leave without introducing himself.

Then on that fateful Friday night, I showed up at the weight room. Well, you know the rest of the story…. (part two)

So I left you yesterday at the point in the story that Cy and I had began talking about marriage after only dating 3 months. It’s crazy when I think about it. Especially because the few boyfriends I did have in college were very long relationships that began after very long friendships.

3 months and we were talking marriage…crazy!

Well, Cy said he was very sure he wanted to marry me.

I was sure he was the one, but not ready to admit it. I knew that if I did, he would be popping a ring on my finger, and man…I was just scared. I had waited so long for him, and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t rushing things.

Our first snow fall in Ky together.

Well, during our 4th month of dating, Cy started trying to figure out where I stood. He was ready to ask me to marry him, but he wasn’t 100% sure I would say yes.

So one night he proposed this question to me:

He asked me that if he were to ask me to marry him right then, what are the chances I would say yes.

50-50?

60-40?

80-20?

We were laughing and teasing each other during this conversation. Trying to keep it light, ya know.

I thought about it and said I was probably 70-30.

70%-yes

30%-no

He sat there silent for a while. You could tell the wheels in his head were turning. It was probably not the percentage he was hoping for.

Then he came up with this illustration of what that percentage felt like to him. (I absolutely loved this part.)

He said, “So if I had a jar of 100 pennies….and 70 of them were copper and 30 of them were purple….if I reached my hand in that jar to pull out a penny….there would be a real good chance I would pick out a purple penny.”

How cute is that?

The purple pennies represented me saying “no”. Thirty purple pennies in that jar of 100 did not make him feel real secure, if you know what I mean.

As we continued to date, Cy would bring up the question again.

What were his percentages?

Since I was continuing to fall in love with him, the next time I said the percentage was 80-20.

Even though that was better, he said, “20 purple pennies is still a lot. I still have a good chance of pulling one out of the jar.” (Meaning I would say “no” if he asked me to marry him.)

Are you following me?

The next week, Cy asked again.

This time I said 90-10.

He was starting to smile and feeling a little more confident in my answer.

He said, “Only 10 purple pennies. I’m liking that. There’s a real good chance I would pull out a copper penny now.” Which of course to him meant I would say “yes”.

By the end of our 4th month of dating, God had confirmed in my heart in many ways that Cy was the man I was to marry.

I was ready to put the guy out of his misery and let him know I was 100% sure I wanted to marry him. :)

The next weekend, I was headed to Cincinnati with my mom and sister for a women’s conference. I was going to be gone the whole weekend.

Cy was scheduled to work at the weight room that Friday night.

I stopped by the weight room earlier that Friday and dropped off a little “surprise” for Cy.

It was a jar full of 100 copper pennies with a poem that I wrote attached.

Look in this jar and you will see,

One hundred pennies to you from me.

You may search for a color of a different kind,

But a penny of purple you will never find.

Though they’re made of copper and not of gold,

These pennies are worth a wealth untold.

They symbolize the priceless love that we share.

They’re proof to the world that God answered our prayers.

And so with these pennies, I bring you good news.

I want to spend the rest of my life with you!

Traci

That is exactly what he was waiting to hear, and within a week, we were engaged!

We married 6 months later in July of 1997.

Now ladies, don’t hate me, but I am going to share a very handsome picture of my husband on our wedding day.

Back Off! :)

Now you know why I couldn’t say no!

That smile melted my heart.

He was definitely worth the wait, ladies!

DISCLAIMER: Please do not think that when you meet your Prince Charming that you will live like Cinderella the rest of your life.

Marriage is hard. I do not want to give any false representations of it. Things do not become picture perfect once you are married.

Our first couple of years of marriage were really difficult. The two do not become one overnight.

I believe that my husband and I will be continually “becoming one” until our last day together on earth.

We have had some big fights. Our tempers have flared. I might have kicked a hole in a wall and he may have thrown a dress shoe down our hallway like a frisbie decapitating one of the figurines on my shelf. Just sayin…

He has made me feel more anger than I have ever known.

And he has made me feel more loved than I have ever known.

He is my security and my safe place. He’s always got my back, and I’ve got his.

I am always proud to be with him.

I always wanted to marry someone who I would want my children to grow up to be like. I pray that my sons grow up to be just like their dad.

He leaves his socks on the floor and cereal bowls on the coffee table.

But he loves spending time with me and always makes me laugh.

He doesn’t do the dishes or the laundry.

But he will build me new kitchen cabinets and install board and batten in our new laundry room in a heartbeat. :)

He was worth waiting for. Every tear. Every lonely night. Every heartache.

He was worth it!

I love you, Cy!