Our Love Story

     Nine years ago today, I started dating my best friend. And yes, I asked him out, lol. We met at a day camp where we were both camp counselors. I had a boyfriend at the time but things just weren't going great with that relationship. The first time I met Caleb I thought he was cute, but kind of nerdy. *grin* He was into comic books, video games, and all the things that this girly, girl was not. But even so, there was just something about him that made me smile. For example, to get my attention, one day while we were at camp, he tripped over a root on purpose just so I would bandage up his knee; and yes, he DID bleed. Quite an extreme to go to just to get a girl to pay you attention, but I still think it was super cute. 
    On one of our breaks that week, we sat on a picnic table talking about our families, friends, beliefs, likes and dislikes. It was at that moment I learned that he was a Christian and also when I started to think the world of him. Call it infatuation, if you like, but I knew it was love from that moment. I did have the tiny little issue of having a boyfriend, and trying to figure out a nice way to let him know I had met someone else. :-)  Even though in that moment I wanted nothing more than to hold this boy's hand and ask him to be mine, I resisted. I just wasn't the type of girl to cheat on a boyfriend...regardless of how crummy the relationship was and how HOT this new guy was. *smile*  But, I invited him to church as I was raised to do and headed home contemplating on whether or not to make the phone call to break up with the current boyfriend, but decided against it for that moment. 
     Caleb ended up showing up for church that Wednesday night for youth group and I was ECSTATIC! But then, my boyfriend at the time walked through the door shortly after Caleb arrived. And it was in this moment that the boy I had already fallen so hard for learned that I wasn't available. One of my friends shouted out down the hall..."Raquel, your boyfriend's here!!"  I looked away from Caleb, down at the floor, and willed a rock to show up so I could crawl under it. No such luck. The truth was out and I was humiliated. But, you know what? Caleb didn't leave. HE STAYED and was even nice to my boyfriend. I knew for sure in that moment I would be making a phone call to break things off as soon as we got home (as I knew better than to have relationship drama at youth group). I said goodbye to Caleb and said I would see him the next morning at camp.
     I got home and made that phone call; in my opinion, the BEST call I ever made. I was nervous at the time for reasons I won't repeat on here, but in the end, I broke it off. Not without him calling my house at least six to seven times that evening that ended in my Mom giving him up the river for calling so late. So yeah, it was officially over and I was officially FREE!!! 
     I spent the next couple of days at day camp getting ready for the end of week show with the kids. I did get one of my friends to ask Caleb for his number, which he wrote down on a piece of napkin since that was the only thing available to him at the time. I sent my email back to him (by a friend) on another piece of napkin and got ready to leave for the day. Hoping against all odds he would email me soon. And do you know...HE DID!!! We emailed back and forth for quite a while and then he called me a week or so later. Talking to him on the phone that first time was seriously the most nervous I had been in my entire life. I was finally experiencing true love..and I knew it. :-)  I told him I would need some time to get over my last relationship (which was really just a ploy to reel him in even further). Playing hard to get is the oldest game in the book but most guys are still totally oblivious to it...as was Caleb! *grin* He told me that he would wait for me FOREVER! That totally made my heart melt on the spot. I waited a couple of days and then asked HIM out! He was shocked, but said yes. And let me just say, it was a few weeks before we decided to kiss but that is a day I will NEVER forget. None of that tongue down my throat stuff either...a sweet kiss on the cheek and another one on my lips. I swear I didn't stop smiling for days. 
     God has blessed me with an absolutely incredible husband. That's our love story...and the rest is history!