A little Aggie love story

Once there was a boy who grew in the sun of Marlin, Texas.

He, the youngest of four boys, had no end to mischief and merriment. His mom was so smart and fun, that she taught her boys to walk on a barrel. 

He grew to attend a Texas school, marry, have four kids of his own and graduate an Aggie.

His life became one of integrity and service.

Once there was a girl who explored the cool breezes of Germany – skipping between the Bread Oven of Kansas and the Oompah pah of Bavaria. 

She, the youngest of four kids, liked to hide away, read, and draw. Her dad was so smart and fun, that he taught her to ski, to run, and to give herself “30 minutes to take your boots off” after a long day at work.

She grew to attend schools on both sides of the Atlantic ending with a Kansas school. She married, graduated from a Kansas “Aggie” school, and had two kids of her own.

Life trundled along with its menu of joys and sorrows.

One day, the girl met the daughter of this Texas Aggie. Though it was the first meeting, she swore emphatically she had met this dark-haired world-changer before. Later that January day, the girl realized…Crazy as it sounds…she had dreamt of this young Aggie, three other dark-haired kids, and her own blonde kids around a table…it was Thanksgiving and there was a willowy man helping to bring the feast to the table.

Willowy. Not the girl’s style. And the dream had happened several states and years away, but was so profound that she had brought it to her mentor at the time…a Director of Finance who said, “sounds like you had a dream.” Thanks Bernie.

Soon after, the Texas daughter asked if her dad could call the girl. In typical fashion, the girl said, “No” about every way she could devise and then somehow realized a “yes” was hidden therein.

He called.

The boy was smart and genuine and funny. And very Texas.

He kept calling and somehow she knew that when he said he was praying for her, he meant it. That helped when she was tossing awake on the floor of a church in the Dominican Republic and when her kids were finding their own way through a curious world.

He asked if they could meet. 

Alrighty.

It was an interesting first meeting and God got an earful from the girl, because it seemed that something had been building before the meeting that did not play out as expected.

He invited her to Texas.

The girl’s daughter and neighbor reminded her that he might have been nervous at that first meeting and that it may be worth it to meet him on his own home ground. The girl decided that wisdom could prevail or at least she could go to Texas to prove that she was an idiot and that this good man needed to move it along to another Texan.

This is where it gets interesting. 

Sitting around a table at the boy’s mom’s house – in company of the boy’s brothers, niece, sister-in-law, and stories, the girl realized that she was going to love this man until he was old and wearing sans-a-belt pants. And then love him some more. 

She was shocked. 

But she still wasn’t a fan of the Texan’s Big Red soda, mussels, and crawfish. Good thing that these were not non-negotiables for the Aggie.

Then one day, the Texas boy told the traveling girl that he had called her son and daughter to ask if it was alright that he invite the girl to be his wife.  And the girl cried. Like a blubbering baby she cried.

It seems that the girl’s kids had given their 100% support for this wild and wonderful twist in the tale of the two Aggies. 

“I will not ask you empty-handed,” said the boy, “but Madi and I are working on that.”

This tale of an unlikely love story between two Aggies (one Texan, one Kansan-ish) has it’s beginning as you’ve read here. And because these crazy kids are no longer 18 years old and living in the basement of relatives or friends, they will be celebrating a launch into a new life – very quietly – around Thanksgiving of this year.

And the memory of the dream from so long ago just hit me.

You see, he has four dark-haired kids, and I have two blonde kids, and he is willowy and I am not.

And I cannot wait to open my hands to this good good man and a God who is Himself…as Howard Price’s wife and to celebrate six kids and three grandkids.

August 4, 2012, skimming the trees & clouds over Woodstock, Georgia
In a basket swinging over the Atlantan sky, the boy knelt down and asked the girl to be his wife. She said yes.

Then they went Zip-Lining. I think they’re ready for a life of ups, downs, thrills, waiting, and floating. They certainly have the crash helmets and gear.

Break out the Legos, baby, we’re going to Texas.

10 Details (in case you are wondering)

1. I will continue to work with Seth Barnes (www.SethBarnes.com) and his books, writing, etc.
2. Hoping to continue to help Betty with her outreach to parents of World Racers, Passporters, etc. &  to help with social media, too, for the Development peeps
3. Wanting to be thankful and worship because God is and not because of this generous embarrassment of riches he has given me in Kenan & Madi, you, and now Howard, and his family and friends. 
4. Hoping that Kenan will walk me down the aisle and Madi & Katie will stand with me. “Aisle” may be pushing it as it may be in an old home full of stories and shenanigans in Marlin, Texas, or a tiny church with a blue roof. 
5. It looks like we’ll be doing this thing – quietly – at the intersection of his trips to Gabon for work, our kids’ availability, near enough so his mum can join us, and give us time to sort out our homes, etc. It will be so small and quiet, because we will be saving up for loud laughing and toasts and ribbing when we do a not-so-quiet-but-awfully-simple thing in Manhattan after the…(crikey, this is fun) nuptials. We’ll whoop it up in Georgia and Texas, too. 
6. I’ll be resigning from this phase of working with Adventures in Missions, August 31 to get ready, celebrate Kenan’s graduation from Basic September 13, run some Chippie’s guacamole down to Madi, help Katie & Dave prep and move into town, divvy up the stuff i will not be taking with me (keeping the table so it will be ready and filled for when you come to visit…hint. hint.) and be still for a while.  
7. Crazy, I feel that this is what I was made for…to love this man and our parade of kids and grandkids, and to shortsheet his side of the bed, but i’m going to wait for that.
8. He reminds me almost daily, “I want you to go to Swaziland and do all the things you need to do.” And all I can think of doing is loving him and revealing to him all the strength and wisdom and joy that I see in him & make it so that when he comes home and our kids crash in, that they are loved and loved and loved and have the freedom to explore what’s in their good hearts. There is no guile in him.
9. We’ll let you know details as we know them. 
10. I have reason to believe that Texas Aggies & Kansas State WildCats can live together under the same roof…now that the Lassies have bolted to the SEC.