Warning ...it is long but why would something this big not be????
While I was on a work trip in Athens, I got a call that Peak Campus wanted to interview me as soon as possible for a position they had open. I was extremely excited because this job is exactly what I had been looking for. I told them that I would be leaving Athens at noon on Thursday and could stop by on my way back to Tuscaloosa. They said that would be great we would start interviewing at 1. After hanging up I got an email with the times I would be interviewing with whom. I had no clue that I would be going through 5 interviews. It then hit me that they were really interested!! I got super nervous, called Ryan flipping out because I did not have any clothes to wear (he disagreed), then I got even more nervous because I saw that I had an interview with the President of the company. Ryan being the wonderful man that he is tried to calm me down by telling me that I just needed to be me.
Fast forward, Thursday is here. I am dead tired from being at a conference for 3 days, my allergies and contacts were killing me, now I must go interview with 5 people, oh and to top it off my boss called and said I had a meeting a 9pm when I got home about marketing with Alabama Athletics. I get through the interviews and felt great about everything. I called Ryan and said we have got to pray about this because I feel like this is what we need. He agreed and said that everything would work out exactly how it needed to but to get home safely, go to your meeting, and then get some rest.
If any of you have ever been to Atlanta then you know saying they have a traffic problem is an understatement. I was sitting in 5 O'clock traffic ready to pull my hair out. I then remembered that I had promised my college roommate, Byrd, I would bring her some Varsity dogs. So I pulled over and took a break from traffic, got her dogs, got me a drink and pie, and then hit the road again. Keli my boss texted me and said don't forget our meeting tonight. Now I did not tell her that I had no plans on going to that meeting but I did let Ryan know I would NOT be attending any meeting at 9PM as tired as I was. He told me that work sometimes asks us to do things we don't want to do and that I just needed to do it because Keli would not have asked me to go if it was not important. I made it to Anninston and was dead tired. I called Ryan to try to stay awake but he was at football practice. I then called my mom to talk to her. She instructed me to stop and walk around for a few minutes. About that time I saw a TJMaxx. I love a TJMaxx so I decided that would be the perfect place to walk around. As we women do ...I found a few items that I just had to try on.
Ryan called me back wanting to see where I was and check on me. I told him where I was and he said Lara Ellen did you forget your work meeting? I told him no I had not forgotten it but I was not going. I left with my purchases and got a Starbucks coffee for the road. Almost home Keli texted again. I thought to myself you have got to be kidding me. She let me know that since I was running late they had changed the meeting from dinner to ice cream but that we had to do it because he would be out of town the rest of the week. She then said I am waiting at your house to pick you up as soon as you get back. There was no getting out of this meeting. So I wheeled in, hopped out of my car into hers, and we went to TCBY. We had not been in the parking lot a minute when one of our employees Shelby called needing a ride. She said she had been drinking, got upset with someone, and started walking down the road. I asked Keli could we go get her and she said well he is not here yet so lets go really quick. I asked Shelby where she was and she said walking toward the stadium. I told her to stop where she was and i would be there in a minute. Keli and I pull up and sure as the world there sits Shelby beside Bear Bryant’s statue. We walked up to her and she started telling me what happened. Out of nowhere I hear Ryan's voice so I turn around and there he is down on one knee.
All I remember from this point on is Ryan saying I have prayed for God to bring me a woman like you my entire life.....insert crying and loss of memory here.
If you know much about me, you know I love The University of Alabama and Alabama Football. I have said for a while now that my dream engagement would happen somewhere on UA's campus. I never dreamed that my dreams would come true.
Lesson learned...DONT BE STUBBORN, it could be your future husband at the meeting!!!
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