First of what could be many...

3....2....1....GO!

So, I've never really blogged, and I'm sure Cody hasn't either...but what a better time to start than now?? We have a lot going on in our lives right now that we document constantly with our camera...so now we can start putting them somewhere other than Facebook! I don't really know where to start with out lives, and this being the first test run into figuring out how this whole blogging thing works...I guess I have to start somewhere...I guess the beginning would be the perfect place to start....

Ashley's Account of Meeting and Falling in Love with Cody

Cody and I met "officially" in the spring of 2007 (my junior year in college). It hadn't been but two weeks earlier that I saw him in passing when he said, "Hey Ashley." I remember going out to one of my softball buddies saying, "Cody knows my name! I had no idea he knew my name!" A couple weeks later is when it all started. It began with Andrea's and my (not sure on the correct grammar) 21st birthday. I had done my share of celebrating and didn't need any more, so I used a biology test the next day as my excuse to not go out for the night. It wasn't 2 hours after all the girls left that I got a text from an unfamiliar number saying "Come out tonight!" First of all, I had no idea who was texting me, and second of all...I was NOT going out! I asked who was texting me and he said "Cody McMurtry...Come out to Blue Moon!" We started texting a little here and there, and it wasn't two weeks later that we had filled our inboxes with over 10,000 texts to each other. We had what seemed like 20 dates via text messaging. We hit it off with each other...but kept it quiet between ourselves for a few weeks...until I told my mom. She was very supportive of me falling for this older man who treated me with the utmost care and respect. We began dating officially after the two weeks of text messaging, on May 5, 2007. He said "I love you" a little after two and a half weeks...when we went on our first REAL date...a walk in this woods kind of trail. I said that "I was falling in love with you"....but not quite the "I love you". HAHA....I don't know when the first "I love you" came out of my mouth, but I'm sure it wasn't long after he said it.

We found ourselves coordinating group dates where we just happened to be at the same place at the same time...with friends of our own...just so we could hang out without being suspicious! His friends were competely supportive of us dating...however, mine were not. We are still great friends with all his friends who accepted me...and we had a falling out with those who didn't agree with our relationship. It hurt me to lose the people who I thought were my "true" friends...and it hurt him that I was being betrayed. He was a little sceptical that I would choose my friends over him, but that thought never crossed my mind. I had fallen in love...and never looked back.

I met his family not long after we started dating and they brought me into their homes without hesitation. My family accepted Cody, also without hesitation. But, Cody and I "knew" before any of the meet and greet sessions that we were supposed to spend the rest of our lives together. They say that when you know...you know. I never believed it, but the only way to describe as to how you just know is.....you just know.

One day, not too far into the relationship, Cody was taking care of me with my parents after I had jaw surgery. While I was doped up on pain meds and ice packs, my mom proceeded to tell Cody that "you won't go down and ask her father to marry her". This went on for probably 30 seconds of going back and forth until Cody got up and walked downstairs and outside to where my dad was...and of course...Dad said he could....even after knowing each other for a little over a month. My mom couldn't believe it....but I could :-)

He knew that I had a few stipulations for getting married. One...you must ask my father permission. Two...you must get the ring from Mucklow's Fine Jewelry in PTC. And three....it must be a suprise when you ask me and I must not know it is coming. I am difficult to catch off guard, so he had a lot of planning he needed to do if he was going to pull it off as a suprise.

October was the beginning of basketball season and my last chance to go home before Christmas break and the rest of the year (with basketball and softball all the time, it was hard to get home during the year since I had minimal breaks). We used my great-grandpa's 100th birthday as an excuse to go home to TN...even though he wasn't going to be there and his birthday was on the 28th. We drove home October 20th to TN...and we were going to meet at dinner at our favorite restaurant in TN...Blackhorse Pub and Brewery (sp?). I convinced Andrea to ride with Cody and me to the Church (Cody told me that his mom needed a count for how many the Church could hold...now why she cared to know, I'm not sure...but it worked...and I believed him). We got to the Church before going to dinner and Andrea said she needed to use the restroom so she left us alone *this should have been the second clue to me*. So, we go into the church and we count out the seats and are standing up at the alter when he asks me "Are you sure this is what you want?" I said "Yes." A guy came in and turned on the lights like he asked him to do so we could see the whole building lit up...and he proceeded with another "Are you really sure this is what you want?" And I replied with another "Yes". He asked me one more time "Are you sure this is what you really want?" Now, I was starting to get aggitated at the same question because I was positive this was the church I wanted to be married in!!! So, I said "yes"...AGAIN. This is the point where he gets down on one knee and asks "Will you?" My response was "Get up!"

I'd like to pause at this point and just say that this wasn't the first time Cody had gotten down on one knee. He had fooled me quite a few times without having a ring...and he was always just joking with me...I finally told him that the next time he got down on one knee without a ring that I was going to say "No." You don't mess with a girl's emotions like that because she can be fragile emotionally in a time like this! Now...to continue on...

I told him to "Get up!" But, this time, he said, "No, for real." It took me a second until I saw the ring...which was beautiful...the one I had picked out...which I didn't know I picked out. I still have a scar from where he put it on me that night because my hands were so sweaty that we couldn't get it on right away!!! He told me that when we had gone to the jewelry store that I had tried that exact ring on and liked it (I was just giving Cody ideas for what I wanted). But, this particular ring was the exact size (6.25...a size that is uncommon in the store)...it fit perfect and I liked it...call it destiny or fate...whatever you call it...that ring was meant for me.

Well, we walk outside to go to dinner and Cody had managed to pull off an engagement to me with it being a total suprise. To top it off, my parents, grandparents, brother, sister, AND HIS WHOLE FAMILY were waiting for us outside!!! One of the most perfect nights of my life!!! Five months after we started dating...we were engaged to be married. We didn't set a date until the summer of 2008....and we were married December 20, 2008!!!!! I am the happiest I have ever been...and he never ceases to amaze me! He treats me the same as he did at Day 1.