Part 2

September 26, 2004





"Excuse me," were the words I heard. Obviously a little startled I quickly pulled my head out of my car and turned around.






"Yes," I said. "Hi, I'm Matt. I was just wondering if you knew of a place to get some food around here," was the first phrase this man ever said to me.

"Hi, I'm Rhena," I said back. I went on to tell him ALL the places we have in our tiny town, one being good ole' del taco!









"Oh ok, well my friend and I were thinking of going to get a bite to eat and were wondering if you would like to join us," he said with his cute little Kentucky accent.









"Well I would have to ask my dad (in the back of mind thinking there is NO way under any circumstance that my father will allow me to go anywhere with this marine and his friend, especially since he's a PK and we all know about pk's right?!lol) and I would have to bring my sister along," was my response.









So iI went back into the church and was going to try to go through my mom first cause we all know that if mom asks dad then maybe we will get our way!! Well my mom was in a meeting so I had to ask my dad. Well here goes nothing I thought to myself.





Me- "Daddy"




Dad- "YESSSSSSSS"




Me- "Remember that marine who was in church tonight that is a preacher's son and had a friend with him?"




Dad- "Yeah"




Me- "Well he asked me to go to dinner with him and I will take Vanessa and I won't be home late I promise cause he has a curfew, so can we go?"




Dad-.........."Sure, that's sounds good to me. Just don't be out to late.




OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He said yes, he really said yes!!! So before he changed his mind I bolted out of the church, grabbed my sis, and we were off.












So we ate, talked, laughed, talked some, laughed and giggled. We had so much in common it wasn't even funny! My sister even hit it off with his friend. (which ended a short time after that, thank the Lord)





After a couple hours of just getting to know each and having a good time, it was time to go home. I asked him if we wanted to stop by my house and meet my parents and he actually said yes! Was this really happening? I had to be dreaming right? Everything was too perfect.





He said a quick hello and then had to go so he didn't miss curfew.









After he left I was on cloud nine. I told my mom that I had met the man I was going to marry. Of course everyone including my mom thought I was crazy! If you had known me back then you would understand!!!






Little did I know Matt was back at the barracks saying the same thing! His friend that was with him that night told my sister that he was walking around calling me Rhena Payne all night!









Life was amazing! He asked me to be his girlfriend later that week and you should have seen him. He was so nervous!! Hehe









Right away we started talking about marriage and a life together. But how could we already know? Didn't it normally take months, sometimes years to know these things? God had a plan, that's all I can say.






Just about three months later in December he took me on a very sweet romantic date. First we went to a movie, then shopping, then to dinner. Dinner was good but I could tell something was up. He was acting so weird. Kind of agitated. So after dinner he said he wanted to take me somewhere special. Well of course I was on board for that. So we started driving to this 'special' place...and driving...and turning around...and driving some more. I kept asking if I could help but then he would get even more agitated. So I just sat back and tried to enjoy the ride.





Finally! We had made it to the special spot. It was a quaint golf course that him and his dad had visited when he was first stationed to the area. By the way he loved golfing which is why he chose a golf course for this special occasion. We walked to the little spot he had already picked out for us. It was the little island on the course surrounded by water. There was a bench sitting right in the middle.








We sat there talking, FREEZING.......and then silence. As i'm thinking to myself "what is going on" he started to stumble over his words telling how much he loved me and wanted to be with me forever....and then......it happened.....he got down on his knee and asked me to be HIS WIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Forever and ever and ever!!!!!!!!!!!

...................Stay tuned for the next part of my journey............................