J.R. and I bought the house on Mebane Road in Oakland on May 20, 1994.  I lived in our house until we were married on November 18, 1994.  When we got married, J.R. was working for Ring Can Corporation in Oakland and I was working for Wilder Youth Development Center in Somerville. 

In 1995 I started trying to get pregnant. After one year, our doctor started having test ran on J.R. and me. All test results were normal. I was really having a hard time. I wanted a baby so bad. This is all I could think about. Every month I would think "this is the month". My father-in-law, Rudy, told me that God was not going to let the love that our family had to go to waste.  I did not know if that meant getting pregnant or adoption.  I started reading alot of books on adoption.  After another year and I still wasn't pregnant, we decided to try fertility pills. I took them for 6 months. After 3 1/2 years, I still was not pregnant.  We decided to visit a fertility doctor to see what our options were.  All of the options were very expensive.  After much prayer, on our last visit to this doctor, we told him we had decided to not go that route. 

My Dad and his brother owned a plumbing company called Culver's Plumbing. Around March 1996 my Dad asked J.R. to go to work for him. I did not want J.R. to work for the company. I was afraid that it would be a problem for Daddy and J.R. to work together. So J.R. told him he did not think it was a good idea. In April 1996 Daddy asked J.R. to go to work for him again. This time J.R. thought it was a good idea. So J.R. started working for the plumbing company. From the first time J.R. and I met, God was shaping our future and we did not even realize it. In May 1996 my Dad and his brother split the plumbing company. My Dad's company is called Jerry Culver's Plumbing and Septic Co., LLC. His brother started a plumbing company with his three sons, who were working for the company. J.R. has been working for my Dad for 16 years.

In 1998 a friend had just found out she was pregnant.  She called Jan, my mother-in-law, and told her she was about to call and tell me before I heard it from someone else.  She wanted Jan to check on me after I recevied the news.  I did not receive the news well at all.  I remember crying, well more like sobbing.  I could not believe she was pregnant and I was not.  I remember thinking why would God allow her to get pregnant and not me.  She already had one child.  I was hurting so much.  I did not understand why God was not hearing my prayers.  God had other plans. 

I was pregnant at that last fertility doctor's visit and did not know it.  I was pregnant when my friend called to tell me she was pregnant and did not know it.  When I thought I was pregnant, I took a pregnancy test and it was positive.  I told J.R. and he told me to not get my hopes up and to take another pregnancy test.  It was positive.  J.R. once again told me to not get my hopes up and to take another pregnancy test.  It was positive.  I took one more home pregnancy test and it was positive.  J.R. once again told me to not get my hopes up and to go to the doctor and let them test me.  I did and it was positive.  I asked J.R. "can I get my hopes up now?"  That was a total of 5 positive pregnancy test.  We did not tell anyone what was going on.  We had talked about painting our house.  So we decided to have a paint party with our families and give them the news.  Everyone was so happy. 

My heart has been heavy over the last couple of days.  I know exactly what Lucy Krull's mother and Trey Erwin's mother are going through right now.  It is very hard to watch your child's health decline and not be able to do anything about it.  I know it seems as if God is not with them, but God is with them.  God sees their pain and for some reason, this is God's plan.  We are not called to understand God's will but to trust Him. It is hard to trust Him through the pain but we must trust and obey.    My heart and prayers are with these two young children and their families. 

On a lighter note, when J.R. and I were looking at the house on Mebane Road (before he asked me to marry him), my parents were with us.  I kept asking J.R. his opinion on certain things in the house.  When we left the house, we followed my parents to Lewis' Restaurant in Moscow, TN.  I was driving my car to the restaurant when J.R. pulled an engagement ring out of his pocket.  I was surprised!!  At that moment, he did not actually ask me to marry him.  Halfway to the restaurant, my Daddy pulled his van over and told me to drive my Mama and he was going to ride with J.R.  J.R. got the speech.  "What are your intentions with my daughter?  Why were y'all asking each other's opinions about the house?  Are you going to be there when the house needs painting?  Are you going to take care of my daughter?"  J.R. asked my Daddy for my hand in marriage.

My Mama started asking me questions.  The only thing I could tell her was that J.R. showed me an engagement ring.  At this point, I still did not have it on my finger.  After we ate, J.R. and I went to the Fayette County Jail.  Yes, I said the Fayette County Jail.  Ok, a friend of mine was the dispatcher.  She helped J.R. pick the ring out.  J.R. proposed to me sitting in the Fayette County Jail parking lot.  How about that for a proposal!!  LOL   Earlier that day, J.R. asked his Mama to meet him on the steps of the jail.  He told her he was planning on asking me to marry him.  She asked him if he was sure about that and he said yes.

God has been dealing with me about writing this for a while now.  I am not a fan of putting my words and emotions in writing.  But I want to obey Him, so here it goes.

First of all, this blog is NOT about me and what I have done.  It is about God and what He has accomplished and what He is achieving in our lives.  I am praying that this blog brings glory to God.  Second of all, this is very hard for me. A lot of different emotions and thoughts will flood me and I am not looking forward to that.  Lastly, I write like I talk.  Sorry about this.

J.R. and I had our first blind date on January 16, 1994.  J.R.'s cousin married a friend of mine and that is how we met.  I told him on our first date to NOT get serious on me.  I was not looking for a lasting relationship just a friendship.  After we had been dating a month, J.R. told me he loved me.  I said, "Take me home".  It was a few weeks before I spoke to him again.  I forgave him. HAHA.  On April 8th, J.R. proposed to me and I said "Yes".  On May 20, 1994, we purchased our first house on Mebane Road in Oakland.  I moved in our house and J.R. moved in after we were married on November 18, 1994.