It starts with a ring...

Last week I came home looking for some oreos and milk to alleviate my work woes. Clayton told me he wanted to ask me something. I turned around and there was this beautiful sparkly!

It was really sweet to see Clayton shaking and nervous while proposing, especially since he already knew the answer. Another sweet gesture was Clayton let me pick out the ring I wanted. It was nice because I was able to find something that matches my personality. Clayton has always been good about support me and allowing me to express my individuality. This ring symbolizes that unconditional love and support in our relationship.

The story of how "He" and "She" became "We"...

Clayton and I work together at a community mental health center. He is an accountant and I'm a family services counselor. We have worked together for a few years but never really spoke to each other. He is very serious and quiet at work, so I was really intimidated by him. Not to mention, he is a foot taller than me. I referred to him as "Lurch" due to his tall, serious nature. My first conversation with him was when I had to ask him an accounting question, I noticed he had the UGA mascot as his screensaver. I was so excited to meet another Georgia fan in Florida. I gleefully asked him if He was a UGA fan. He replied by holding up his UGA alumni coffee mug and stating, " I'm Alumni." It took many more embarrassing moments and witty conversations for us to even associate with each other. After discovering a common interest in the World Cup and college rock, Clayton asked me on a lunch "date". We had a great time and kept emailing back and forth for a while. Three weeks later, Clayton finally asked me on our official first date. After that, we were pretty much inseparable. Throughout our relationship I knew in the back of my mind that he was my match. Then a medical scare in June 2011 really cemented the idea that he was everything I needed. While I was in the hopsital and recovering, Clayton was always by my side supporting me. He assisted with my school work, relayed information to friends and family, and even arranged for his mother to stay a week with me during my recovery. When I came out of surgery, he greeted me with my childhood stuffed bulldog. Clayton represents the gold standard of a human being and has all the qualities of a great man. I have such deep respect and love for him. He is kind hearted, warm, loving, and compassionate, to name a few of his attributes. Clayton’s personality reflects the fruitage of the spirit found at Galatians 5:22. The action of the love he displays is equivalent to how love is described at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. It is because of these wonderful qualities, that I admire Clayton so much.