The Story – Continues….

Hey y’all-

I’ll be posting the next installment of “The Story” on Monday.

Why? I need a weekend break…..plus, y’all don’t have work to skip on the weekends.

Blessings.

The Preacher

The Story – Part VI

Keep Austin Weird

I flew into Austin on Thursday morning, May 5th. I had three big plans that day. See Rachel. Go to Chuy’s for lunch. Meet my A-Phi friend, Amy for lunch (with Rachel, of course). I was excited.

I lived in Austin from 1997-2000 and have fond memories of that place. It’s a cool town. There, I was in two movies, climbed telephone poles for a living, played music, learned about computers, wrote songs, danced at dancehalls, floated the Guadalupe, and went to a ton of great shows in sketchy clubs. Austin is a great place. I love Texas. Okay, enough gushing….

So, my flight was on time and I breathed deep as I landed in Austin. Even the airport is cool. Plus, I saw Steve Earle as I was walking. I was staring at him and he said, “Hey.” Yes, we had a moment.

I made it to baggage claim and I saw this blonde woman standing by the huge guitars….man, she looked good. I was stoked to see Rachel.

Guess who got to drive in Austin? Yep, me. We headed to Chuy’s and beat Amy by about 10 minutes. Plenty of time to get a table, a drink (Diet Cokes all around), and some chips-n-salsa. Did I mention I love Texas? And Rachel? And, not in that order….

Amy arrived and we had a great meal. She’s a great friend. I sang in her wedding and we have a fun history.

Rachel and I headed for Van, Texas. (Google it because I couldn’t tell you how to get there if I had to.) It’s about a 5-hour drive from Austin. We were not in a rush. On the drive, we stopped at Wal-Mart, several gas stations, and a cool hat store in an old water tower. Remember, we were not in a rush.

When we got to Rachel’s parent’s house, I was a smidge nervous. Why? Well, I mean, I wanted to marry their daughter. Wouldn’t you be nervous?

Rachel’s Mom and Dad (Gene and Cathy) were super-cool. We kept everything on the down-low and had a simple dinner and hang-out at their pad. They have a sweet house that they recently built on about 20 acres of land. It’s secluded and laid-back. I likey.

I ended up crashing at Rachel’s aunt’s house. It’s just across the yard from her folks. We started slow on Friday morning, but had later plans for a meal and bowling with some close friends. Friday was great. We played tennis. Took a walk. Relaxed. And headed out for burgers and bowling. I put on quite the display at the burger joint and bowling. I may have bowled the best game of my life….I was feelin’ it.

Saturday came and it was time to talk to her Dad…..

The Story – Part V

Mom, Dad…this is Rachel.

Rachel landed in Louisville late on Thursday, April 21st. Earlier that day, I had preached a family funeral in Ohio and I had to scoot back to get her from the airport. She was late…I didn’t mind. I told you, this girl is worth waiting for….

That night, we went to a friend’s house where she was to crash for the night. They had some great Indonesian food prepared (soto aym). I love good food. And, free food. My two favorite kinds….

Friday morning, we loaded up and headed for Ohio. Of course, we needed to make a quick stop at Cracker Barrel for some breakfast. I chowed down. Ever seen me at Cracker Barrel? It’s quite a display…

Oh, did I mention it was my birthday? Nice present….having Rachel in town.

We hit the Dayton, Ohio area like a rocket sled on rails and gathered with the family. We stopped at Mom and Dad’s house and then went to my sister, Jessica’s, house. She and my brother-in-law Mike have three kids–Camden, Kyle, and Quincy.

There, Rachel was getting introduced to the family and Jessica asked if she had any nieces and nephews. Rachel said she had five. My 8-year-old nephew Camden said, “It’s about to be 8.” (How did he know???)

That night, we went bowling to celebrate my 40th and had cake. It was a good time. The next day, Rachel and I got a workout in and went to my nephew Kyle’s 6th-birthday party. He and I share a birthday. Well, since he was born, it’s his birthday and I am just kinda there….(sad, huh?)

Saturday night, Mike, Jess, Rachel, and I went out to eat. The food was good. The ice cream (Graeter’s) was great. And, the company was awesome. A fun night. The next morning was Easter and Rachel and I headed to Kentucky for church.

I preached Easter morning and did a better job. Lunch with the usual crew was fun. We ended up resting a bit before Rachel had to fly home.

The good news: Rachel seemed to enjoy meeting the folks. The folks loved her. I got two phone calls the next week attesting to their love for Rachel and how I needed to “get with it.” Thanks, Mom….and Jess….

As I took Rachel to the airport, parting was getting tougher. But, we had something to look forward to….in two weeks, I was going to meet her parents….

The Story – Part IV

My Old Kentucky Home

Rachel landed in Kentucky on a Friday afternoon and we promptly went to The Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen. If you haven’t been there, go. It’ll make you slap your Grandma for not cooking like she should have….

Rachel got the blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. I had Dutch apple pie with caramel on top. The conversation was better than the dessert. And, the dessert was awesome! After getting a sugar fix, we headed for Trimble County. A gastrointestinal time-bomb was waiting….

I had arranged for Rachel to stay with my friends John and Jean. They usually have some church friends over on Friday night for dinner and I thought it might be a nice way for Rachel to meet everyone at once. I had no idea. We pulled in to their driveway and the place was packed. Turns out, Jean had the fancy idea of celebrating my birthday a bit early and invited a host of folks. They showed. (I guess the word was out I had a girl visiting and the gawkers couldn’t wait to see….)

So, after the Pie Kitchen, we were treated to a huge BBQ dinner complete with birthday cake and ice cream. I was about to explode. It was not a good feeling. The guys were trying to get their shots in on me with Rachel, but it wasn’t working. I had my A-game on.

Saturday morning, I met Rachel, Jean, Shell, and Judy at Cracker Barrel for breakfast. Again, filled to the gills. I was about to die. We had already planned on Havana Rumba for lunch, but that had to wait until later in the afternoon. How good is Havana Rumba? Cubans fly to Louisville to eat…it’s that good.

So, in the meantime, we went to campus so she could see the school. We shopped at the mall for some gifts and we walked and talked as much as we could stand….

Saturday night was a relaxing night with the Haneys watching NCAA hoops. Enjoyable. And time to digest.

Sunday, I preached. Let’s just say it was not a shining moment in my preaching career. Pressure? Perhaps. Lame? For sure. But, Rachel survived. And, she survived lunch. After yet another huge meal, we ended up at my cabin crashed on the couch and futon for a nap. It was an exhausting, eating weekend.

The worst part of the weekend? My preaching. The best? She was already planning on coming back to KY.

Next step: Meet the family…

The Story – Part III

Deep in the Heart of Texas

My first car was a 1973 Chevy Nova. I shared it with my twin sister, Jennifer. The car was faded green, had no A/C, and the passenger side door was brown. Oh, and there was no stereo. So, it was a “sing-along” car. We used to ride around and warble whatever crossed our minds……”Deep in the Heart of Texas” crossed more than once.

This time, I was deep in the heart of Texas for other reasons. In early March, I flew to Houston to meet Rachel and spend the weekend. Pressure? You could say that.

I landed in Texas a bit early and spent a few hours doing schoolwork at the airport while waiting for her to drive from College Station. She arrived….in a neon green car. Luckily, I don’t have an aversion to brightly colored vehicles. When she got out of the really bright car, I was taken aback. Beautiful. The pressure ramped up…big-time.

We went to dinner at Pappasito’s and I tried to be charming. I think I sounded more like an idiot and she was gracious enough to laugh at my jokes. I love a girl that is gracious. Well, I love this girl that is gracious. After dinner, we had a long drive back to College Station, but Rachel wanted to stop by and visit her brother and his family. They live in a Houston suburb.

So, we stopped in, met the family (5 nieces and nephews!), and had coffee. The conversation was good. The coffee was good. I think things were going well.

We made it to College Station. I stayed with Rachel’s friends from church. I was exhausted from flying, eating, talking, driving, and “being on” for a few hours. I slept well….

The next few days were a blur of breakfast tacos, walks in the woods, meeting people, steak dinners, ice cream factory tours (Blue Bell!), and talking….a lot.

Sunday, we went to church and had a nice afternoon walk. That night, we met with Rachel’s Hope Group. It was a bit intense, but fun. Monday, we drove to Houston. Well, I drove and Rachel rode along. I drove slooooowwww……not ready to leave. But, on the drive, we planned on Rachel coming to Kentucky….

The Story – Part II

The Story Continues….

Rachel and I talked on the phone quite a bit. Our first call lasted for almost three hours. For me, that’s a long, long, long time to talk. Come to find out, that’s a long time for Rachel to talk, too. Here are the impressions I remember from our first call:

1. This girl is great.

2. I love the sound of her voice.

3. She is so honest.

4. I can’t wait to talk to her again. Can I call her back, right now?

The conversations continued on a fairly regular basis for a few weeks (or so). And then, it was time to pop the question. I asked, “When can we meet?” She said, “Anytime…”

So, I went to Texas…..

The Story – Part I

Here’s the story….

In 2009, Rachel finished her PhD work at Texas A&M and promptly left to serve 8-months as a volunteer missionary in Nicaragua. While she was leaving for Nicaragua, I was finishing up 6-months of service with the International Mission Board in Taiwan. She served in Nicaragua and I landed back in Kentucky and picked up life.

During the summer of 2009, some friends of mine (Chris and Laura) went to Nicaragua on a short-term mission trip. (Side note: Laura sings in the group “No Other Name.” Her husband, Chris, manages the band. They are awesome. Follow them and become a fan.)

While in Nicaragua, Chris and Laura met Rachel and said, “We have a friend we think you need to meet.” Rachel was down with it. When they returned to the States, I received a Facebook message from Laura. Our initial meeting was delayed….then, winter comes…..

In late January or early February, I posted something on Facebook (trying to be funny) that sparked Laura’s memory and she contacted me about Rachel. I was open to meeting Rachel and so we began to communicate on Facebook and, eventually, the phone…..