Oh Happy Day, I am ENGAGED!!!

I think I am still in disbelief of what all happened yesterday..... BUT I'm getting MARRIED!!! Not only am I engaged and getting married...... but I am getting to spend all the days of my life with the most wonderful guy. God is so GOOD and His plans truly prevail in his timing. Josh and I can see His hands all over us meeting and our relationship. I did not think on Saturday when I woke up that all this would of happened. BOY was I surprised!!!

Stacey and I had made plans to eat lunch together and get some yogurt once we woke up. And I actually slept in until 10a.m. (I don't think I have done that since college!) Woke up and got ready and Stacey offered to pick me up. We ate at Diplomat Deli in Vestavia. Well Josh was supposively working but said he wanted to get yogurt with us later. So I sent him a text while we were finishing up lunch, but no response. O'well we will go shopping. So I asked Stacey if she would want to go to TJ Maxx with me because I had a gift card. She said sure but can we go up here in Vestavia and take a few pictures of a place I use to go a lot (she was borrowing a friends nice camera so she said she wanted to take pictures while she still had this camera). Of course, I say okay whatever I have no set plans today. So we drive up onto Shades Crest Road up to Vestavia Baptist Church. Well behind the church is a huge cross that you can see from downtown as you look up the mountain. There is also a platform area (kinda looks like a balcony) with park benches. Backing up a minute, on the way up there I was telling Stacey that this week I knew of 4 people or so that had gotten engaged and it had made me think more about it but I knew Josh and I wouldn't get engaged for a little while longer. Also as we drove up I kept saying how pretty this area would be for a wedding except the church was a little dated......still no clue what was about to happen. NO clue at all! As we walk up to the platform area that overlooks the city I see flowers on a park bench and AGAIN NO clue. I was like"Oh, Stacey look at the flowers someone's boyfriend is trying to surprise his girlfriend we should maybe go so we don't ruin it." Stacey brushed if off (very well!) and was like no one is here it will only take a few minutes for me to get the pictures and I said okay. As we walked closer to the bench I saw a note and the name Claire...... Kinda had a blonde moment because even then my first thought was "Oh, that girls name is Claire too!" Really NO clue, my first real clue was went i skimmed down the note and saw "Love Always, Joshua Wayne" I walked away from the bench with my hands in my face and started to cry a lot (kinda like the ugly cry)! I turn around and there is Josh walking around from the other side of the church building!!! WOW, I was speechless all I could do was cry. He walks up to me, he's crying, I am crying, cant see Stacey but Im sure she is crying! And he gives me a small white bible with my new name Claire Lawford (sweet to read but kinda strange to say at first because Ive been a Bazemore for 29 years! But it fits :) So Josh cried through his words and read a verse from Colossians 3:12-14

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Josh told me he chose this verse because the virtues listed are things that reminded him of me!! (Not sure I am always so patient thats for sure but I do try!) And of course to me vs14 is so fitting because when you are bound together with the love of Christ and the love for each other you begin to create perfect unity! He got on one knee and asked ME TO MARRY HIM!!!! Oh such sweet words coming from the sweetest, most loving guy I know! And of course I said yes and we hugged and kissed!!! And during this whole time I forgot Stacey was there (sorry friend, I was a little taken back!) so we have pictures of the whole thing!!! Anyone that knows me knows how much I LOVE having pictures.....I think it helps me remember all the little moments that my memory sometimes forgets. We sat down and Josh started to tell me how the whole process began, from asking my parents for my hand (that was a complete tear jerker!), looking at rings (thanks to Lauren and Beth who first went with me and Beth and Jeff for going with Josh without me having a clue!), and all the other things that lead to this wonderful day!!! I praise and thank the Lord for giving me Josh and cannot wait to share our lives together!

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." Matthew 19:4-6