God is writing my love story

When I was 13 years old, my father gave me a heart necklace that has a keyhole and a separate key... and he asked me to allow him to keep the key. He told me that the key (in his safe-keeping) was to be a symbol of the fact that I was allowing him to keep my heart in trust for the man I would one day marry. To a young, idealistic thirteen year old girl, this idea sounded quite romantic. I excitedly agreed. During the last 11 years, I have often pondered exactly what it meant to "guard" my heart for my coming knight. For 11 years, I strove to honor my future husband by saving my romantic love for him.

After these years of waiting and praying and trusting, the time has come. As of November 4, 2007, Isaac Alan Wardell has the key to my heart on a chain around his neck. The key was officially given to him by my parents with their full blessing... and I am sublimely happy. At this point I have full release to fall in love with him and begin to develop a bond that will sustain us for the rest of our lives. And so we are committed, and I'm excitedly awaiting his proposal.