Our Story

Caution: This one is a bit long.


Okay, so here's the story....
(All conversations on facebook or text messages are word for word how it was said. I saved everything because I am weird. Phone convos or in person convos are pretty accurate because I have a fabulous memory! :) )


Richard was working at River Oaks Hospital when my sister-in-law, Amy McDonald Etheridge, went into labor (February 10, 2009). I was working at Sumner Hill Junior High School at the time and was unable to get up to the hospital until 3:30 that day. Around lunch, mom and her sister (my aunt), Susan, decided to go to the River Oaks Hospital Cafeteria to grab something to eat when mom recognized Richard and Richard recognized my mom.


Side note::: Richard and I went to the same high school: Hillcrest Christian School. He graduated in 2002 and I graduated in 2004. Though I cheered and he played football, we never said one word to each other, nor did we ever even pass each other in the hall ways. We did know of each other, but that was it. My mom was a substitute teacher for Hillcrest for several years and got to know a lot of the students there, one being Richard. She had always said she liked him, because he was a good student, quiet, clean, etc. ha. So that explains why she would recognize him and talk to him.


So anyways, Richard said hello to my mom and if you know my mother, she got extremely excited to talk and began asking the poor boy all these questions about his life. Mostly “are you single? Why are you single? Do you want to be single? I have a daughter that is single.” Richard, being normal, told her that he was just really busy with trying to get into Pharmacy school and working. Of course this just made him all the more attractive to my mother. “Well you should look her on facebook and catch up! She’s really cute and single! Remember her??” Aunt Susan threw in to look her daughter up (she graduated from Hillcrest in 2005) also; though she was not single. Ha! Richard told them both thanks, he was just too busy. Mom responded with, “Well that is just perfect. Lana is really busy too!!” How this made the match better I am not sure, but she was determined. Poor Richard, he never had a chance.


When I arrived at River Oaks later to see my precious niece’s birth, Momma was so thrilled to tell me who she had run into earlier.
“Do you remember Richard Wakefield??? He is sooo cute!! AND he is single! Like you!! I told him to look you up!! I decided not to offer your number since that doesn’t seem to work!”
I replied with, “Well thanks mom! I really appreciate you not giving out my number! I’d appreciate it more if you would quit pimping me out and making me sound desperate!!! I am happy! Remember??”
She says, “Oh no! I made sure not to make you sound desperate! I didn’t even mention past breakups or anything!”
“Wow! Thanks!” I said.
She asked, “Well do you remember him?”
“Yes, I do, whoopee!” I responded sarcastically. “Mom, we didn’t even talk in high school. I just know OF him.”
“Oh but he is so good looking! Me and Aunt Susan were just drooling over him,” still excited about her run in.
“That’s great mom! Maybe you could date him!” I said laughing.
“Oh well, I told him to look you up on facebook. Maybe he will,” she said.


Well I didn’t think anymore of it until the next day when I had a message in my inbox on facebook. Here’s the conversation we had over the next 3 days on facebook.
Richard Anthony Wakefield (February 11 at 8:57pm)
I saw your mother at the hospital yesterday... i had no idea amy and will were having a baby!... congrats on being an aunt...
anyhow she informed me you were at mc and teaching... best wishes.. oh and how are you?
Lana Queen (February 12 at 8:21pm)
Hey! Yeah... I couldn't believe it either, about Will and Amy. Truthfully, they weren’t planning on it for a while. haha.
So you work at River Oaks? That’s great! I didn’t realize that is what you went into. Not that I thought you went into anything actually. ha.
I'm glad to know you know who I am. =]
I am teaching in Clinton and I LOVE IT!
I'm doing great... how about yourself?
P.S. love the profile pic by the way. haha =]
Richard Anthony Wakefield (February 13 at 8:20am)
well... it is good to hear from you!... and of course I know who you are! your profile pic is pretty awesome too! where are you living now?... anyhow if your ever in the neighborhood let me know!
Lana Queen (February 13 at 6:34pm)
I live in Raymond. What neighborhood? Jackson? ha
Richard Anthony Wakefield (February 13 at 7:17pm)
ah... so you still live on west parks? and yes... that's my way of saying look me up: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Lana Queen (February 13 at 7:20pm)
Oh yeah, still here. I would move if I had the money... oh well for now.
Gotcha... I definitely will. Well you do the same: xxx-xxx-xxxx


Truth was, neither of us were about to call the other one first. We were both thinking, he’ll/she’ll call if he/she wants to and I’ll wait for that!
Well, on Valentine’s Day (the next day) I sent out a mass text message saying “Happy Valentines’ Day!” to several of my friends, and I figured, “Well, I could send it to him also, and then it wouldn’t be like I actually took the time to send only him something!” So I did.
He of course thought I had only sent it to him! Ha!
We got to talking through text messages and decided to set up a date night.
He wanted to cook for me! I was thrilled because I LOVE TO EAT!!! He said Italian food was his specialty and he’d make lasagna! I said that Italian food was my favorite to eat! I, flirtingly said, “I’ll bring dessert.” Hello!!! I meant myself, but he said, “GREAT!! What are you going to make?”
“Umm…. I don’t know?! Do you like chocolate?” I said slightly caught off guard.
“YES!” He said. “Anything chocolate is good, and the more chocolate the better!”
I wish I could remember the date we set, but about two days before our date I receive a text message asking if I’d like to get some coffee at Starbucks because he wanted to take a study break. The truth was “NO!!!” I had been coaching cheerleading lessons at the church gym and looked and probably smelt a mess! Plus I didn’t drink coffee at the time! However, I was afraid to say no. I feared he would think I wasn’t interested and he’d cancel our date, so I said “sure!”
I figured I might as well let him see me all a mess anyways!
So I met him at Starbucks in Clinton. He was looking oh so cute in his green sweater that made his eye jump out at me! Leaning back on his chair, sippin’ his coffee, looking all smooth and relaxed! I was a nervous wreck! He kept asking me if I’d like something to drink and I kept saying no, I don’t drink coffee. It seemed to really bother him that I didn’t want anything. Ha!
Anyways, we just caught up on our lives and discussed high school a bit. It was wonderful. It really made me look forward to our real date.
So the day of the date comes up and mom asked me, “Hey, what are you going to make for the dessert?”
I said, “Oh he isn’t really going to cook for me. We talked about that over a week ago. Guys don’t really cook!”
Mom’s eyes got big, and she said, “Lana, I think he is serious! I would at least take something over there to make just in case!”
So I ran to the store and picked up my cake mix and a can of cherry pie filling and some brown sugar to sprinkle on the top of it. Thinking, well if he does cook, it is probably like Stouffer’s Lasagna, right??
Well, when I got to his parent’s home, I walked in to the aroma of something so yummy, I felt like those cartoons that get lifted off the floor and just float towards the food by following the steam. He had made homemade salsa, was in the process of taking homemade bruschetta out of the oven, and was in the process of creating homemade lasagna!!! Needless to say, I wanted to hide my Pillsbury cake mix. Not to mention when I did actually get to make the cake that night, it took forever! I couldn’t get the middle of the stupid thing to cook all the way through!!! Priceless!
That night was a lot of fun!! We laughed a lot and talked a ton!!! He won me over that night. Dang my extra sensitive taste buds that love Italian food!!!!!!

So anyways, we hung out a lot after that. Just about every day actually.
Richard found out he was accepted to Samford McWhorter School of Pharmacy at the beginning of July I believe. So he was going to have to move to Birmingham at the 1st of August. We had talked about marriage but I honestly figured we’d get engaged around Christmas and plan a wedding for the summer. Boy was I incorrect!
He talked to my daddy on July 12, 2009 and picked up the ring on July 13, 2009. He picked the ring up during his lunch break. He couldn't wait so he planned to take me to dinner that night when he got out of his night class, but he couldn't even wait for that. It is a hilarious story.
I was suppose to bring him lunch that day at River oaks and he called me right before I left to tell me that they were really really busy, and he wouldn't be able to eat with me. I told him I would bring him something anyway even if we couldn't sit and eat together. (he was actually buying the ring at lunch apparently)
After I took his lunch to him, I went across the street to my mom's office and was hanging out there all afternoon because there was a horrible storm. He called me at like 2:45 and asked me if he could come by and say hey to me and mom. He has done this before many times: Nothing unusual yet. I said sure that I'd love to see him.
He then texted me and said he couldn't get away, and asked if I could just come by there before I headed home. He told me if I could to park in the ER. I was a little irritated (not really sure why) but said yes, give me a few.
I got my stuff together and got in the car and apparently I wasn't fast enough for him, because when I was at the stop sign right before getting to his work, HE pasted ME! He waved me down and pointed me back to the Children's Clinic Parking lot. When we got there he got in my car and we were just talking as we usually do. Being all silly and twitterpated. You know, oh I have missed you so much today, I love you so much! I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you... blah blah blah... I know some of you are in the process of finding a barf bag now. But I must tell you that this is normal coming from him, so still nothing wired. THEN he started to act strange. He was really fidgety and nervous acting. He asked me how much I loved him, and I said enough to spend the rest of my life with him. He said, "really Like Really really??"
He had asked me if I'd marry him many times before sweetly but just kind of flirting and messing around, but this time he pulled out the ring. It wasn't even in a box, and he said will you marry me Lana Queen and he slid it on my finger. I wear my "true love waits" ring on my left hand and he said..."You can take that off now, because you don't have to wait anymore. I'm here!" He said a bunch of other really sweet stuff, but I was so caught off guard that I couldn’t remember anything! I cried and said I don't even remember what all you said, but yes yes yes... what am I going tell people when they ask how you proposed??
He had to return straight to work that very moment!! He basically took his 15 minute break to propose in a parking lot in horrible weather! =) I couldn't be happier and I couldn't have asked for it in any other way. It was perfect!!!! So unlike him!!!!!
I love that he was soooooo nervous ad excited! That’s what makes it!!

P.S. So I asked Richard write down what he said to me so I could tell people and besides I told him I wanted to remember. haha. Now that I'm not so jumpy and shaky I can truly grasp what he was saying so he told me again and wrote it in a message to me. So girls.... be very jealous! =)

"... like i said ... do you ever feel like the world slows down for those who are in love? I do! because that's how it feels with you! truly every moment i am with you time sincerely stops altogether and the universe, for a time, revolves around you! Lana Queen i cannot imagine what a horrible existence it would be without you in this world to give me the love, encouragement, and support i need to believe that there must truly be a God at work who could create such a beautiful creature!... YOU! I cannot even hold back a simple secret because my love for you is so overwhelming. I cannot stop the inevitable smile the pours from the bounty of love i have in my soul! never forget that even after I meet my father... I love you NOT loved OR did love... still do! And always will!"

(The two above pictures where once we all got home, the day we got engaged. The below pic is after we went out to eat that night at Julep to celebrate.

So, he asked me to marry him on July 13, 2009, I resigned from my job at Sumner Hill on July 27, 2009, got married on November 28, 2009, moved to Birmingham November 29, 2009.

 

Here we are!! Living happily married in Birmingham, AL. Richard is attending Samford for Pharmacy School and works a couple of nights a week at Walgreens in the Pharmacy.

I worked for a school that is within a church (Shades Mountain Christian School) in January through May, then I worked at a summer camp at the same church for the summer, and now I am currently training and working part time with the Seattle Drip Coffee Company and Sylvan Learning Center.

I love being married! I love Richard so much I cannot express it in words, and though trying to find work, getting Alabama teaching certified, and being a grown up and having to pay bills isn’t oh so much fun, I wouldn’t trade it for anything!!!!

I do miss my family back in Raymond. I miss my friends. I miss the slower pace and gravel roads. Just because Alabama is a southern state, Birmingham is not so country southern as what I am used to. However, I really love the city, and it has been such fun getting to learn it with my best friend!

Now that I have you all caught up on most everything, the next blog shouldn’t be this long!! :)

Until next time, count your blessing, tell your family and friends you love them, and praise God!!

Our families <3