Ted and I met 1 month after I turned 19 in Jan. 2003. We were both attending Penn Valley Community College. I must admit that I was all signed up to attend SBU, but didn't have a peace about it so I backed out. Praise the Lord that I listened to Him!!! After my 1st semester at Penn Valley I finally had met a friend that I loved hanging out with. We had History together and were really bummed that we didn't have a class together the next semester. After comparing schedules, I decided to see if I could switch the time of my speech class so that Erin and I could be together. I was told that the class was full and I was stuck in my original time slot of Tu/Thur. So, I come in the first Tues and sit in the second to front row (odd for me). I'm sitting quietly watching my class mates come in when Ted walked through the door. I took a second look and had butterflies as he took the seat in front of me. I kept thinking, "wow! He's really cute, and very put together!" Then I watched as he talked to everyone in the class (somethings never change!) I was determined to get to know him! Then a week later we were paired up by the teacher for an in-class assignment. That's when I learned about him and his faith. We were surprised to find out that we shared the same faith and had a lot in common. I don't think we got much done that day, and I would've been content talking to him all day long. Then the next week he asked me to come to church with him, and I turned him down due to me having already made plans. He was shocked that I said no, and I was so scared that he'd never ask me out again. Low and behold one week later he asked, and this time I accepted very quickly! :) Right around this time the wall incident happened...
We would always walk out to the parking garage after class and chat for a minute or two before going our separate ways. This day, Ted decided to hop on a wall while we talked. This wall also had a 5 ft drop to the parking garage below, and he had a backpack on full of books. I see him hop on the wall and glance back only to see his legs up in the air and him going backwards. I was in shock! Not to mention scared to go around the corner for fear of seeing what injuries he suffered. He got up VERY quickly and was white as a ghost with torn pants and blood running down his leg. He was out of it! I walked him to his car and offered to call for help, but he would have nothing of it. That was the day we exchanged numbers and we talked on the phone for the first time that very night. Apparently, he would replay the voicemail I left him over and over to his friends and family. I also learned that after that first day we met, he told his best friend about seeing me and that he wanted to marry me. :)
After that, we were inseparable! We did everything together and we were quickly falling in love! 6 months after meeting he proposed to me on July 15, 2003 in the Rose Garden (the same spot his parents were wed)! We set a wedding date for July 17, 2004. Over our year engagement I can't tell you the amount of conversations that we had of people telling us we were too young and would never make it. I was told that I still had time to back out, but Ted and I didn't listen (Praise the Lord!) we knew we couldn't live a day without each other. I really did come complete the day I married him, and he has made me a better woman. I love him even more 6 years later!
Here's one of our engagement pics...
The famous kiss!
Dancing at our reception together!
So it was on July 17, 2004 that I became Mrs. Theodore Duff! It still gives me goosebumps to say that because I feel so privileged to be called his Helpmeet and his wife! Biblical men are hard to come by these days, and I'm so thankful that the Lord had our paths cross back in 2003.
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