When Camo Met Diamonds and Added a Pearl and Crossbow: How Camo Met Diamonds: As Told by Diamonds

Five years ago on April 28, 2007, my life was forever changed. I stood before my family, friends, and most importantly God and pledged my life to Stephen Edward Wyatt, but that's not where our story really begins.

I'd like to add a disclaimer that Stephen's version of this story might not be exactly the same ;)

In July of 1999, my mom and I drove over from Ruston, Louisiana to Nacogdoches, Texas to scope out rent houses and to try and find her a teaching job. While in Lousiana teacher hiring starts in July, unfortunately in Texas it starts as early as April. After going to the central office of NISD and being told their were no openings, my mom back in our hotel room got on the phone and started making phone calls to specific elementary schools. Low and behold, the central office was mistaken and Don Wyatt wanted my mom to come in immediately for an interview at Fredonia Elementary. On the spot mom was unofficially offered the job. Don told her she had truly been an answer to his prayer. If you know my father in law he does not say that lightly, he truly meant it. Little did he know Debbie Pruitt would also be bringing to town with her another answer to his prayers, a prayer he had been praying since the moment his son was born.

While I came to Nacogdoches kicking and screaming God knew exactly what he was doing. I became extremely involved in First Baptist Church and made my life long friends. Among those friends was John Wyatt, the son of my mom's principal. To make this part of the story short my high school boyfriend and I were really good friends with John during the five years that we dated and post breakup.

The summer of 2005 brought the end of my relationship with the high school boyfriend. We took a break that summer while spent the first part in Africa and the second part working at Pine Cove. In August we decided that yes it was official over. While I thought it was the end of my world as a knew it, God knows best.

Because Nacogdoches is a small town, navigating the world of dating can become a very closed circle. I began a fling with one of John's roommates in the Fall of 2005. To make another long story short, during Thanksgiving break that year the high school boyfriend, college fling and Stephen Wyatt were all over at John's apartment playing x-box. When the high school boyfriend left others started to harass the college fling and ask if now that he was gone would Anna becoming coming over. This somewhat peaked Stephen's curiosity and he wanted to know who this Anna girl was they were all talking about. John told him I was a friend from high school that went to church with them. I guess that explanation was not enough and Stephen wanted to see what I looked like so he added me on Facebook.

Seeing the little red number one above the friend request on Facebook I clicked it, Stephen Wyatt. I assume Stephen Wyatt is one of John's older brothers, accept. And so entered Stephen Wyatt into my life. Fast forward a week.

At the end of the worst semester of my college career, attributed to staying out too late, skipping too much class and generally rebelling against everything I knew to be right, I got shingles. Might I make a side note here that I would not wish shingles on my worse enemy!!! While up late one night not being able to sleep from the pain I decided to upload my pictures from Africa in an album on Facebook. While labeling the pictures I miss named a wildebeest as a water buffalo. Why I have no clue because they do not look anything alike and I do know the difference. The next morning I have a notification that someone has commented on a picture. I click it and Stephen, who has a Forestry and Wildlife undergrad degree, has corrected me letting me know it is actually a Water buffalo. I respond and tell him I know that, I had posted that picture late at night and was on pain killers because I had shingles. Now Stephen, who is currently in Pharmacy School, begins to ask me how old I am and what meds I am taking.

And so began our online friendship. We began instant messaging and while he was supposed be studying for his finals, he was staying up till two or three in the morning messaging with me. Several days into the marathon messaging sessions he asks me what my plans are for the upcoming Wednesday. A little bummed because I was hoping he was about to ask me out, I had to tell him that I was flying to Alabama to see my parents for Christmas. He asked me when I would be returning and I said New Years Eve. Next he asked if I had plans for New Years. I kid you not, out loud sitting at my computer desk I said to myself, "I do now," as I simply typed no. So he asked me if he could pick me up from the airport and we could go out and maybe John and Erin could come out with us. I said sure that sounded like fun.

So for the next two and a half weeks while I was in Alabama we talked on the phone every night from about eleven to three sometimes four in the morning. We talked about everything from our past relationships to our life goals to how many kids we wanted to have. It was like I already knew him before I met him.

Mom my made sure that I knew that if this Stephen guy had not been Don Wyatt's son there was no way she was going to let her 20 year old be picked up by a 27 year old stranger! So off I went from the Birmingham Airport to meet what I was almost certain would be my husband.

Funny side story. Alabama was playing in some NYE bowl game in Dallas and there were several Alabama fans on the flight. When the plane landed I immediately called my mom and told her how nervous I was! These two college guys behind me heard our conversation and when I got off the phone they asked if I was meeting someone I had never met. I told them yes and they asked if they could follow me because they wanted to see what happened. Obviously I said no! One because they were creepers and two because they were Alabama fans;)

I called Stephen as I got to baggage claim so we could find each other. Confession, I saw him and immediately turned my back. I was so nervous and wanted him to have to approach me rather than me approach him. After we found each other we got my baggage and then headed to walk around the Galleria to kill some time before John and Erin arrived. Man I wanted to hold his hand so badly, but I didn't have the nerve to reach over and do it! We ate at Carraba's that evening and then went back to the condo and the boys made us homemade ice cream. We played trivial pursuit and just hung out late into the night. Eventually he reached over and held my hand :) It was like I was a kid again and I liked it!

We all went back to Nacogdoches the next day and I was anxious to know if he'd call and we'd see each other again before he headed back to Houston. The morning of January 2, I woke up with the worst stomach virus I have had probably in my life! I was throwing up every thirty minutes. I held on till 8:00 and made it to MD2. The Doctor, after telling me I "looked like shit," direct quote might I add, gave me a shot and then some scrips and sent me home to ride it out. I didn't' have the energy to go get the scripts filled so I just went back to the apartment. Eventually Stephen called and I had to tell him I was sick. He asked if there was anything he could do and I asked him to go get my meds. I was completely embarrassed because of the way I looked. He returned with not just my scripts, but sprite and popsicles. I thought he would leave, but instead he stayed, all day. It was at the end of that night that I knew I would marry him. I was at my absolute worse and there he sat not caring.

My Birthday 2006

So to make a long story longer, skip forward eleven days to January 13, my birthday. On our way to Houston to celebrate, he tells me he's falling in love with me to which I responded, "I know." Later that night I did tell him I loved him. He asked me if there was anything else I knew and I said yes, but didn't feel like it was my place to say. He explained that because of things from a past relationship he really felt like it was. So hesitantly I said I was going to marry him, to which he replied, "I know."

I look back now and see God's hand in it all, from our move to Nacogdoches, to Don hiring my mom, to our joining First Baptist Church, and even to the people I dated. Truly all things do work for the good of those who love the Lord!

Below are just a few random pictures from over the past six years that Stephen and I have known each other. We look like babies in some of them!

First Visit to Alabama to Meet the Family in February 2006

Short Side Story. Stephen came to Alabama with me in April right before I left to go to Africa for the Summer of 2006. The whole purpose of the trip was so that he could ask my dad if he could marry me. Needless to say his first attempt at talking to my dad was interrupted by his largest catch to date, 9.1 lbs! So I'm not sure what was more exciting: his catch or my dad giving his blessing. Stephen was a brave man to ask such a question in a small boat in the middle of a lake;)