The Story of Us

Well, as you all know, this blog is usually Lisa's forum to keep everyone up to date on the comings and goings of our family. But today is special. It is 12:45am and it is officially our 11th anniversary. So I decided I should take the reigns for one blog and look back over this crazy, wonderful, and often times, loud journey that I have been privaleged to share with the most beautiful girl I know, my best friend, the one and only Lisa Marcum...

So where to begin, well as these stories often do, ours begins with a boy and a girl...

Lisa and I have known each other for years. We've gone to school with each other since the fifth grade, although as we often tell people, we knew OF each other, but didn't really get to know each other until the summer of '96 right after we finished high school.

Now you may think, how can two people go to the same school and really not spend that much time together, especially when you consider we had numerous mutual friends...I like to think that I was too cool for her...after all, I was an officer in the Star Trek club, active in theater, and was in Show Choir...that's right ladies, bow tie, ill fitting tux and a cumberbund...oh yeah I'm still surprised that she wasn't knocking down my door before then...but I digress...

Well as luck would have it, Lisa and I did get a lot of opportunity to spend time together that summer. Several of us got together each night to hang out at one or anothers house. We'd stay up until the early hours of the night playing board games and the occaisional game of car tag (don't ask, my insurance took years to recover...).

Well as fall came, Lisa went off to Washburn and I went to KU. We were just starting to become really good friends, and believe me, neither of us considered we'd be anything more. To me she was a really funny girl, but very HIGH MAINTENANCE, I mean it was 1996 and she already had her cell phone, expensive clothes, and her Dooney and Burke purses. Me, well as I said, I was a lot lower maintenance. I wanted to grow my hair out some, go to KU, try to figure out how to grow a goatee (which I thankfully never figured out), and find a girl that liked theater and spending time outdoors....oh God has a funny sense of humor...

Well our freshman year came and went, and surprisingly, or not if you know me, I found myself driving back to Topeka each weekend to spend time with my friends at Washburn, and importantly, my friend Lisa, who I could not help noticing was hotter each time I visited.

Soon, we started hanging out more and more, just one on one, and then as the song said, there was something there that wasn't there before...that's right, I quoted Beauty and the Beast, I said I was cool...

Problem was, there was something there for me, before there was for her. Unfortunately, the girl that I was falling for was seeing someone else, a 29 year old attorney, yeah he had money, and a sports car...and an apartment, but did he have a cumberbund, could he tell you the registry number of the USS Enterprise...HAH I don't think so, it was all just a matter of time...

Well, for several months I suffered through as Lisa's close friend, we'd talk about her relationship, go to lunch, hang out...and I waited, and sure enough that relationship fizzled out and I was there for the rebound! Score one for me!

For full disclosure, now that I had Lisa's interest, I had absolutely no idea what to do next. After all, being an officer in the Star Trek club may have it's perks in high school, but it didn't necessarily lead one to have a full dance card...Luckily Lisa was patient with me this time as I figured out how to be a decent boyfriend.

Well as I said, we both hung in there, and by February of 1998, Lisa and I officially became an item.

Now mind you, I said I didn't know how to be a good boyfriend, well that was an understatement. For the first several weeks, Lisa had to endure me constantly reminding her how we were still young, that these things often don't work out, and I didn't want to ruin our friendship, so let's keep our eyes open and be realistic. (Yes I know this sounds crazy, especially considering how long I had been considering making a move, but I was 19 at the time, I blame testosterone).

Before you knew it, spring came, then summer and fall, and me, who told Lisa, this was not going to last, was ring shopping by Christmas... and on Christmas Eve, at Bennigans none the less, I proposed to this beautiful girl with a personalized present of "Will You Marry Me-Opoly" and they say romance is dead. But for me, this was pretty romantic. And thankfully, Lisa said yes.

Well there you are, the story of us, who would have guessed 13 years ago that Lisa Marcum and Bob Ross dating would ever work out, who would have foreseen 11 years ago today that when Lisa walked down the aisle to me, that we would be chasing five kids down that same aisle after church each week.

The great thing about being married to Lisa, is that I truly married my best friend. She is still the same girl I can't wait to get home to, to laugh with, to share my fears and hopes with. You know the Bible says that "a wife of noble character is more valuable than rubies and gold." and it's true. I thank God every morning that He whispered in my ear and said, notice Lisa, I have good things in store for you two. Lisa thank you for putting up with me all these years, for loving me, for putting our kids and me first in all you do, you will always be my girlfriend, my best friend, and the joy of my heart. Happy 11th anniversary, I look forward to seeing where our journey leads next!

Love, Bob