Our Love Story
For several years, they would glance at each other across the sanctuary at Oak View Baptist on Sunday mornings. They knew each other, but they didn't really know each other. Beth went to High Point University, and Drew attended North Carolina State University.
Years passed and sometimes they would say hey, but were usually too shy to say much else (yes, Beth Burroughs was shy around boys she thought were really cute). Even when they both accompanied the youth group on church camp trips, they didn't say much to each other. After college Drew moved back to High Point to start work and Beth moved to Boone to get her Master's at Appalachian State. The timing wasn't right yet.......
When Beth was in her first year teaching at Southwest High School (2015), she sent Drew a Facebook message (ah, the era of social media) asking about apartments because she was looking to move out of her parents' house. She was also looking for the conversation to lead to more. She knew he was single because his cousin Holly had mentioned to a mutual friend (Ashley) that she'd like to set them up, and Ashley had mentioned it to Beth over dinner in NYC in August. After messaging for a couple days Drew asked for Beth's number, so that was good... it just took about ten months to lead to an actual date. :)
They texted back and forth during that "school year" about random things, but for some reason didn't hang out until April, when Drew met Beth and her best friend Margaret at Liberty Steakhouse for dinner. April 17th, 2016. He was a lot more charming in person than over text. He had a cute sense of humor and paid for both girls' food. That night, Beth Tweeted three face-with-heart-eyes emojis before going to bed, but still didn't think this encounter would lead to anything more (after all, she was still holding out for Tim Tebow lolol).
Speaking of Tim Tebow, Beth texted Drew in May and joked that he should be her date to prom (chaperoning) since she had asked Tebow and he had said no. Drew laughed it off and never said yes or no (foreshadowing of Beth's response 2.5 years later during the proposal). Well, at least she tried. He was obviously either not interested or really couldn't take a hint. She went to prom alone but still had a great time. She didn't hear from Drew much again until June, and it was when she least expected it...
At the very end of June, Beth was at the airport in Atlanta, on her way back from her first Alpha Chi Omega convention in Orlando. Her flight was delayed, and she just wanted to make it home. She had no idea that this layover time would change the rest of her life!
Out of the blue, Drew texted her, making small talk and then asked if she wanted to come to his family's lake house for the 4th of July. She thought this was weird since they hadn't really hung out much (lol) but looking back the gesture was really sweet. She was just very confused because they'd been talking about hanging out and never really had, and now this. Drew told Beth to have a safe flight, and when the plane finally took off, she put her phone in airplane mode and pondered the conversation they'd just had. She expected not to hear from Drew for another month or so, just like it always had been. She had no idea that the reality would be that they would be talking every single day for the rest of their lives from that day forward. :)
Beth did not go to the lake house, as she was in Texas for the 4th of July, but Drew did make a point to hang out with Beth before she left for the Lone Star State the next week. She was having her friend Margaret over and Drew wanted to come over as well. He showed up looking adorable in a collared shirt that she knew he had changed into just to come over. He arrived before Margaret got there, and Beth's roommate wasn't in. Beth and Drew were shy around each other in person still (I guess they were enthralled by how cute each other looked). After a few minutes Beth texted Margaret "Hurry up Drew is already here and it's awkward!!!"
The night ended up being just fine. With Margaret there, Beth and Drew were both more comfortable to be themselves, and that was a crucial part of their getting to know each other as friends first. That has always been something they feel is important - getting to truly know someone on a friend level before rushing into something romantic.
Drew texted Beth the whole time she was in Texas with Alex visiting their friend Ashland. Beth was starting to think that A) this could actually lead to something and B) that she was really enjoying getting to know Drew better, whatever that meant! When Beth got back to NC, she and Drew hung out in group settings with friends a few more times before he asked her on an actual date...
He asked her on a warm Monday night, in the company of her friends Margaret and Alex, if she had plans Thursday night. She did not. He asked if she would like to go see the new Ghostbusters movie.
Thursday rolled around and Beth was actually really excited. She had come to enjoy Drew's company way more than she had imagined. She realized there was more to him than a quiet and shy dude. He picked her up at her house and the car ride was SUPER awkward. There was definitely a different feel to this hangout than times sitting at her house talking for hours and watching TV (during those times they'd be talking about everything, and before they knew it three hours had passed!). They were both nicely dressed and almost the only people in the movie theatre. Ghostbusters was hilarious, and afterward as they were walking to the car, Beth felt a tinge of a sense of real contentment and wondered "Could this be the future??"
Drew dropped Beth off at her house right after the movie. Didn't ask if she wanted to go eat or do anything else. He said he was hungry and was going to get food, and just dropped her off (LOL). She thought this was really odd, but knew that he was probably flustered and didn't know what else to do. She still jokes about it with him to this day, and he gets defensive. But secretly, she thought it was really cute :)
Over the next few weeks, as Beth and Drew continued to spend time together, their friendship grew stronger. Beth wanted to make sure that Drew was the Lord's will for her, and that she went about this the right way, so she took some time to travel to Boone, NC and go to one of her favorite spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway and pray about the situation. It was a sweet moment, and she asked the Lord to reveal to her if she should move forward in this relationship. She had such peace about Drew after praying on the Parkway that day.
Beth and Drew were eventually sure they were ready to take the next step. But like everything else in their 'relationship' so far, Drew had a different idea of how to approach the conversation.
They were in Boone for Beth's friend Taylor's birthday on August 12, 2016. Beth was driving her car - The Black Pearl - down HWY 321 with Drew in the passenger seat. They had just left Wal-Mart, with a pack of Oreos and other goodies. Derek Minor's "Right By My Side" was playing as Drew gathered up the confidence to ask, "So what are we? Are we like dating or what?"
HOW ROMANTIC RIGHT?!?!?!?!!??!?!?!?!
Beth didn't care that this was how Drew was asking her to be his girlfriend because she knew his style by now and she really was just so glad that a) this was happening in BOONE, her favorite place in the Universe, and b) she knew she wanted to say yes and make it official.
Little did they know, that night was the kickstart to the rest of their lives. In the months and years that have passed, they have experienced challenges and struggles, celebrations and the best times of their lives, lived and loved with family and friends, learned lessons, become better people because of each other, made more memories than they can count, and grown to love each other more every day. And this is only the beginning.
On November 21, 2018 Beth held a birthday party for her dog Emery. Anyone who knows Beth knows how much Emery means to her. She is her child, so of course she has birthday parties. Well, this birthday party was quite the event. When it was time for Emery to open her gifts after dinner and cake, Drew began to get nervous. He had something up his sleeve! (Or in his pocket...)
Emery got a lot of treats and toys and was on the last gift. Beth helped her open it and it was a shirt. For a human. They were confused. It said “Off the Market.” Beth began to realize what was going on. All of a sudden Drew was down on one knee with a gorgeous ring and Beth was shocked that this was finally happening (she honestly thought it would happen the next day — Thanksgiving. But she had been more than ready for this for a pretty long time LOL... they had had quite a few conversations about getting engaged and Drew was a little more “patient” than Beth was!!!!! :))))))) But you know what they say - slow and steady wins the race! And Drew has always been very deliberate in decision making.)
ANYWAY, even though Beth knew the engagement was coming, she was very surprised at the delivery of it. It was an absolutely perfect idea — at a birthday party that she had planned for her baby with some of the most important people to her surrounding. Just like when Drew asked her to be his girlfriend, it wasn’t romantic LOL... but it was perfect. You spend your life imagining this fairytale proposal but sometimes the sweetest and most perfect things in life are way different than what you imagined. And Beth knew this from various experiences in life.
Well, Drew was on one knee with a perfect rose gold diamond ring and Beth was nervous and excited and acted like the most awkward idiot and forgot to even say yes. But it was the easiest yes ever! Finally, the cute guy that she used to look at across the sanctuary on Sunday mornings had asked her to share the rest of their lives together. The Lord had orchestrated perfectly His plan and the next step was finally taking place.
Beth and Drew’s engagement season has been hectic and wonderful and celebratory and they cannot wait to spend their lives together and their special day with loved ones!
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