The Begining

Hi, we are the Weigands. We (Chad and Libby) decided to start a blog so our family and friends can see and hear what's going on in our lives in a dynamic way. From day to day activities, or life events that we might be important to others, you will find it mentioned/photographed/videographed here. If you have any suggestions for this blog, please let us know! We also would love to hear what you think of our blog from time to time.

On our first blog, I would like to introduce us in case you don't know our story thus far. Since my wife Libby and I have written our "Love" story from our own perspectives, I will be reposting them below word for word starting off with Libby's version. Each story was written independently without having read the other's story first.

According to Libby:  December 8, 2010…I honestly thought it would just be another random coffee date with Chad. I had been asked by Debbie Gibson to lead the youth to Iron Mountain over New Year’s Eve.  Knowing that I could not just take girls, I asked Chad what he was doing over New Years.  I am sure he thought I was asking him out, but HA!! I was getting him to lead the youth on this small adventure. I knew if he would ever see me as a potential girlfriend, he was going to have to see me follow him. He said YES!! I was so excited, but yet still apprehensive since I knew he had other interests in California.  The more we talked and hung out in the cold for about 2 hours after Cups closed,  the more I realized that the “interest”  was not going to be an ‘interest’ for very long.  “DO I HAVE A CHANCE??”  You see, I had been noticing Chad and what type of Godly man he was for months.  He was always willing to help me with whatever I needed for the Children’s Ministry. Breanne Mclendon and Tedra Brister had been telling me since October’s Trunk or Treat that he had a crush on me.  I knew there was an age difference and figured that would be a problem, but secretly wished he did want to ask me out. 

      The day we were to announce and get kids to sign up was the day Daddy passed away.  During that hard time and our planning for the trip, I began to see and fall in love with Chad’s heart.  The way he was not only passionate about doing what God wanted him to do, but how he was striving for excellence in all he was doing.  I thanked God daily for a friend that Chad had become to me during the next couple of weeks.

      As the trip approached, Chad and I began to notice how God had weaved our lives similar to each other.  We both had the same passions for God and for our youth.  I noticed that he was different to me, but I had been wrong in the past, so I kept my guard up.  Even though I had others (Breanne, Tedra, and Melissa Perdue) trying to tell me otherwise.  As we boarded the van on December 30, 2010, each of us knew that this trip was not only for the youth, but also for us.  WOW..if we had only known.  During the trip there and during the entire conference, people kept referring to us as a married couple.  Chad did not flinch at all when it was mentioned.  I continued to question in my mind what was going on.  As Chad began to talk to me about the future with the youth, I knew I had to speak up to guard my heart.  I asked Chad what he thought God was doing between us.  After sitting there hearing his excuses on why he couldn’t. I just kept thinking I was being rejected. He then asked me what I thought.   I point blank told Chad that we would be foolish not to see what God was doing.  He changed his answer.  You see, he had been noticing me too. He just wanted an opportunity to show me.  I sat there in awe and disbelief listening to him tell me all of his thoughts up to that point.    After discussing what we should do next, he decided that January 15th, he would pursue me. Being the type of man that he is, he had to take care of something in California. When he returned on January 15^th he kept that promise to me in ways I could never have imagined or dreamed possible...We have been blessed and amazed at all God has done for us to prepare for our future before and now.  All of this because we were obedient and said, “YES”!

According to Chad: Normally, I would enjoy my holidays with family, food, and good times. However, New Years of 2011 would prove to be quite contrary to tradition. Before I get into my non-traditional New Years, you must first understand my relationship with Libby Wynn prior to that day. I remember the first time I met Libby Wynn. It was December of 2008 at the First Baptist Jackson Carols by Candlelight program. Meeting her then, I never imagined I would know her as I do now. Libby and I went to church together and would occasionally talk to each other working in the back of the church with the children. Eventually, Libby’s and my friendship began to grow and SHE got the guts to ask me out to get some coffee. It was a simple gesture that had no implied intentions other than to drink coffee and talk to one another. We both enjoyed that time together, so she arranged later coffee meetings (“dates” if you will…) with me.

       In October of 2010, Libby and I got a chance to work with each other during our church’s “Trunk or Treat.” It was at that time that Libby began to realize there might be a possibility that I might like her as more than a friend. She had already begun to like me during the summer from which, for your information, she tried to hook me up with someone else. It was at that time (during the summer) that I also found out that she told my mother that she would “date me if she was younger.” So, knowing two bits of information, the fact that she wouldn’t be interested in me because she was older and that she was trying to hook me up with someone else, I felt I couldn’t have feelings for her other than being just friends. During Trunk or Treat, however, other people found it quite evident that I did in fact have feelings for her. I guess I’m not very good at hiding my feelings. So, for the next two months it was awkward in a sense for the both of us since we both had feelings for each other but felt we couldn’t show it. This didn’t hinder us though from still doing stuff together.

       From Trunk or Treat on, Libby and I still continued to meet for coffee every once in a while. The most significant time happened at the beginning of December, 2010. It was at the Cups in Brandon that Libby and I met for one of our seemingly normal coffee “dates.” This meeting would prove to be anything but normal. We started off just talking about the usual stuff; you know, like life, family, work, and the like. Then, she “popped” the question that would forever change our future: “what are you doing for New Years?” Those seven words caught me off guard because I knew she wasn’t going to be asking if I wanted coffee on New Years. Out of curiosity and simply because I had nothing going on, I said that I was “free, why?” Then she asked me if I would be willing to help her take the youth at our church to a camp over the New Years holiday. Now, up until this point I had always had a heart for youth and knew I always wanted to work with youth some day, but I didn’t know that day would be the New Years holiday. Excitedly, I said “YES!” We talked and talked for what seemed like only an hour but ended up being over 3 hours. We talked so much that we even carried our conversation outside of Cups upon closing for an hour longer in 30 degree weather. When we decided to finally part and go home my heart felt a longing.

      The longing in my heart was a feeling of happiness and desire. I really enjoyed Libby and mines conversation and just being able to hang out with her. I desired greatly to spend as much time as I could with her and tried my best to find ways to do such. From that point on, both Libby and I knew there was some kind of special connection between us. However, there was a great boundary that kept us from pursuing or expressing these feelings we had… she felt that I would never be interested in her because she was older, and I felt that she would never be interested in me because of what my mother told me she said about the fact that she would date me IF she were younger. Though this boundary was big, we still felt a connection that drew us closer and closer to each other.

      After many Cups meetings, several phone conversations, all money collected, we were set to go to the Christian Motorcycle Association Iron Mountain Youth Conference. From the moment we got on the van together, Libby and I began a journey toward a greater relationship with God and a greater relationship with each other. Still to that point we had never discussed the possibility of dating, but it was quite obvious to everyone else that we liked each other. There was a sort of un-discussed tension because of this between Libby and me. That’s not to disregard the fact that the kids kept mentioning it from the moment we arrived at Iron Mountain that Thursday, December 30^th. The kids, by the way, had present many challenges during our trip that tested me and my ability to lead them. This, however, did not change Libby’s feelings toward me.

      As the trip went on, Libby and I had the opportunity to see how well we work together and a chance to focus on each other as well. We both started to feel an even deeper connection to each other through the course of the week. On the eve of New Years day, January 1^st, 2011, Libby decided to make a choice. She couldn’t go on not knowing whether or not we were going to date because she needed to protect her heart if we weren’t. She pretty much knew I liked her, but there was still a little doubt due to the boundary that was there. So, while the youth were in one of their last meetings of the trip, she asked me where this is going. I, being the less obvious thinking one, thought she was referring to the youth. Never in my life would I have thought she was talking about us. Fortunately, she was talking about us and what will happen in the future.

      I was so shocked when she asked the question that I fumbled around the answer when I finally realized what she was actually asking. Due to the “she won’t date me because she’s older” mindset, I immediately came back with excuses why she shouldn’t date me. Inside though, I really wanted to tell her everything I have felt for the past few months. When I came back with immediate answers of why she shouldn’t date me, she was crushed and felt stupid for even asking the question. As if the feelings she had all this time were in fact NOT mutual as she had thought. Luckily, I finally came to my senses after digesting the question for a second or two and asked her if I could change my answer. Being the amazingly sweet person she is, and hoping what I said wasn’t really how felt, she let me explain the truth about my feelings. We discussed how it was most definitely a God thing that both of us were on this trip together. How God knew a plan for us to be together, but it wasn’t until a right time in our relationship with God that He would allow us to be together. During that trip, my personal relationship with God reached a level I have never experienced before. In obedience to Him, He allowed me to have Libby, an answer to a lifetime prayer.

      We knew we were meant to be together from that moment on. She became my girlfriend, my best friend, and some day… my wife. God has blessed us over and over so many times in our relationship and I can truly say I’m one of the happiest men on earth. Our relationship has been a result of obedience to God. As we continue to obey and focus on Him, our relationship grows stronger with Him and with each other. Desiring each day just to be with each other is hard when we can’t. But, we both know the end result will be a lifetime together in the strongest relational bond God has created with two people on earth not related by blood… marriage.

This is our story... ENJOY! My wife and I got married on July 23rd, 2011. We currently have been married for almost 7 months now. The best 7 months of my life! There is more current information I will post in future blogs, but for now I hope you have enjoyed this blog.

God Bless!