Christmas is a special time of year. Holiday music sets the tone for romantic strolls through colorfully lit parks. Sparkling decorations match the sparkle in a couple’s eyes. And the snow (when Nashville actually gets some!) sets the perfect scene for this most whimsical season. For one Nashville newlywed, Christmas this year means more. It marks the beginning of a new and wonderful life with her husband.
    It all began five years ago, during their freshman year at Lipscomb University. Brennan Aerts was assigned to a seat in the row behind Khara Lord during Lipscomb’s chapel services. On that first day, Khara surveyed the room of strangers, and her eyes met Brennan’s. “I was instantly drawn to him,” she says.
    They started talking and, though Khara was seeing someone else at the time, she felt a strong connection to Brennan. They immediately became close ... as friends. They spent most of their time hanging out and writing songs. Over many nights filled with music, long talks and laughter, their friendship grew stronger.
    “I found that the more time we spent together, the more he amazed me. I was mesmerized when he played his guitar.”
    Khara eventually broke up with her boyfriend, vowing to focus all of her attention on her career, which would either be music or mission work. When, after returning from a 10-day mission trip to Guatemala, she was offered a publishing deal, her plans were clear. Music was the direction she was headed.
    As Khara continued to focus on her music, she also continued spending time with Brennan. Then, one night, it all clicked for her. She was not only falling hard for him ... her friend ... but she also heard wedding bells in her head. Alarmed by this unexpected change of feelings, Khara called her best friend to tell her that she had found the one. And it was Brennan.
    “She was so used to the career-driven Khara that she was convinced she was talking to anyone but me,” Khara recalls.
    At the same time, Brennan’s feelings were changing as well. After hanging out at his parents’ house, Brennan asked his father, “Is it just me, or does Khara get prettier and prettier every time she comes over?”
    On December 1, 2003, with the Christmas spirit all around them, they went on their first date ... a night out with another couple. At the end of the evening, when Brennan took Khara back to her dorm, he gave her a hug. When he pulled away, his cheek brushed hers, and they had their first kiss.
    Over the next four years, Christmas became their holiday. When it was time to break out the decorations and music, it was also time to celebrate another year in love.
    On their fourth anniversary, Brennan took Khara to the Pancake Pantry for a special breakfast and then to a few jewelry stores to go ring shopping, reassuring her that once he had the money saved, he would get her the perfect ring. After looking at dozens of diamonds, they strolled through Lipscomb’s campus, starting at the place where they first met. They walked through the courtyard where they had many long conversations. Then he took her to her old dorm where he used to wait for her so they could walk to class together. Finally, they walked to the place where they had their first kiss. Brennan told Khara that he wanted to have another kiss in that same spot. Then he looked at her and said, “Since this is where we had our first kiss, and since we have a lot of history here, this is where I want to ask you to be my wife.”
    He pulled out a ring box that had been in his coat pocket the entire day, got down on one knee and proposed to the woman of his dreams. Overcome with excitement and shock, she blurted out a hearty, “No way!”
    “I couldn’t think of anything else to say because the ring was just so gorgeous,” Khara reflects. “And I didn’t think he had one picked out yet.” Once the initial shock wore off, she reassured him that yes, she would indeed marry him.
    It’s been three months since they married, and they are so excited about their first Christmas as newlyweds. “We’ve never gotten to spend Christmas day together because we were always with our families,” Khara says, with an almost tangible excitement in her voice.
    The newlyweds have already bought their first Christmas tree, and they have spent plenty of time decorating it and their new loft while listening to some classic Christmas music.
    “When Christmas day comes, I plan on making a huge breakfast — French toast, sausage, hash browns — all the good, home-cooked foods that warm the heart!” she says. “I’m just so excited to be celebrating with Brennan on the actual day.
    “Christmas has always held a special place in our hearts,” she adds, “and I look forward to the many more we’ll get to spend together.”