Our Story

Just yesterday I was reading Mama Jenn's blog where she told how she and her hubby met. What a great idea and amazing timing since today is our anniversary.

The story begins on May 2, 1992 on a Big Ten campus somewhere in the Midwest. Saturday night a couple of weeks before finals is not a pretty sight. Most people are in sweat clothes, no one bothers to wear make-up and I have no idea if I had combed my hair that day or not. One of my sorority sisters begged me to go with her to visit this guy she was dating. She didn't want to go alone because he would be with a bunch of his frat brothers. I reluctantly agreed and off we went.

When we walked through the door of the apartment there were quite a few guys, many of whom we knew, but some we did not. The first one to speak was my handsome honey J. He said, "hey I'm one of those Q-dogs" (his fraternity). I said "so, I'm one of those Zetas" (my sorority) and walked away to sit down. He followed me and we ended up talking all night. By all night I mean until nearly 3am! I was pretty much hooked at that point but didn't really know how not to show it. I really liked the guy. The tough part was that he didn't go to the same school. He was just visiting from a school 45 minutes away. Luckily he had a car so he was able to visit often. Phone bills were crazy high, since this was before unlimited long distance.

That summer he went back home to work while I went to summer school. Home was 2 hours away but he still came to visit most weekends. We had lots of mutual friends and things were good. We dated long distance for 2 years. I graduated in December of 1993 and moved back home to begin my job as a youth counselor at a correctional facility. He graduated the next semester in May 1994 and moved to the same city.

By this point I'm thinking it's time to get married, but J is not one to be rushed. We actually broke up for a few weeks late in the year, but got back together in November. J proposed on December 30 and we married the following year, May 27, 1995.

Now, here we are 14 years later. When I think back over those first 3 years of our relationship I know that God was looking out for me when I was too unaware to look out for myself. He had plans for me when I couldn't see past the moment at hand. He has given me a good man to spend my life with and I am so thankful for him.
Happy Anniversary Honey!

He's a Winner!

My handsome honey is a winner and I'm a witness. Last Saturday we drove 2 1/2 hours so he could participate in the USA Track & Field Masters SE Regional Meet. He ran 800M in an impressive 2:12. Here he is before the race.


To the right is him just before the finish. IJ took this great picture.
Would you believe that I have no pictures of him with his medal? Not sure how that happened, but here he is after the race with the boys. We are so proud of his accomplishment.

Great Visit

You know what they say, all good things must come to an end. Mom was here for 2 wonderful weeks. We were able to do quite a bit while she was here. Shopping is always high priority, so we did a little of that. On her first Saturday evening we went to an outdoor concert where we enjoyed singing along to some wonderful music. On her birthday we went to my friend Jane's house. We also did a little house shopping. Did I mention that Mom is falling in love with this wonderful southern city? I would be beyond ecstatic if she decides to make the move. One of my favorite activities was our trip to a local historical site where we watched rifle and cooking demonstrations set during the 1845 Mexican-American conflict.

The ladies of the sites cooking guild were preparing lunch while we watched. Spinach salad, asparagus stew with bacon and fresh bread were on the menu. Everything was made authentically over an open fire in the cookhouse. I spoke with the ladies extensively and learned when they meet to practice recipes. I was invited to watch them at their twice monthly meetings, and perhaps join the guild in the future when a spot opens up.

Here are the boys outside the cookhouse. Below is a gentleman doing some woodworking. I never did find out what he was making, but he sure did have some sharp tools. This was a really great local treasure. It just further solidifies my belief that learning happens all the time...even when you're on spring break. I will share more about Moms visit in the next post.