Love Story Contest Entries
It's a Love Story!
Here are the entries in our 2011 Love Story Contest. The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges and announced tomorrow - Sunday, February 13th. Just in time for Valentine's Day!
Didn't enter? No worries - a very special mini-session event is coming your way to celebrate your love!
Without further ado, here are the love stories:
Internet Love
My sister-in-law and brother had divorced many years prior and she had never started dating. We had a very close sisterly friendship and I really wanted her to find someone who would fill the void in her heart, and provide my nephew with the role model that my brother would never be. So I convinced her to place an online personal ad and just give it a try. She would only agree if I too placed an ad. I created this ad describing my perfect man down to the details of height, hair and eye color, and most importantly his job must intake wearing a uniform. I never expected the response that I received.
Young Love
My husband and I have endured incredible hardships that would likely drive any couple apart. For one, we met when my husband was 19 and I was 21. When I think back to all we've had to endure: long distance, cheating, an unplanned pregnancy, collicy baby and deployments, I'm pretty sure there's nothing we can't handle together.
Love on Victory Field
When Nathan got home from Iraq I was waiting for him on Victory field where the buses bring the boys in. We had our first kiss on that field. It would also be the same field I welcomed him home from his 2nd tour of Iraq and is also the place he proposed to me. We had our first baby, a boy, in September of this year. Nathan missed the birth by about 2 months because he was once again deployed.
Long Distance Love
Our chemistry was immediately evident and we realized our mutual friends were spot on about us being a lot alike. Chris and I are getting married back in Indianapolis on September 24, 2011. I am determined to give Chris the wedding and celebration he deserves. Unfortunately, we cannot get engagement pictures with our photographer because of his hectic schedule and upcoming deployments.
Love & Dreams
Even though we are young, we have been through a lot together and have already learned how to be each other’s support system. He soon will be moving to Florida to pursue his dreams. I am still in school and will not be going with him. We both know that this will only make us stronger. We also know that the more we pursue our own dreams the more we can celebrate our lives together.
Second Chance at Love
My husband Rich was at my wedding. He and his wife had driven hours to attend and happily watched me walk down the aisle to marry another man. Fast forward several years and we were still friends, but this time we were both single. We began a long distance relationship that taught us a lot, both about each other and ourselves.
Love Letters
I was working in sales during a period of my life I refer to as my “quarter life crisis”. I was not sure which direction my life was headed but knew it needed a change! Along came a handsome sailor recently enlisted in the navy named Chris. We would always talk for hours and had so much in common. He eventually asked me out on an official date. During this date he said to me “You have to promise me you can’t fall for me” I replied with “well, I can’t promise you that”. Sealed with a kiss, I knew it was done and he was it. We had an amazing 6 weeks together before he left for boot camp where our relationship was based on writing letters back and forth. In one letter Chris writes, “I wish I could fast forward these next 8 weeks to the time we are together with a ring on your left hand. I have never been so certain about something as I am knowing that you are it for me.”
In Sickness and in Health
I was hesitant at first to give him my number not only because I had always promised myself that I would never give a guy in a bar my number, but more so because I had just been diagnosed with a very rare form cancer and I was scared for my life and for what the future ahead might hold. I can vividly remember immediately telling this handsome young man that I was in treatment for sinonasal cancer. To my surprise, unlike my ex-boyfriend who called it quits the day that I was diagnosed, Aaron smiled and reassured me that he knew that everything would be okay. From that day forward, I knew, without an inkling of doubt, that this would be the man that I would spend the rest of my life with.
The One I Love
We didn't have a big wedding, only 2 other people were there and we only got a few wedding pictures of the whole ceremony. We had our first daughter in 2007 and our second in 2009. We've had ups and downs but we love the life we've created together. This year will be our 10 year "together" anniversary and our 5 year wedding anniversary.
Baby Love
One afternoon, he asked me if I had ever thought about having any more children. I had thought about it - years before & had stopped thinking about it since. We had been together about 12 years now & I was now 40 years old - way past when most people are planning families, my daughter had just moved out, and another child was the furthest thing from my mind right then. After a little discussion I found out that he had been thinking abut it for several months. Only 4 months later we had a positive test - our beautiful daughter is now 19 months old & running our lives!
Cupid's Arrow
My husband and I met on the island of Kauai with a little help from Cupid. Literally, my cousin who lived on the island had been known to dress in a Depends adult diaper, a pair of wings, carry a bow and arrow…and smoking a cigar, played cupid! This bigger than life character managed to get the two of us to visit him at the same time.
We have now supported each other through marathons, triathlons, pregnancies, deployments, long sleepless nights with sick babies, full time jobs, full time back to school, and a myriad of other things. We are great about taking pictures of our children…but we should remember that our bond also needs to be remembered.
A Wink and a Smile
It was a warm July evening as most are in Texas and Jessica arrived early with her bottle of water just as she did every Tuesday. She glanced around the large room and listened as Ella Fitzgerald’s warm voice filled the air, “Let’s fall in love/ why shouldn’t we fall in love.” It seemed so appropriate in the 1931 mansion in which she stood. She loved the wood floors and the history of the building; it all seemed to take her back in time. As the class began the two instructors in the center directed all the women to make a large outside circle and all the men to make a large inside circle. She had no desire to meet a guy; in fact she thought that might be a little awkward -meeting while dancing. No, she had come to have fun, learn to dance and make friends. But there was one young man who caught her eye.
What is Love?
This question seems to ponder many people’s minds. While there may be many definitions as to what love really is, I have finally come to understand what love truly means. To me, love is not about seeing each other every day or even talking every day to that special person. Love is not bought with extravagant gifts and going on tropical vacations. Love does not cause us to worry or have doubts. Love does not cause anger or pain, and is never, never hurtful. Love is about being excited each and every time you get to see that one person, however often or rare those times may be. It’s about yearning to hear their voice, even if just for a quick “I love you!” Love is knowing, without a shadow of a doubt, that the person you are in love with feels the exact some way about you.
Love: In HIS words
Our first kiss: It wasn't a peck. I kissed her like I meant it...because I did.
Our honeymoon: We were standing on top of a lookout tower in the forest when the wind blew her skirt up. I almost fainted from the sheer sexiness of the event.
Four births: Her calmness, gentleness, and toughness in each one of them has been flat out heroic, an inspiration to anyone lucky enough to witness it. And I'm the only person lucky enough to have witnessed it all four times.
Sledding: That half-laugh/half-scream she makes when she's doing something fast and fun.
Showing her off: I really don't think she understands how gorgeous she is, but it's pretty common for friends, colleagues, and even the occasional student to let me know, when they see her dressed to the nines, what a lucky guy I am.
Candlelight: Sorry. This picture's not for you. It's mine alone.
I suppose I should start with how we met. It actually isn’t that odd of a story now but back in 1998 to imagine meeting someone online and falling love, well, it just wasn’t heard of. My sister-in-law and brother had divorced many years prior and she had never started dating. We had a very close sisterly friendship and I really wanted her to find someone who would fill the void in her heart, and provide my nephew with the role model that my brother would never be. (Side note: He suffered from schizophrenia and self medicated with alcohol, that a few years later took his life.) So I convince he to place an online personal ad and just give it a try. She would only agree if I too placed an ad. I created this ad describing my perfect man down to the details of height, hair and eye color, and most importantly his job must intake wearing a uniform. I never expected the response that I received. I wondered many time if he even existed. My inbox simply blew up. I had emails from many men of service, in many far off lands. It became over whelming honestly. They all just wanted someone to care, someone to vent to, or just someone to converse with. It got to the point where I would just go in twice a day and delete them all without opening them. I’d never get to know the few I had replied to if I kept reading new replies. One day, I logged in like I had done many other days to weed out the noise in the crowd of emails. I had cleared my inbox and returned to send an email to a friend of mine, when an email popped up. Now had this letter come a minute sooner, it would have been deleted with the drone of others. And had it come a minute later, it would have been deleted upon my next login. I thought, this man has perfect timing. How could I not read this reply? The first line read: I ,not only have a uniform, I have three. Well, how could this be? He went to explain that he was a US Marine stationed in North Carolina, a volunteer firefighter for the town, and a rugby player on the base team. This to me says, he is brave and loyal; he is kind and giving; and he is fun and enjoys sports. After many emails back an forth, he requested my phone number. I had never given anyone my number before. I knew that would make things real. I hesitantly replied, and he called. We talked for what I would like to say was hours. Because, it was. It was as if there was this one person created just for me. It is possible to fall in love without actually seeing the person. I believe you find the root of the real person when they cannot hide behind looks, or tricks. Little did we know, we would be celebrating 11 years of marriage this February 19th. We faced the obstacles of life, and came through them together. I wish that I had this great advice or kitschy summary. All I can say is; our life so far has not be easy, but it has been worth it.
Christopher (my fiancé) and I met October 7, 2006. I went to Indiana University and he went to Wabash College, an all male college about an hour from I.U. My sorority sister was dating his fraternity brother and she continually talked about this goofy, ornery guy that I HAD to meet. I was a senior at the time and Chris had already graduated and was out in Quantico completing TBS training for the Marine Corps. My sorority sister, Makenzie, found out at last minute that Chris was flying in for Wabash's homecoming and told me I had to join her for the day so I could finally meet him. Our chemistry was immediately evident and we realized our mutual friends were spot on about us being a lot alike. Unfortunately, I had to return to IU that night and Chris flew back to Virginia. We stayed in contact for the next two years, but only as friends as I was finishing school and he was in training to be a Marine Corps Officer. Chris moved out to California and eventually deployed to Iraq. We continued to stay in contact, even if only by patchy satellite phone conversations and light hearted emails.
Only two weeks after returning from Iraq and exactly two years to the date after meeting, Chris flew from California to Indiana to meet back up at Wabash's homecoming. When I picked him up at the airport at 1:00 am, it was as if we’d never been apart. The weekend was short, but wonderful! We knew immediately that we were never going to go that long again without seeing one another. After that weekend we decided to start dating, even if it meant only seeing each other once a month as he was still in California and I was still working in Indiana. The weeks spent apart were hard, but our weekends together were always amazing. Each one was better than the last. Each visit to see one another was always a milestone …. Meeting friends, hearing the words “I love you”, meeting each other’s families, and eventually discussing how we were going to put an end to the distance.
The distance was about to get much more difficult as Chris was deploying to Afghanistan the first weekend in October 2009, one year after we started dating and three years after we met. Before leaving, I gave Chris his anniversary present – a pendent with the verse Isaiah 40:31 engraved on it. The verse reads “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” It was my constant prayer over the next seven months that Chris would have amazing strength and return home to me safely. On April 30th, 2011 my prayers were answered and Chris was safely back on American soil.
While I was elated to have Chris home, I knew I had a heartbreaking decision to make in my near future. I was teaching at one of the best schools in Indianapolis and absolutely loved it. I knew that Chris and I finally needed to end the distance and move together to his next duty station in Norfolk, Virginia, but this meant me quitting my job. After many tearful conversations, I finally resigned from my position and made the move out to Virginia with Chris. It has been the most rewarding decision I’ve ever made! Being out here and seeing him everyday has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Things only got better in November when Chris proposed to me in Boston Common Park during a weekend getaway.
Chris and I are getting married back in Indianapolis on September 24, 2011. The wedding planning has been challenging being this far away, but I am determined to give Chris the wedding and celebration he deserves. Unfortunately because of Chris’s work schedule, he will not be able to fly back to Indiana to see the church or reception site until our actual wedding. We also cannot get engagement pictures with our photographer because of his hectic schedule and upcoming deployments. We’ve discussed having a friend use their personal camera to take pictures to use for our save-the-dates, but I would truly enjoy professional pictures. Christopher is truly my best friend and makes me indescribably happy. I would love nothing more than to capture our love in a photo to have forever. Please choose us for this wonderful opportunity!
I absolutely love the idea of this photo session! I have wanted to do one with my boyfriend, Joey for some time now and myself. I am an aspiring photographer, who is still in school, so I was ecstatic when I saw that more and more people are doing just love photo sessions. (Of course I’ve always wanted to get my photos done with Joey and myself but always thought that this wouldn’t happen until we were engaged).
I do not even know where to start to tell you about our love story, in this case our still growing love story. I think that no matter who you are your love story should always be growing, and always have things to add to it. Joey and I met our senior year of high school through friends, and were just friends until a few months into my first semester as a student at Old Dominion University. Since then we have been head over heels for each other.
Both of us are almost twenty-one years old and have gotten through a lot with each other’s help. We both have had some rough times, with life in general and have been each other’s rock. He told me one day, during a period of rough patches that I have saved his life and he does not even know how his life would be without me. Well a few months ago, my life decided to change a little bit and while having his support I was able to turn right back around to him and say, “I may have saved your life but now you are saving mine.” We meant every word we have said to one another and because of this has brought us even closer together.
Even though we are young, we have been through a lot together and have already learned how to be each other’s support system. All the while keeping our love strong. We both know what we want to do in life; our dreams and we both are supporting each other to do them. Mine is to become a professional photographer, and his is to become a professional golfer in the PGA tour. He soon will be moving to Florida to pursue those dreams and I could not be happier for him. I am still in school and will not be going with him. We both know that this will only make us stronger. We also know that the more we pursue our own dreams the more we can celebrate our lives together. I never thought or believed that I would find my soul mate this early on in my life and I did not think it was possible. After meeting Joey and falling in love with him, I quickly learned that this idea I had was completely false. It is a humbling feeling knowing that my true love is already by my side each and everyday. He is the greatest thing that has ever come into my life, and I know that he feels the same way. I hope we will be considered for your love session because I feel that it will be a great present to the both of us. For an hour we can just be the two of us together, without the worry that is going on in both of our lives. I would love this opportunity to have great pictures of us for the both of us to cherish forever.
My husband Rich was at my wedding. He and his wife had driven hours to attend and happily watched me walk down the aisle to marry another man. We were all good friends. My first wedding was very casual and we played volleyball in the park while old men fished on the lake nearby. Rich got a flat tire in the parking lot and a speeding ticket on the way home. It could have been a sign.
Hindsight is 20/20, though. He and his wife and me and my husband stayed good friends for years. We visited each others' houses. We exchanged Christmas gifts. Everything seemed good. Time has a funny way of moving in a direction you'd never guess, though. The short version is that each of us learned through the years that our marriages were not working. We weren't as happy as we thought we would be. No one was as happy as they should be.
Fast forward several years and we were still friends, but this time we were both single. I lived in Norfolk and he lived in Richmond. We began a long distance relationship that taught us a lot, both about each other and ourselves. I put 25,000 miles on my car in one year. I would drive home from work, pick up the dog, get back on the road and be in Richmond for a late dinner. I still remember the alarm going off at 5:20am so that I could drive home, shower and drop the dog off to be at work by 8(ish). That was our routine several times a week for three years.
We talked about wanting "empty hours". We dreamed about time together when neither of us had to watch the clock or forgo sleep. Long distance relationships involve very intense episodes separated by long stretches of tedious communication. Would that translate well if we finally had empty hours? In 2005, Rich moved to Norfolk and we finally got our empty hours. Entire days - weeks! - with nowhere to be but together. We learned more about each other and ourselves. I never closed bedroom or bathroom doors no matter what was going on inside them. He tore into cereal boxes so that I thought I was living with a bear. We learned how to live together.
In 2006, we started working in the same office. In 2007, we got married and invited many of the same friends who were at my first wedding 10 years prior. We rarely were more than 25 feet from each other throughout the day. In 2009, we had our first baby. We're back to pining for "empty hours" again, but this time it's a different feeling. We're on solid ground. We are a team. They say that having a child magnifies both the good and bad in a relationship and I'm happy to say I've only seen good things. I still leave the bathroom door open and he still ravages the cereal boxes but it's part of the package. I admire the fact that he taught our toddler to blow his nose and washes all his cloth diapers. He appreciates that I taught our son most of his sign language, though "all done" is more like TA DA! complete with jazz hands. Finishing a meal is cause to celebrate in our house. And while we don't get many "empty hours" now, we eat lunch together every day and we are learning to snuggle again. Last night our son got sick and threw up all over our bed at 3am. After changing clothes, sheets and diapers then having a snack to refill our stomachs, it was after 4 when we were able to go back to bed. Once the boy was asleep I rolled over to my husband, smelled the fresh sheets and his skin and relished a few empty hours before morning.
The beginning of our love....It was the summer of 2006 in Cleveland, Ohio and I was working in sales during a period of my life I refer to as my “quarter life crisis”. I was not sure which direction my life was headed but knew it needed a change! Along came a handsome sailor recently enlisted in the navy named Chris. He had taken a temp job at the same company awaiting his boot camp departure. During a bad day at work I ran out of the office in tears. The moment I got into my car I received a call from him making sure I was ok. He had gotten my number from the employee register, easy! He didn’t even have to ask me for it, ha! Then it all began. We could not get enough of each other. It was amazing how in such a short time it felt like we had always been together. BUT I didn’t want to get involved with a military guy and he didn’t want a relationship while starting his navy career. We would always talk for hours and had so much in common. He eventually asked me out on an official date. During this date he said to me “You have to promise me you can’t fall for me” I replied with “well, I can’t promise you that”. Sealed with a kiss, I knew it was done and he was it. We had an amazing 6 weeks together before he left for boot camp where our relationship was based on writing letters back and forth. Talk about old fashioned courting. In one letter Chris writes, “I wish I could fast forward these next 8 weeks to the time we are together with a ring on your left hand. I have never been so certain about something as I am knowing that you are it for me.” In the letters we wrote about our love for each other and our dreams and plans when we would be back together again. The first time I went to visit him out of bootcamp, five months after we met, he proposed with his grandmothers ring. Three months later we were married on the beach in front of immediate family where he was stationed. So through years of changing addresses, jobs, friends and deployments the one constant is each other. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have married my best friend and be in love more each day. It is difficult to be away from each other so often but I would rather be with him only some of the time than not at all.
We would be honored to win the Love Story contest. Amanda took my maternity pictures as a surprise for Chris who was deployed during the majority of my pregnancy. The real surprise was that our little bundle arrived that night after the session! Chris was flown home from the middle east where he was finishing a six month deployment and we were re-united. Our baby, Liam was born at 32 weeks so he spent 8 weeks in the NICU getting strong enough to come home. Amanda again captured another beautiful moment in our lives as she photographed our sweet boy in a newborn session when he was discharged. This would be an amazing opportunity to have professional pictures of just Chris and I and celebrating our life together.
Our story begins in the summer of 2004 in Baltimore, MD, when I (Lauren) was approached by a very handsome gentleman (Aaron) in a bar. We struck up a conversation immediately and after talking for some time, exchanged telephone numbers and spent the rest of the evening dancing the night away. I was hesitant at first to give him my number not only because I had always promised myself that I would never give a guy in a bar my number, but more so because I had just been diagnosed with a very rare form cancer and I was scared for my life and for what the future ahead might hold. I can vividly remember immediately telling this handsome young man that I was in treatment for sinonasal cancer. To my surprise, unlike my ex-boyfriend who called it quits the day that I was diagnosed, Aaron smiled and reassured me that he knew that everything would be okay. From that day forward, I knew, without an inkling of doubt, that this would be the man that I would spend the rest of my life with. Miraculously, several months later we got the good news that we were hoping for. While I wasn’t yet in ‘remission,’ the cancer was gone and the scans were clear! Praise God!
Summer turned into fall and eventually winter fell upon us, and soon it was time Aaron to leave for flight school, where he would begin his training to become a Navy F-18 pilot. From February of 2005, until November of 2006, we made arrangements to fly twice a month to see one another in both Florida and in Texas where Aaron was stationed for the remainder of his flight training. We also spent hours on end sitting in front of our computers using webcams, and we always made it a point to talk on the telephone every evening right before falling asleep at night. Despite the long hours at my new job as an RN at Johns Hopkins, and Aaron’s grueling study hours, we were determined to not only make our long-distance relationship work, but to prove to ourselves and the rest of the world that even with thousands of miles between us, our relationship was extraordinarily strong. During our 21 months apart, we learned to not only truly appreciate one another, but to never for a second take a moment that we had together fore granted. We understood that people often searched their entire lives to find what we had found in one other, and that was something that would forever cherish.
In 2005, we were faced with another frightening health scare when I went in for an MRI to follow-up on my cancer diagnosis. The scan revealed that I could likely experience an aneurysm at any time, which could lead to a stroke. I was rushed in for an emergent angiogram that disproved the aneurysm scare but showed that I had a venous malformation on the left side of my brain. After such a scary diagnosis, we once again found ourselves thanking God for his blessings and mercy, as we continued to be thankful for what we had found in one other. In times of trial, fear, and uncertainty, we had each other to lean on for love and support. Very fortunately, today, I am well controlled on daily asprin therapy. In November of 2006, it was time for Aaron to graduate from flight school and become a winged naval aviator. After graduation, he had returned to Baltimore prior to moving to Virginia Beach, VA to join his training command and eventually his fleet squadron. The holidays came and went and soon we were looking at being separated again, which neither one of us could bear to endure for a second time. So after the 1st of the New Year, we both moved to Virginia Beach to start our lives together. We quickly found a house and were able to settle in quickly. It was such a natural transition without any hiccups along the way.
As the cold winter months passed and Spring fell upon us, we began to talk in detail about how we envisioned our perfect wedding day to be. However, there was one minor detail that was missing, a proposal and a ring. Much to my astonishment, on the morning of my 24th birthday, Aaron surprised me with a more romantic proposal than I could have ever imagined. The morning got off to an early start as Aaron had a 6:30 a.m. flight. That morning Aaron woke me to announce that I could open the gift that his parents had sent for my birthday days earlier. With not a trace of sun peeking through the windows, I opted to roll over and go back to sleep instead of waking up to open my gift. However, Aaron begged that I open my gift before he left for work for the day. After a lot of convincing, I got out of bed and followed him downstairs. When I sat down on the sofa, instead of handing me a package, he handed me a slip of paper that told me that I would be going on a scavenger hunt to find my gift. Needless to say, it was very early, and I was not entirely thrilled. The first slip of paper told me to go to the computer to find my first clue. When I arrived at the computer, the slip of paper read, “This clue is a reminder of the 21 month long-distance relationship that we endured. Thank you for the sacrifices that you made for me.” The next clue took me to the refrigerator and was on top of the tortillas. It talked about how our love grew over fajitas and margaritas while our love continued to grow during our time together in Texas. The clues continued and eventually I ended up outside at the Jeep with a clue that reminded me of our memorable 29 hour road trip from Texas to Maryland where the Jeep broke down when we were only three miles from our starting point. Eventually after a dozen different clues, I was led to the sofa and told to look under the pillows to find my gift. After looking behind every pillow on the sofa, I turned around to find Aaron down on one knee with tears in his eyes. In that moment, I honestly cannot remember a word that was spoken because of the overwhelming amount of emotion that had overtaken the both of us. Of course I said, “YES!” As we planned our dream wedding at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, we were faced with a taste of how being married to the military could change one’s plans at any given moment. By the time our wedding date was definitively set, we had changed the date four different times. Prior to our August 2008 wedding, we had already endured our first deployment, which left me to plan our entire wedding all on my own. Our beautiful wedding day ended up being absolutely perfect and was everything that we could have ever imagined. However, soon after our ceremony was over, we had to return to Virginia Beach where Aaron immediately began work-ups for his upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.
Over the next two years, little did we know that we would endure two back-to-back, six and seven month, combat deployments. Today it is easy to think of those long months apart as a blur, or a hiccup in time. However, while neither us will soon forget the trials and tribulations of deployment, those days seem like they are far behind us now. Though we were a world apart and often dealt with limited means of communication, we constantly found ways to strengthen our marriage every, single day. In times when I was feeling anxious, worried, or afraid for my sweet husband’s safety, I knew that I could e-mail Aaron about every one of my worries and concerns and that he would console me and ease every one of my fears. I can also remember ending every e-mail with how much I loved him and missed having him to share a meal with, to enjoy birthdays and holidays with, and to talk to at the end of a long day. While deployment can truly test the foundations of many marriages, deployment for us proved that we had built a rock-solid foundation for our marriage through our unboundless love and support for one another. When Aaron finally returned home on July 27th of 2010, we held each other as though we would never let go.
The challenges that we have triumphed over have strengthened our marriage in ways that I could never have thought were possible. Just when I think that things could not possibly get any better, Aaron constantly finds ways to prove me wrong. We are so blessed today to have our health and such a sense of true happiness. On our wedding day we vowed to be faithful to each other, and to love and support one other in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, in joy and in sorrow. I can undoubtedly say that we will continue to live out these vows until the end of time.
I first met my true love in a Farm Fresh Grocery store when I was in the 9th grade - he was the cutest bag boy I had ever seen and after the first time I saw him I had to beg my mom to go through his line every time. I don't really remember how we began to talk (probably because I chased him til he got tired of trying to get away!) but I knew I must be the luckiest girl alive when J.K. & I started going "steady" (which mainly consisted of me riding my bike to his house while he worked on his car). I was able to drag him to my 9th Grade Prom but after a few months we decided that it wasn't working (actually I think he just didn't have time for his car, which we still have, a girl, work & school) and parted ways. I still thought of him often & wondered how he was doing. Then we both ended up working in the Shipyard in the same area at the same time - both of us involved with other people by then. We would talk occasionally & exchanged phone numbers. Once I called to see how he was doing & interrupted a make-out session with his fiance' - darn! :) Anyway we both got married & I began working at the veterinarians office that his parents went to. So I still got updates on how he was doing through the years. By now I had a beautiful little girl and a not so good marriage. My husband & I decided to separate. About 2 months after that I answer the phone at the vets office (still the same one) & it's J.K. He's called to ask about flea treatment for his dogs. I gave him our standard advice and added "I thought Donna took care of the dogs?" And he told me that that they were separated. I put him on hold & took the call on another more private phone in the back. After that call we began talking every so often, exchanging stories of our spouses & how things had gotten so messed up. In the beginning we just ended up at the same places sometimes - once again as often as I could make it happen. Neither of us wanted any type of "together" relationship then, we never wanted to get married again & I didn't introduce him to my daughter right away. The first time I introduced them we went to the Grand Illumination in Williamsburg & I don't really think either of them knew what to think of the other! For the next 6-7 years we dated never really talking about any serious commitments just enjoying a great relationship and then J.K. decided to move. When he discussed moving & the school system he wanted to move into I could only hope that he was going to ask my daughter & I to move in with him. And he did. We lived in sin for the next several years - enjoying our "together life" 1/2 the time and dealing with a teenage girl the other. Even when I didn't think we (all 3 of us) would make it another day without strangling each other I was always thankful that J.K. cared about us enough to move in order for my daughter to attend a great school system and that he was always there to help with tough school work or to chase away the "bad" boys. Somewhere along the line I mentioned that it would be soo romantic to get engaged on a cruise (at this point we had still never discussed marriage, still too wounded from our first attempt to talk about it again). A short while later J.K. & I went on a cruise with some friends. At dinner one night my dessert had a beautiful ring in it and J.K. got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I couldn't believe what was happening and could not focus on what he said so I have no idea, but I said yes. We were in no rush and did not discuss a date. One afternoon about 2 years later we were on the way home from a cookout & J.K. asked me if I had ever thought about having any more children. (It's helpful to know that J.K. & his 1st wife did not want children & he had never mentioned them, we had never discussed this.) I wasn't sure what he was referring to but quickly figured out that he was talking about us! I had thought about it - years before & had stopped thinking about it since. We had been together about 12 years now & I was now 40 years old - way past when most people are planning families, my daughter had just moved out, another child was the furthest thing from my mind right then. After a little discussion I found out that he had been thinking abut it for several months. We decided that we would start trying to get pregnant but that we would not get married just because we wanted a child together. I read all the "How to Get Pregnant" manuals, planned sex on the "right" days of the month & we went to a fertility specialist because of our ages. 6-12 months was the time frame we were given but only 4 months later we had a positive test. His parents were ecstatic - this would be their only grand child ever and by now they had decided they would never have one. I will never forget the day we went to the ultrasound & found out we were having a girl - my daughter & J.K.'s parents went with us. The pregnancy went along fine & we decided to take a last cruise & enjoy some last "just us 2" time. A few days before we went on the cruise we found out that his dad had liver cancer & we almost canceled but Pop insisted that we could do nothing for him right then & we should go & enjoy ourselves. We discussed marriage but decided that we needed to concentrate on my father in laws health & would get around to that later. 3 short months later when I was 8 1/2 months pregnant Pop passed away & never got to see his only grandbaby. We did get married shortly after she was born with her, my older daughter & my mother-in-law in attendance. Our beautiful daughter is now 19 months old & running our lives!
No one who knows J.K. would dub him a romantic however I think he's the most romantic guy I've ever known. When he's not at the fire station where he spends his days keeping the public safe he's constantly working on our list of "stuff that needs to get done someday" at the house. He may not send flowers very often but he really listens to me & will surprise me with a visit to a place that I've mentioned or a vacation spot that I really wanted to go to like the time he took us to Niagara Falls. If I say that I'd like to eat somewhere he makes it happen. When I complained that the bed sheets were too cold in the winter time he put a heating pad on my side of the bed so they were warm by the time I went to bed. He eats breakfast at Chick Fil A every Saturday morning with no complaints. He is constantly thinking ahead & planning for our future. He was & still is there for our oldest daughter (really his step-daughter) & lends his support in almost everything she sets her mind to & that isn't always easy. And now he is learning this new daddy thing and giving it 100 percent also like he does everything else. It's beautiful to watch. I know that no matter what, J.K. will always be there for me, & I will be there for him. No one's perfect but he's perfect for me, he's my rock. So that's our story. Thanks for the opportunity to tell you about it.
So only a few short weeks later, we spent a romantic first week together in tropical paradise!!! We had lots of outdoor adventures, and sooo many laughs and wonderful memories were made. We wondered what would happen next, would anything come of us? Would the next time we saw each other even hold a candle to that first week we met? Well, we saw each other about once a month after that, and it was better every time! We did the long distance thing for awhile, then I took a travel nurse assignment in Orlando, Florida, about 2 hrs from him in Jacksonville. We saw a lot more of each other once I was there, and as a bonus I got to know his parents really well…they live in Orlando. I am from New Orleans, and Steve and his parents helped me through the difficult time following hurricane Katrina. I took a job in Birmingham, AL following Katrina, and lived there for five months. I knew no one, it was literally my first time in Birmingham. I rented an apartment, sight unseen, and walked down to the hospital to sit in a windowless office, glued to some strangers TV, as I did not have a tv in my apartment. They were nice enough to give me a place to pitch up for news updates. I was unable to get in contact with any of my immediate or extended family for many days. I had not yet met Steve’s parents, but I needed someone to talk to, so by way of email, he gave me their number. My cell phone had no service, as New Orleans was my area code of service, so for several nights, I stood in the pouring rain talking to his parents from a pay phone a block away from my apartment. Oh, those people were saints to me at the time, and still are. Steve visited me several times while I was there, and I spent my other off time driving across 3 states to see my family who was evacuated to northern Louisiana. I lost my grandmother at that time as well, Steve and his parents helped me through that as well. He had seen me at my worst, and still somehow managed to fall in love with me!
Once I was in Orlando, and we were seeing a lot more of each other, I planned a surprise for him. His college friends were scattered all around the southeastern part of the country…well, I got them all together in Jax Beach for his birthday weekend. He had NO IDEA!!!! It was so cool to plan the surprise. I had not met any of those college friends yet, but spent lots of time emailing and speaking on the phone to all of them. It was like we were old pals by the time we actually met for his birthday! He says it was that weekend he knew for sure I was “the one”.
As I sit and type this, I look around our house and see gifts we have given each other, photos that captured our best memories, and the unfolding of our world as a couple and family. Next to me is a globe that I had engraved for him, it says “there is no place in the world I would rather be than next to you”. Man, is that ever still true. I see a picture of my daughter when she was a few weeks old, I see my son’s first bike, I see our wedding photographs….so amazing that we have this opportunity to spend this life together.
I was perusing my photos to find a “recent” picture of us together. I literally could not find one picture of just the two of us since I was pregnant for my first child! The picture I submitted to you was from July of 2008…..that was the last time we took a picture as a couple! This leads to me think that getting professional pictures from a photographer with your vision would be AMAZING!!!! As I realized it had been so long since we had a photo together, of just us as a couple, I got really sad. If it weren’t for “us” there would be no family, so how could we have neglected to still capture “us”???? What if something happened to one of us, we would not even be able to come up with a recent photograph of us together. We are great about taking pictures of our children…but we should remember that our bond also needs to be remembered. Taking pictures together is a really important way to keep that up. We used to be really, really good about taking photos of us together. We miss those days, at times, and to just get a moment of that, just long enough to get a picture, would feel really good! We have supported each other through marathons, triathlons, pregnancies, deployments, long sleepless nights with sick babies, full time jobs, full time back to school, and a myriad of other things. It would just mean the world to have this phase of our love captured by your talent. Just to have that hour together, focusing on each other would really feel phenomenal!
You were kind and giving to us through Op love: Reunited when my husband was deployed. He missed the first 6 months of our son’s life, I hate for us to look back and realize we may have also “missed” us during this time in our life. Thanks for even considering “us” as the ones to put in front of the lens. He lived for those photos you sent while he was away, by the way. You have such insight to the souls of families, and it is cool to get to express that through your work. My husband and I love to laugh together, and love to live together. We think our love is pretty special. We think this life we are making together is pretty cool, even in all its chaos!
They go together like a Wink and a Smile!! It was a warm July evening as most are in Texas and Jessica arrived early with her bottle of water just as she did every Tuesday. She glanced around the large room and listened as Ella Fitzgerald’s warm voice filled the air, “Let’s fall in love/ why shouldn’t we fall in love.” It seemed so appropriate in the 1931 mansion in which she stood. She loved the wood floors and the history of the building; it all seemed to take her back in time.
As the class began the two instructors in the center directed all the women to make a large outside circle and all the men to make a large inside circle. “Welcome to Lindy 1. Here we will teach you the basic moves of the Lindy Hop,” the gentleman said as he took his partner and demonstrated the basic swing out and a few other moves. Jessica took a place next to a much older woman who stood across from her husband and cordially greeted the young man standing across from her. Class began and slowly Jessica and her partner practiced the moves and tried to imitate the instructors. Five minutes passed and the instructors instructed the men to move to the left one person. Jessica had a new partner. This pattern continued with all the men rotating partners every 5 minutes. Jessica was new in the area. After completing school and obtaining her teacher’s license the opportunity to try someplace new struck her. Her younger sister was attending The University of Texas at Austin and loved the city so Jessica had picked up and moved there. Being with her sister was wonderful, but Jessica wanted to make her own friends and decided swing dancing was one great way to meet people. As luck would have it she had already met Kay, a young women who was also new in town and who also taught children with special needs. She had no desire to meet a guy; in fact she thought that might be a little awkward -meeting while dancing. No, she had come to have fun, learn to dance and make friends. The classes were always followed by a couple of hours of dancing in the grand ballroom where all the students and instructors, including those in Lindy 2, 3, and 4, could mingle and dance. It was a great way to practice and be social. Thursday nights there was another dance, but no classes and soon Jessica was coming every Tuesday and Thursday. There was one young man who caught her eye though. He was definitely the cutest in her class. He had short blond hair, sweet blue eyes and a thin athletic build. He was a good dancer and a confident lead; this was certainly not his first time dancing. What struck her most about him was how much of a gentleman he was. He always thanked her after a dance and anyone else he danced with, opened doors and was just a true considerate gentleman. Every Tuesday and Thursday they danced a couple of dances and slowly got to know each other.
One Thursday during the dance Michael asked Jessica if she was available on Friday to go out to dinner and a movie. Awkwardly Jessica blurted that she was babysitting and ran to tell Kay about the invite. Kay, who was aware of the affection Michael and Jessica shared, realized Jessica’s innocent honesty and suggested that she ask Michael if Saturday was okay since she wasn’t babysitting that night. Jessica had not realized that her honest answer might be misconstrued as a lack of interest and went back to Michael and arranged the date. The prearranged date arrived and Michael was not feeling well, but was unwilling to cancel the date. They had a nice dinner and went to a movie and then Michael went home early, as he wasn’t feeling well. After that the two saw each other frequently at dances and a couple other times a week.
One day, about a month later, Kay and Jessica were talking and Kay mentioned that Michael was leaving in about a week. “What do you mean leaving?” Jessica blurted.
“Didn’t you know he was in the Navy?” Kay responded slowly
“Yes, but what does that have to do with it?”
“ He has to go to his next command,” Kay spoke softly.
They had talked about it, but Jessica had never known anyone else in the Navy and had never realized that that would mean he would be leaving at some point. She was very much enjoying there time together and did not want it to end.
On his last day in Austin, Jessica and Michael met at a restaurant on Lake Austin to say good-by. After a nice lunch Michael and Jessica sat on the grass across from the water and talked. The day was also Michael’s birthday so Jessica had brought a gift for him, a little bag of goodies for his drive to Charleston, SC. Michael had brought Jessica a bottle of wine and a card. Although they had seen each other regularly for the past month they had neither held hands nor kissed. After exchanging gifts Michael went to hug Jessica, but somehow they ended up bumping into each other’s faces. Michael was terrified thinking that Jessica had been anticipating a kiss. Jessica, not anticipating or really wanting a kiss yet thought the whole awkward mess was funny and couldn’t stop laughing. Over the next couple of months Michael and Jessica stayed in contact by telephone, talking a couple of times a week. Jessica wasn’t sure if this would amount to much; the distance relationship was hard and her faith was very important to her and was not something they shared. In December, Michael returned to Texas to spend Christmas with his family in New Braunfels about 45 minutes away from Jessica. They both realized that they still cared for each other deeply. New Year’s Eve arrived and they made plans to spend the evening together and shared their first kiss. This kiss marked a new phase in their relationship. Now both Michael and Jessica felt free to share their feelings openly knowing that the other cared for them. Two days later Michael was leaving again to return to Charleston and thus began their long distance romance. The next year passed with frequent visits between the two. Michael moved to upstate New York and then to Groton, Connecticut and all the while making time to see each other or talk as much as their schedules would allow. Jessica was teaching at a local private school for children with special needs and Michael was always rotating through various shifts and schedules. Once a month one would visit the other. They explored Boston, Montreal, Quebec, Charleston, New York City and Washington DC together and Jessica who had never been in the northeast was getting to exploring this part of the country with a person very dear to her heart. In December, a year after their romance really started to pick up tempo, Michael returned for Christmas to spend some time with family, friends and of course Jessica. They again made plans to spend New Year’s Eve together. Michael took Jessica to the restaurant they had been to on their first date. It was a nice restaurant and crowded on this special evening. Soft music could be heard under the exuberant conversations. Michael and Jessica were taken to their small table right in the middle of the crowded room. They talked and had a nice dinner. After the plates were taken away Michael came over to Jessica got on one knee and asked her to be his wife. Speechless, Jessica could only nod yes and went to hug and kiss him. They ordered dessert and in their euphoric state, gitty with the prospects of the future together, held hands and delighted in being together. A few people came over to congratulate the happy couple, but most of the other customers were oblivious to the rejoicing occurring nearby. In the following days Michael informed Jessica of his impending deployment and the wedding day was scheduled for a few days after his return.
A number of years and children later, Michael and Jessica are still jitterbugging around the house to the delight of the little ones and you can still hear Ella Fitzgerald’s warm voice fill their home, “Now is the time for it, while we are young/ Let’s fall in Love.”
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I met Amara in 1990. I was a Junior at TCU, and she was an incoming Freshman. She joined the service club I was in, and I had my eye on her right away, though I didn't ask her out because there seemed something, well, a little sleazy about trying to pick up a Freshman.
Thus we stayed casual acquaintances for that first year. The following fall I drew up the chutzpah to ask her out, and we clicked pretty quickly. When, that spring, I had to decide between going to UT for my Masters or staying in Fort Worth to get it at TCU, I couldn't imagine trying to keep a relationship alive long distance, but I also couldn't imagine ending it either. And that's how, in May of 1994, we spent Saturday the 14th graduating from TCU and Sunday the 15th getting married.
We've been faithfully married since that day—seventeen years this May—and, though like all couples we have our ups and downs, I think it's true to say I've never loved her more. If I try to paint some fairytale portrait of our relationship, it would be a short and rather dull story. Truth be told, I'm a pretty left-brain guy, and I've never been strong in the “I just called to say I love you” department. To her eternal credit, and my relief, she's a patient woman. Let me give you two examples.
I'll start with the proposal. I thought I'd plotted things well. I proposed to her under a full moon after midnight in a sculpture garden outside the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. Romantic, right? I thought so, except that I completely forgot to get on one knee, and it never even dawned on me that I should ask her parents' blessing first. What was our first home? It was a dorm for leadership staff at a summer camp in Kerrville, TX. We'd both worked there in previous summers, and it just seemed the obvious thing to do when you've got a summer to kill before moving on. Because nothing says newlywed romance like a linoleum floor and two twin beds shoved together to make a king, right?
When we moved to Lawrence, KS, at the end of the summer so I could pursue my doctorate, living quarters improved only slightly. KU married student housing consisted of 400 square feet, more linoleum flooring, and no air conditioner...plus an upstairs neighbor whose water heater banged like a Victorian boiler at 2 am. We spent five years in Lawrence (with gradually improving housing), both taking a bizarre array of jobs to make the budget work, but we loved it there, and it was in Lawrence that our first child was born. Last year Mia found a KU T-shirt on a sale rack and thought it would be funny to buy it, she being our little Jayhawk, and all. She's 13 now, but every time she wears that shirt I remember how wonderful, crazy, terrifying, and exhilarating that time was for us.
After two years in New York, where I had my first teaching job and where Levi was born, we ended up—permanently, probably—in Virginia Beach. Having both grown up military brats, these ten years have been the longest either of us has lived in one place. We've also welcomed children #3, Chloe, and #4, Harper, into our family here. Life is still as beautiful and scary as it has ever been. How could it not be with four kids? And I don't think either of us thinks any relationship is perfect. But despite stresses over money, time, and everything else that makes real life unlike a fairy tale, we are still married. We are still in love.
We have different tastes in almost everything. But we are still married, and we are still in love. We have very different views about God, the Universe, and all that. But we are still married, and we are still in love. Our parenting philosophies are sometimes at odds. But we are still married, and we are still in love. It's a genuine struggle sometimes to find time just to be together. But we are still married, and we are still in love.
Is all that too saccharine? I'll end with a slideshow from inside my head, just in case you still don't believe me.
Our first kiss: It wasn't a peck. I kissed her like I meant it...because I did.
Our honeymoon: We were standing on top of a lookout tower in the forest when the wind blew her skirt up. I almost fainted from the sheer sexiness of the event.
Four births: Her calmness, gentleness, and toughness in each one of them has been flat out heroic, an inspiration to anyone lucky enough to witness it. And I'm the only person lucky enough to have witnessed it all four times.
Sledding: That half-laugh/half-scream she makes when she's doing something fast and fun.
Showing her off: I really don't think she understands how gorgeous she is, but it's pretty common for friends, colleagues, and even the occasional student to let me know, when they see her dressed to the nines, what a lucky guy I am.
Candlelight: Sorry. This picture's not for you. It's mine alone.