The Beginning

Loving Husband and I met in August 2002, I was volunteering at my Alma mater (that I just just graduated from that previous May) as a debate coach and he was a transfer recruit to the debate team, he was a junior. I was instantly smitten, but had just come out of a long term relationship and so I wasn't really interested in dating - but I was very much interested in spending more time with him. His best friend had been on the debate team with me (also a junior now) and him and I had been friends. So hanging out LH wasn't very hard to do. We spent a lot of time together. We attended church together, often just the two of us, we rode together in vehicles to debate tournaments, we spent a lot of time together and I had a MAJOR crush. He seemed oblivious.


In November of that year my mom asked why don't you just date him and my response was that I could never date him, I'd only marry him. My mom found that weird and confusing, but it made perfect sense to me. We continued to be friends that saw each other more than any one else - I dated someone off and on in between for a while since LH was showing little interest, but LH still held my attention more than any other.


As time went on we continued to spend time together, everyone on the debate team thought we were dating - we continuously corrected them - because while I secretly harbored that desire - I didn't want to be third grade about it and have a bunch of people (yes boys included) giggling about it. Fast forward a bit to April when LH and my paths were nearing a brink or a break almost - in the fact that he was maybe going to NY and I was going to Northern California... after prayer, reflection, and some terse words to other parties - we began dating. Now as we told people we were dating, no one believed us - but eventually they all saw it to be true and were as happy as we were.


I spent those first few months of our dating relationship in Northern California, I had a job in a law firm. I wasn't going to give that up simply for a new dating relationship with a boy - although I knew that this boy would be my husband - I was clear from the get go that I wouldn't date him, I would only marry him. He had the same thing in mind. We "survived" our long distance relationship just fine and I moved back home.


In November 2003 (a year after my mom had asked why don't I just date the boy) LH took me on a cruise to Mexico - and on that cruise on the last day we were on the boat, he woke me at sunrise and took me to the back of the boat to watch it and proposed to me. He had had my ring made from a design he drew. I was in love (with him) and I was getting married. We decided on July 31st, 2004.