Valentine's Day LOVE

In honor of my Valentine's Day, I thought I would dedicate a post to my forever Valentine. This post has been circling around the blogworld, and I thought I would take the time to document a few facts about my husband and our relationship as we commemorate our last Valentine's Day as "just 2".

--How long have you and your significant other been together?
7 years this May!

--How did you meet?The short version is that it was a complete set up (I have finally come to terms with that, lol)! My good friend, Lauren’s (whom I have been dancing with at church since 2002) boyfriend; now husband, was Denny’s roommate at the time. Denny was single and interested in meeting someone, I was just coming out of a long-term relationship that had ended in a lot of pain and tears. I was not ready or interested in meeting anyone!! After months of gentle encouragement, we were introduced briefly on Easter Sunday—Lauren and I were dancing, Denny was sitting with Kirk for the service. Lauren asked if I wanted to meet him, I said sure. A few weeks later the 4 of us got together for dinner at Lauren’s house (Lauren, Kirk, Denny, and I), and I prayed on my way there that if he asked for my number at the end of the night, I would give him a chance were he to call to ask me out on a date. He did, and so we went! And here we are today!

--How long have you been married?

We were married November 13, 2009... so a little over 2 years

--Where did you get married? Big or small wedding?

We got married at Casa Feliz, a lovely historic Spanish home in Winter Park, FL. It was a small wedding, 50 of our closest family and friends. It was perfect!!

--Do you have any nicknames that you call one another?

No nicknames...

--Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

His capacity for love, his sense of humor, his eyes (call me superficial, he has the most gorgeous blue eyes, EVER!)

--Tell us how he proposed.

He actually proposed on the very spot where we exchanged wedding vows. He enlisted the help of my sister to get me out to Casa Feliz under the pretense that she wanted to see the wedding venue I had my heart set on. When I got there, it was dark, and my sister was no where to be found. Instead, there was a rose, a card, and a piece of my favorite mint chocolate. He set down a rose and a piece of chocolate every few steps along the path leading to the ceremony spot, and he was waiting for me at the “altar”, under some scaffolding and behind some yellow caution tape, with a dozen red roses (it was August, and the venue does their maintenance work during that month, lol!). Funny aside—we had pre-marital counseling that evening, before I was to “meet up” with my sister, and he showed up wearing a white undershirt… because he didn’t want to wrinkle his nice, crisp, “I’m going to propose tonight” shirt… and I was SO embarrassed over what he wore, but I didn’t say anything. It was just so out of character for him! I should have known he was up to something!

--Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day.

We have been so blessed to travel together and to share so many experiences in the last 7 years… something small would be to run a race together (neither of us are runners, but both wish we were). We would like to go on a missions trip together; and I want to go back to Greece and take him with me J

--Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

We’ve had our fair share of trials along the way, and I by no means have any of the right answers, but one thing I have learned is not to place my expectations of who he should be on him, but rather accept who he is and love him how God made him. That includes praying for him, telling him I love him, even if he doesn’t say every time I wish he would, and being the helpmate I am called to be. Also, communicating any expectations that I do have, rather than expecting him to be a mind reader. RESPECT him, HONOR him, and call him out on his junk when appropriate, and after thoughtful and prayerful consideration.

--Show us a picture what love means to you