Then, five years ago this week, S's parents and his aunt and uncle came to Providence for a visit. After church on Sunday, he took me to meet them for lunch in Newport. I had been unaware of this plan to "meet the family" until we were crossing the Pell Bridge. I'm kinda shy and it was epically awkward at first, as you can see by our hilarious body language in this photo.
But we had a really nice lunch and a beautiful day walking around the resort town. I'm not sure what S's parents thought about me or what S had told them, but they were unbelievably sweet and kind. They listened to my job hunting woes and said they'd pray for me. We ate at Christie's, which has since been completely renovated and now has a sleek modern look instead of all the dark wood. It's amazing how much has changed in 5 years!
We were so young, so awkward... I even had a scrape on my knee from intramural volleyball. We had no idea that this day would begin to change everything. Five years later, we're married and we're working on a renovation of our own. We're getting ready to attend our 5 year college reunion next month. We're still good friends. And I love him ever so.What were you up to five years ago? Did things turn out as you planned?
No! Five years ago I was starting college in New Orleans and Katrina hit on freshman move-in day. I ended up switching colleges, where a nice boy offered to give me a tour of the huge new school. Four months ago, I married him. :)
ReplyDelete(Thanks for letting us in on the cute pics and memories! - 5 years does go by fast!)
This story never gets old! Funny thing...about a month ago I was going through my hard drive deleting old stuff, and I came across the first picture above. Just about 5 years ago, you sent me that picture on AIM to show me what S looked like! LeAnne told me that S was the best looking guy she's ever seen, and I remember totally agreeing with her after seeing that picture! :) You two do look awkward in the first picture, but not the second. They're both adorable. (You need to post that picture you mentioned before that you took your first day at Brown...sort of high above the crowd, and you noticed S was in the random picture)
ReplyDeleteLets see, 5 years ago I was still trying to find a job and wondering what purpose God had for me. Later that year I met Jas, and then I knew what all of the waiting was for!
five years ago i was getting ready to graduate high school and head off to college. i was accepted into a combined undergrad/medical school program, and super-excited about being one step closer to fulfilling my calling. little did i know that i would meet my future husband my second week of college, live on my own in south america for a few months, learn my third and fourth languages, or give up that medical school seat at my midwestern university. today, i'm less than a month from graduation, i'm preparing for a relief trip to haiti, we're getting ready to move to the west coast, and i'm excited to see what paths the lord has prepared for my husband, myself, and my medical school calling.
ReplyDeleteYour story is going to give me a cavity. I love it :) Who doesn't love a good love story?? Also, the awkwardness is adorable and a photo can tell an entire story.
ReplyDeleteFive years ago I was graduating college and was married for one year! Next month is our 6 year anniversary :)We were living in a really humble apartment in Reisterstown, MD and loving being married. Here's one for you- 9 years from April 16th was our first date at the Hard Rock Cafe in the Baltimore harbor! 9 years!! We went just as friends and decided we would figure out later if it was a "date" or not. Considering he kissed me right after he dropped me off at my parents house, we decided it was a date :)
Question- in the photos above, had you started dating yet? Had you kissed yet?
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing your stories, ladies! I'm loving reading your comments. What changes we've all been through (and what nice boys we've found!) Please keep the stories coming! (If your story isn't romantic, that's ok -- I'd love to read stories of all kinds!)
ReplyDeleteLace - My husband really is such a ridiculously handsome fella. I had thought so for years before we got together! (If he had a brother I'd have sent him your way, but you found yourself quite the catch too!) I'm not sure which box is currently housing the scrapbook with the pic from the first day of school. I will post it and the story the day I find it!
Linds - I'm not sure of the details of our courtship anymore. It all happened so fast once things got going, and much of it has now become legend in our household. We spent a lot of time together, but didn't consider it to be dating. I will check back through old emails to try to recall some of the details.
wow... if you would have told me 5 years ago that I would be where I am today I would have laughed in your face. haha. 5 years ago I was in grade 10 and had just started dating my big brothers best friend after months of ridiculous flirting. He was in grade 12 and the captain of every sports team in the highschool - he even blew off one of the popular grade 12 girls to date me - a silly grade 10er (blush). Looking back I can't beleive what he put up with, he drove me and all my friends all over town, out to parties etc. I never thought it would last very long... We had some major ups and downs over the next three years, and then at the tender age of 18 and 21 decided to tie the knot. Now i'm 21 and hes 23. we live thousands of miles away from out little hick town and we are both a year away from graduating from university... Man 5 years can change alot. Back when I was 16 I swore I would NEVER get married untill i was 27... haha...
ReplyDeleteSo cute! You were such a cutie.
ReplyDeleteLet's see, 5 years ago. Just getting ready to graduate from college. No job, but happy as pie to have a ring on my finger. ;)
Emily Kate and “S”:
ReplyDeleteI’m way out of place here among you young readers, … but Janie and I have a story too, and I do so enjoy a love story.
I am also blessed to read how you ladies (above) refer to God in your lives. This is clearly wisdom on your part
for without the Lord, life is up to luck, and luck hasn’t anything to do with God and His Blessings.
Emily Kate, I see “S” in your picture, but I can’t see you in there!?! Is this truly you?
Janie and I met in 1981 (yes I said ’81 before you all were born) when I handed over my oldest son to her in our church nursery.
A year or so later, Janie and her husband were my right hands, working in the church control booth doing sound, lighting
and video cameras. Seven years passed, we moved away in 1988. Then to Georgia in 1990. Janie moved to Indiana in 1993.
I had a short list of folks from “Home” that I would call from time to time. They were on that list. After 30 years of marriage,
Janie got divorced. (he had other ideas) My ex had a habit of running off. She’s in CA now. (I know that doesn’t sound like a
happy ending yet, but wait for it) Janie and I had been friends for some 20 odd years. We never expected to be, …….. you know.
I visited Indianapolis in 2000 for work. Janie and I attended her church together that Sunday. We began to e-mail, I proposed
over the phone. We were married in July of 2002 but hadn’t seen each other for over two years, until the weekend we married.
God is good! The world will tell you that opposite’s attract, and that may be true. But friends make the best spouses.
Janie and I are coming up on 8 years and life has been wonderful. God has blessed us with everything that is promised
in His Word. (Including our log home which is what brought us to “ThirtyEight20”)
You young married folk, remember to put God first and husbands/spouses second, and your marriage will never fail.
So there it is. I'm enjoying your blog EK.
Wow, great story Mel! You never know what twists and turns life (or rather, God) will bring. And that's a good thing! Your wedding was the first time you saw each other in two years? How romantic!
ReplyDeleteAnd yep, that's me in the photos. I guess I must've changed a lot in 5 years if I'm unrecognizable. :-p
EK and Lacy- I'm about to start getting my feelings hurt that you are not following my blog?! :( I might let it go... if you begin following me... just maybe...
ReplyDeleteI love hearing stories about how people meet! Thanks for your kind comments on my blog and for following me! Good luck on the renovations, can't wait to hear all about it!
ReplyDeleteTake care
Kristin
Well I remember always asking Vijay. "Where the heck is "S" is he still at Emily's "going over homework" :-P
ReplyDeleteWell, Anonymous, I seem to remember it like THIS...
ReplyDeleteS: "Hey Vijay, where is Zach?"
Vijay: "I don't know, I haven't seen him in DAYS, man. I don't think he's been here. Then again I spent 3 days straight in the library, then I ate 2 Meeting Street cookies to reward myself, then I rereaded my entire econ textbook while riding the stationary bike to punish myself. So I haven't been around much."
S: "Do you think he went to see Melissa AGAIN? That's like 5 weekends in a row now... I'm so going to pee on him when he gets back."
:-)
Emily! What a sweet look back at you and S!
ReplyDeleteFive years ago, I was finishing my first year of graduate school. I was super-immersed in my studies, grades, and graduate assistantship. All that hard work paid off, and I was offered a job in Boston after graduation the next year. I had never lived in the North, and, even though I am glad to be back in the South, I will never forget every experience and friend (like you) I made along the way.
Thanks for taking me back!
Amber
Amber, we were both in Boston for such a short time -- I'm so glad our paths crossed while we were there! ♥
ReplyDelete