Did you know?

We're taking Lisa's fun suggestion and are going to share ten tidbits about us that you may (or may not) know!  ;)

Here we go...

            Hehe, here's us thirteen years ago!

 

1.  The first time we laid eyes on each other was the summer of 1995.  Some girlfriends and I were working on our tennis skills at the courts in town when Steve and a buddy of his showed up.  I had only just finished sixth grade (gasp!) and Steve was going into ninth.  We noticed each other that day but we didn't talk.  Steve, though normally not one to be at a loss for words, has shared that it took him two years to work up the courage to speak to me.  ;) 

2.  Two years later we started getting to know each other - although it wasn't until I was 16 that we had our first official "date".  We drove 45 miles to the nearest movie theater to watch The Mask of Zoro.

3.  When I was a freshman in college Steve asked me to marry him (and I said yes!)  It was a tradition at the small Bible college I attended to throw newly-engaged men into the lake just outside our chapel.  (Steve was sure to remain unseen around there until weather warmed up a bit.  When he visited a chapel service that spring my classmates were more than happy to include him in the tradition!)

4.  We were married on June 21 '03 - a wonderful, yet hot and windy day, complete with thunderstorm and power outage that night!  Our honeymoon was a road trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and we had a great time.  Thanks to groomsmen who were eager to fill Steve's car with everything from sardines to cereal, we had lots of Rice Crispies blow out of the vents of his car on that trip.  (In fact it took a good year or more for us to see the end of the Rice Crispies!)

5.  On our honeymoon we began praying that God would show us a ministry we could do together.  His answer was definitely not what we expected at that time! (# 7 tells of His response to those prayers.)

6. That fall Steve continued a job he had as a middle school counselor and I attended cosmetology school.  The plan was for Steve to work one more year while I went to school and then I would work as a cosmetologist while he went to seminary.  Hehe, sometimes things don't turn out as we plan!

7.  Around September of that year we received a phone call - a pastor hoping we would prayerfully consider helping out with their youth group.  We prayed and felt excited right away - this was the ministry we were supposed to do together!  That volunteer position turned into a full-time youth pastor job for Steve and the beginning of 7 years of ministry in that church!

8.  My maternal instincts kicked in soon after we were married, and so our first "kids" joined our home - a cockatiel named Pippin and later a collie named Meshach.  

9. Before we got married Steve said he wanted 10 kids.  ;)  We have two right now - and most likely won't make it to ten, but we love our kiddos and can't wait to add more by adoption (hopefully starting soon!)

10. Although we've taken numerous personality and strengths finder tests for various ministry things, we've found it only takes painting a room together to discover how we work.  You'll find me with a little brush working in the corners and Steve will have the roller making big strokes across the middle of the room.  Yep - I'm a details person all the way and Steve is the big-idea futurist who keeps life exciting for me!!