Our Story - July 23rd

How I Met H (Husband)

I was 15, he was 17. It was July and the summer after my freshman year in high school.

I decided to go on a weekend youth retreat. My church was just starting it's youth group, so we coordinated with another area youth group to travel to this weekend retreat. H was with that other youth group at the invitation of his cousin. H's church did not have a youth group.

We met by chance...well maybe, but not really. As I remember it, H left for the bathroom and came back to sit down. He made everyone else along the bleacher scoot down so that he could sit by me. I thought he was older (as in out of high school older) and I was only focusing on deepening my faith at the retreat. He thought I was completely uninterested. We left the retreat and went on with our own lives.

Fast forward 6 months or so and H's cousin cornered me at youth group. She wanted to know if I was interested in H. If so, would I like his email address or phone number? I said, "Sure, what can I lose." We went on our first date in February.

Long Distance

We were high school sweethearts, but did not attend the same high school. We were always a long distance relationship, even up until 1 year after marriage.

The year we started dating, H graduated high school and left for technical college 300 miles away. He graduated tech school the same year that I graduated high school. H moved back to our home state, but then I left for college 800 miles away. I was going to finish college in 3 years, but decided to study abroad a semester and also add another degree. We had planned a wedding for the summer after I graduated college and decided to keep our original wedding date. At the same time, H accepted a new job in our home state. Our decisions resulted in almost 1 year of long distance marriage while I finished college and H settled in his new job.

July 23rd

Coincidentally and unintentionally, July 23rd has significance to our story.
We met as teenagers on July 23rd. We were engaged 3 years later on July 23rd. 3 years after engagement (6 years after meeting), we were married on July 23rd.

If you're keeping track of all that, I was 15 when we met, 18 when engaged, and 21 when married.