Once there was a little girl....

So today is our 12 year anniversary. Happy Anniversary honey. I was looking over some old photos to find a couple of us when we were younger (and I was much skinnier!!)
and I found a copy of our wedding invitation...it was rather "cutsey" but it just went so well with our whole story that I fell in love with it. On the front is a picture of a girl with her toys and it says..."Once there was a little girl", then on the inside it has a picture of a little boy and a wagon of toys and says..."once a little boy. They lived far apart but shared the same stars. In time they grew. Today they share the same dream."
Our story is one for the romance books and here it is....I was in Costa Rica on a mission trip with YWAM. We lived with Costa Rican families the first few weeks we were there and in the center of the little neighborhood was a little store where we all went to buy Cokes and stuff. And sitting behind the counter was....
the most gorgeous guy I had ever seen :-) ( I think I'm probably a little bias here)

Just one problem ...no hablo espanol and he didn't speak English. Well, we had a few friends who thought we'd make a great couple and were translators/matchmakers. I didn't really even know Kevin but was somehow so drawn to him and was sure we were going to end up getting married (or at least day-dreamed about it). Anyway, I came back to the U.S. after two months there and not much had progressed in the friendship/romance. I begged my parents (I was 18) to let me go back for language school as I had decided God was calling me to Costa Rica (I think God was a small part of it and a certain latino boy was the biggest part). Amazingly they said yes and I went back and lived with some of his family there and worked with YWAM and went to language school. We got to know each other more (since after I learned Spanish we could now communicate) and fell in love. There were some language barriers when I first was getting the hang of Spanish...like when we went to get his passport so he could come meet my parents and in Costa Rica you have to get this paper showing you have no child support claims before you can leave the country and we are standing in line and he's explaining it to me but what I thought he said was that he had a son...yep, language barriers are hard!!
Anyway, things worked out wonderfully and here we are 12 years and 4 kids later.....

I love you babe. You totally "get" me... not to mention put up with my all my crap and bad attitudes and everything else. You are the best dad (seriously my friends are always in awe of him taking the kids - all of them - everywhere), soccer coach, handyman, mechanic (as he's spent the weekend working on the car), and just all around nice guy. I love you and don't know what I would do without you. I'm so glad I wandered into that store and fell madly in love with you....I know lots of people say this but I really am more in love with you today than I was at our wedding. You (really do) complete me!

Comments

[Melissa]

Funny that the first thing I thought when I saw the second picture was, that looks one of those little shops in CR. I have a serious love for that country! My dad is a spanish teacher and everyone in my family has been there at some point or another. I love the people and la pura vida!!! I went on exchange there for a summer in high school and I still keep in touch with my "family." You are lucky to have family there! Congrats on your 12 year anniversary!

[Di]

Congratulations on your wedding anniversary and thank you for sharing your lovely story! It made me smile!!

[Jody]

Awww! What a wonderful story to share with your own children. And what a neat experience you had living in Costa Rica!

Has your husband learned English or do you communicate with him solely in Spanish?

Happy Anniversary.

[Jody]

I received my wonderful package yesterday. Wow, it's incredible ... way more than I expected. Thank you so much. That's the first Amy Butler pattern I've ever owned ... now I feel ultra-cool. It was very sweet and generous of you to offer the package. Thanks again!
Jody