18.10.16

8 years + the start of our love story

Today marks 8 years of marriage for Brad and I. EIGHT YEARS. I don't think I've ever shared the way we met and how it all went down on the blog before, so here it goes for those of you who like stories like these (secretly all of us, no?)

When we first met, I was attracted to him right away. All the tall girls out there know that you're always aware of a guy's height. It's just something we look for right away. Well, it took me two days of us hanging out constantly to realize that I'm taller than him. Because his personality, his charterer, his leadership, were all so giant. We were on a mission's trip in Africa, and I felt so safe being near him. He seemed so comfortable around anybody, so at ease with the foreign culture around him, and he loved learning new languages. His love for people and God were so evident right away, and I was hooked.


He didn't actually feel the same right away though! haha! He was leading the missions trip and I was simply a participant, and any kind of flirting or relationship starting would have been frowned upon until after the trip was over, so he played it cool, not wanting to be distracted. Meanwhile I was like HAIIIIIIIII CAN I DISTRACT YOU? do do do...


But I didn't really know how he felt, because he was trying not to feel it. I was so not what he was looking for. I was too young (still in university, we're 4.5 years apart), lived nowhere near him (I was in Hamilton, Ontario, he was settled in Montreal), and didn't speak French (which was his language at work and in ministry). And we were on this mission's trip where he was leading us all in a foreign country.


When the trip ended for the students, the staff were still in country for another week, so I returned home to my family, got a summer job, and told everyone who would listen about this Montreal dream guy that I met in an African airport. Then, the day his responsibilities as mission's trip leader ended, he e-mailed me from an airport in Paris, on his way back to Montreal. His e-mails in those days were epic. Pages long, full of funny jokes, memories from our trip, encouragement from the Bible, and hints that he liked me too. A few weeks later, he traveled down to my family's home in Niagara, Ontario to meet everyone and just hang out. He told me he liked me and I was so nervous and at a loss for words that I just said, I KNOW. hahahaha! Um, worst response ever, but he stuck around :)

We became an official couple one month later, in September, were engaged in April, and wedded on October 18, 2008. Eight years ago. Every year has been better than the last, and I'm more thankful to God every single year. Happy anniversary Brady :)

These precious photos were taken by Rachel Cheng, a Montreal-Based family photographer and old friend, who may have heard one too many of those stories about my Montreal dream guy that I met in the African airport.

6 comments:

  1. Happy anniversary!! This is so sweet!

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  2. Happy anniversary!

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  3. Your story is awesome! Definitely a story of following God's plan :)

    Sarah
    Sweet Spontaneity

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  4. Anonymous19.10.16

    So funny! Very different than mine (which I wrote a little bit about this week!) Love stories are God's stories! Happy Anniversary. https://unepetiteinfluence.wordpress.com/2016/10/17/femme-de-pasteur-ou-pas/

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