Our Love Story : Part 5

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

 Part 5

I had finally got to the highly anticipated 'meeting Tim day'. As I drove up to the Fourth of July party at my friend Leah's house, my heart was racing and every inch of me was completely nervous. We pulled into the driveway and here he was, standing right in front of the car, talking. Oh no, he was already talking to my mom! What was she saying, ah! As I was getting out of the car I told myself that if this guy wanted to meet me he was going to have to initiate it. I wasn't afraid to talk to guys, but in this situation I wanted to look back and say that he had started everything, and I wasn't manipulating how things played out.

I got out and just started right in on enjoying the party. Leah (the instigator) was so busy that day. She was in a relationship herself and her guy was in town, she was trying to make sure this party ran smoothly, and she had to cater a wedding the next day. So she was so busy running around trying to get everything done that she kinda forgot to properly introduce Tim and me. Forget 'properly', we didn't get introduced at all.

I played volleyball across the net from him, I talked to his family, he talked to my family.

I really couldn't tell if his family knew 'what was going on', but they all seemed really happy to see me and I thought they were being extra friendly. During the afternoon a couple of us decided it would be fun to take some pictures. I got my big camera out and I turn around to see Tim with his big camera and all his 'cool lighting gear'. I thought it was little over the top, but I was pretty sure he was just trying to impress me. Everyone decided they wanted a big group picture, so I stood there and soon the whole Porter family gathered around me. I thought it would look a little weird in the picture so I got out to 'help frame' the shot and then got back in over on the side of the group.

But by the end of the night Tim and I still hadn't spoken to each other. Remember I said I wasn't going to start anything? Well so far I hadn't. If he was going to make a move he'd better do it. It was going on midnight.

The initial plan was for my mom, sisters and me to stay at Leah's house that night and go to church with her in the morning. But last minute Leah had to drive up to Chicago for a wedding the next day. The only ones left at her house were going to be her brother and dad, and it would have worked but it was slightly awkward and the party didn't seem like it was going to end anytime soon. I saw my mom talking with Tim's mom. They joined me in on the conversation. The Porters had invited us to stay the night at their house so we didn't have to drive the four hours back home. They were going to let us stay and show us the way to get to church in the morning. We all thought it was very sweet of them. Mom looked at me and said quietly, “do you think we should stay with them?” I didn't know what to say. It could be really awkward, but then again, maybe Tim hadn't told them anything about what was 'going on' and they were just trying to be nice. I sure didn't want to drive through the night back home, so we thanked them for the offer and accepted it. The living room was filled with guitars, and everyone was having a good 'ol jam session. I was very aware Tim was sitting right across the room from me. Finally we were making our way to the door when he jumps out of his chair walks quickly to my side of the room, sticks out his hand and says. “Hi, I'm Tim. I think I've met everyone in your family except you.”

Our Love Story : Part 4

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

So I'm driving through Indiana one day on the way back from our family vacation. I woke up from a long nap and realized where we were. If I knew we were driving through Indy I would have tried to meet up with my best friend Leah, but for some reason I didn't realize it was on our route. I called Leah to let her know I was driving through her state and wished I could see her. A very excited Leah said, Tim's coming home from Africa today! You have to come to the airport!! I yelled up to the front of the van asking dad if we could turn around and go to the airport. Of course he thought I was crazy and had no idea why on earth I would want to go the airport right now. He said, we had to keep going. I told Leah it wasn't going to work out, and then hung up. I sat in the crowded van trying not to let the others see me cry. How could I get this close to meeting him and God wouldn't let it work out?! Oh well, I guess this was a sign. A sign I wasn't supposed to meet him, and I guess he wasn't 'the one'. After six months of waiting for him to get back, I was disappointed.

Tim came back to a group of people very happy to see him. He had been away for half a year, and was glad to be back. The next Sunday at church he pulled Leah aside and asked her if she could show him a picture of the girl he had been praying about for six months. Leah was still not sure that what she had done would be looked on favorably by his parents so she was trying not to be too conspicuous as she looked through all her facebook pictures. She finally found one of me and showed Tim. He approved.

Back at home I told God that if Tim Porter wasn't the one for me I was content to not get married for a few years. This was pretty big for me, up to this point getting married was all I really wanted and worried about. I was finally content with where I was in life. I told God I gave up the Tim Porter idea and unless He made it happen I wasn't going to pursue it.

Leah and her brother decided to have a big fourth of July party at their house the next month. Leah invited me and also conveniently invited Tim and his family. I knew he would most likely be there and told God that if nothing happened this time it was ok, and I was totally fine with waiting on the Lord. I got my mom, and two sisters to come with me as moral support. I kinda filled them in on what was going on so they could help evaluate for me. Tim also told his family that there was a girl he was thinking about getting to know. Most of the family didn't remember me from our meetings in years past, but one sister remembered me very well. She told Tim that she couldn't stand me, and that I was defiantly not the right one. I was a ditzy city girl. Tim knew that any girl he started to get to know wouldn't meet with approval from this sister in particular, she was very protective and had a strong personality. He hoped she wasn't right though.

The night before I left I wrote in my journal. “I am going to meet my future husband tomorrow”. 

I drove three very nervous hours down to Leah's party. When I got there Leah needed me to run an errand with her. I didn't really want to go. I wanted to be there before Tim got there. You know how it's less awkward when you're already sitting at a party vs. being the one the shows up late and everyone looks at you? Yeah, well now I was going to be the late one. The errand took about two hours to complete and I knew Tim would be there when I got back. I was so so nervous as we drove up to the house. Leah told me “it's just Tim, why would you be nervous?” That didn't help.

The worst part was I didn't know what he knew, I knew, he knew, I knew. You know? Like Leah had told me tons of stuff about him, but had Leah told him that she told me about him? Did his family know anything? My mind was just spinning. We finally got to the party and there he was.

Our Love Story : Part 3

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

My best friend Leah and I would randomly talk about the updates she was getting about Tim Porter over in Africa. She just wouldn't let the idea that we were perfect for each other die. I have to admit that the whole thing was kinda fun to me, so I played along. Never asking about him, but pretty happy when she brought him up. On a side note, I had always thought I'd marry someone named Daniel. I knew it was far out there but whenever I'd meet a new Daniel I'd wonder if he was 'the one'. Well obviously Tim's name wasn't Daniel. One day I asked Leah if his middle name was by chance Daniel. She said, Yeah! How'd you know?! Oh I didn't I replied, as I stood there in shock.

I went to Indiana for Leah's mom's funeral, I was trying to be on my best behavior because I knew the close family friends, the Porter's would be there. One of my friends (who is a guy) came up to me and started talking. I was trying to be polite but also trying to get out of the conversation. I saw that Mr. Porter had noticed us talking and I knew he prolly thought I was a flirt now. I hoped he didn't really know who I was.

Leah and I were talking in the kitchen on day and she said something that made me totally nervous. She tried to cover it up and told me to never mind. Eventually I made her tell me what was going on. She reluctantly told me that she had took Tim aside at his going away party and told him all about me! I was in shock! I couldn't believe she actually did it! I told her that you're not supposed to do that kind of thing in real life! It's what people do in movies! I felt as if she had just ruined my life somehow. I wasn't really mad at her, but how could she have really done this!? She said she didn't regret it, but she'd never do it again. Now I had an extreme desire to know everything about Tim and how his trip was going. Leah would oblige me and tell me what she knew. The more I heard the more I liked this Tim guy. He indeed did sound pretty perfect for me. Could this be 'The Guy'!?

Meanwhile over in Africa Tim was praying about this girl Leah had told him about. He didn't remember my name or know what I looked like, but he felt like the next step in life was to get married, and he wanted to at least meet me. His three month trip turned into four, five, and six months.

Finally the day came for him to come back home.

Our Love Story : Part 2

Part 1
Part 2

Leah my best friend looked at me and said very excitedly. "Tim Porter! I never thought of it before, it's perfect!” “Haha, that guy you always talk about?” And she proceeds to tell me how her mom was just talking to him the other day and asked him if he wanted to get married soon. He had said yes, and that he was looking for a girl that shared his interests, maybe someone who would like to go to Africa on his upcoming missions trip. Leah said I needed to go with him! Haha, yeah right. I looked at her and she was actually serious! No, way, there are some major issues with that plan. I couldn't go to Africa, in three weeks, by myself, with a guy, for three months! As I laughed to myself I can remember feeling really peaceful about what she had just proposed. The idea of Tim and me, not the Africa part. People had told me they felt 'a peace' as they started a relationship or married their spouse. I wondered what it felt like exactly. Others had tried to match me up before, but this time it was different, I could tell. The day went on and Leah just wouldn't give this new match up. She talked about in front of people, and even referred to him as 'my future husband'. I thought the whole thing was rather humorous.

I drilled her on a few things that I thought would throw her off. I said, “But I don't want to live in Indiana, I want to live by the beach.” “Oh he wants to move to California,” she said. “Does he play the guitar?” “Yes!” “But does he play piano?” “Yeah, really good!” Oh boy.
I don't know why I asked these things because they aren't even in the top ten on my list of 'deal breakers' or anything. 

Well little did I know that my friend who had my best intentions in mind was about to do something that even she was scared about.

Leah as a close friend of Tim went to his going away party that was held for him. During the night she got up enough courage to talk to him about me. The middle of the room was actually the loudest and least conspicuous place to talk. Of course she only told Tim all my good qualities and told him he really should be praying about getting to know me when he came back from Africa. He thanked her, and told her that he would.

A few days later Tim shipped off to Africa, for what was supposed to be three months.

I was going about my daily life. My photography business was picking up and I was pretty happy with life. One day I was sitting at the computer when my dad walked in the front door. He walked up to me and said “Do you know a Timothy Porter” I said, with a quiver in my voice, kinda..I know of him. Why? "Oh, he's over in Africa doing the same things that you want to do, I just think that's interesting." And he proceed to stick Tim's prayer card up on our fridge. So as 'interesting' as it was that Tim 's doing the same things that I wanted to do, even more interesting is that dad brought his picture home. My dad doesn't bring up boys to his daughters, second he's always the one trying to declutter our house, why would he bring more paper home, and third, the card didn't even come to him, he was just helping to clean out an old mailbox at work and happened to find it. The next thing that made me think something special was up happened next.

Third Anniversary Trip

First Anniversary  Second Anniversary 

Tim and I found out very early on in our relationship what our love languages are. A love language is how you most feel loved, and how you express love to others. (I highly recommend learning the love language of the people you care about. Or even the people you don't get along with, it could really help your relationship out a lot.)
Tim feels loved when people spend 'quality time' with him, and 'physical touch' is high on his list.
For me it's 'quality time', 'words of affirmation' and 'gifts'. Although, after having kids 'acts of service' shot straight up. I'm needy, what can I say.
So as you can see 'quality time' is something we both need to feel most loved. That's why we make sure to get away together for at least a few hours close to our wedding anniversary. It's hard to be gone too long with an infant, but it's important enough to our marriage and I totally trust our family to watch the boys.
This year we decided to just spend the day at 'our little lake Michigan beach'. We went there for our honeymoon and so far every year since. I guess it's a tradition now. The beach was actually busy this time, unlike other years so we found our new-favorite-secret-dune-hideout. It's was perfect. We had a little picnic with all our goodies we got at Whole Foods, laid in the sun, took pictures, and gave each other gifts.

I think I've finally built up enough courage to post our full love story and how God brought us together, so stayed tune for that.

I love you to death Tim Porter! Thanks for loving me.