The S.W.A.K. Carnival!

*I'm over at Is This Modest today, so if you have time, drop by and say, "hi!"

I may be a little bit late for the Kiss Challenge....

But it's never to late to kiss! So, in honor of the S.W.A.K. carnival, I am showcasing three of my favorite kissing pictures! Yes, I realize in the second picture we are a little off, but I'm sure we managed to get it right at some point!

Now I'll share with you with our love story...

It all began one fall evening when I was a freshman in college. I was at a "Nav Night" (a time of fellowship and worship with an on campus ministry group, the Navigators) when a friend introduced me to her younger brother. He was 17 (and in high school), I was 19. It was a very brief introduction - more like a blip on the radar screen of our love story. He doesn't even remember, but I do.

Fast forward to my Junior year of college. I was going on a missions trip to Memphis TN with the Navigators. My friend was also going...and so was her brother. I remember seeing him in the parking lot before we headed off to Memphis - I thought he was cute.

While in Memphis, we hit it off. We stayed up each night till about 5 am, talking on the kitchen floor of the place we stayed. We had to be up before 7 am. We were crazy. We also really liked each other. One problem though...

He was 19, and a freshman. I was 22 and a JUNIOR. Juniors do NOT date freshman!

He was a persistent one though.

On the last day we were on our trip, we took a little drive and he told me how much he liked me and that he didn't want to lose me. So sweet! I still wasn't sure...

Once we were back home, I kept thinking about him, but I also knew that I had some issues of my own to deal with. I was a relationship jumper.

I ended up dating someone else, but then realized he wasn't the one. I couldn't get Jesse off my mind. After some difficult conversations, some let downs, and some persistence on my part, we finally began dating the following fall. In fact, my Jesse told me (after I told him I wanted to take it slow) that he was interested in pursuing me for marriage! He wanted to be intentional about getting to know me to see if we were compatible as "man and wife." I just melted.

We were engaged four months later.

We were married a little less than five months after that.

It's now been five and half years and we are still in love, and still kissing! We have our hard times (marriage is hard), but I am so thankful that we have each other.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

(Now go kiss your husband!)