Romans 8:28

Occasionally I am asked, "So how did you and Vangie meet?"

Here is our story:

All things work together, I believe, according to a plan.  Nothing is accidental*.

Back in a time when the world was young; men were real men, women were real women, and small furry otters were real small furry otters; a time known to mortal men as the Fall of 1994, Vangie and I had a mutual friend.

A wonderful lady named Aimee was a student of mine, and Vangie was house sitting for Aimee's parents while they were away.  Both Vangie and I had recently ended relationships with others.  This being Ephrata, it was of course, widespread knowledge at school**.

Aimee figured that, a) we were both single, b) we were both similar***, and c) Aimee was uniquely placed to help us- she made mutual introductions by exchanging phone numbers, sort of forcefully and without permission.

At this point, I had experienced many strange things in the classroom, but being set up on a blind date4* was novel, to be sure.  So I called Vangie (great voice, by the way) and asked her over for dinner.  I was too poor to take her out, so she came over and I cooked5*.  She wore a pink, long sleeved shirt and nicely fitting Levis.  She was amazed I was tall because of my car.

The wonderful 1993 Prelude.  I guess it made me look short.  Who knew?

We hit it off pretty well6*.


Starting the next night, dates were frequent and relaxed; Skippers for dinner, roadtrips, hiking, horses, that sort of thing.  In December we went on an overnight ski trip with Vangie's church to Schweitzer.  The camera-guy took a pretty random shot of us.  We think it is still the best pictures we have.

She looks the same, and I....I....    I don't own that jacket anymore.

By Christmas we were talking seriously about a long-term future together.  In the Spring, I asked her father for permission to request Vangie's hand.  He said yes, I kidnapped her one Friday in May, took her to the beach7*, and proposed at sunset.

That was pretty fun.

By July we were married at, what was now, our church.  It was 106°F that day, but it was still fun.

Wow.  Just look at her.

We went camping for a week, but had to wait a year for the real honeymoon- Scotland.

 The Highlands.  It was incredible (and incredibly windy that day).

A few wonderful years passed and then this happened8*.

45-minutes in labor.  My woman is a stud9*.

I could not imagine life getting any better.


But it has.


That is our story, all things working together for the good.

Whitefish Lake last Summer.

* Except that incident with the water-ballons and surgical tube in 8th grade English, totally an accident.
** This is one of the few things I don't miss about teaching.
*** Not in obvious ways, however.  Aimee is smart.
4* My first.  And last, it turns out.
5*  Szechuan stir fry.  Still a favorite.  
6* Ironic and/or sarcastic understatement to emphasize the successful working-out-ness.
7* The picture of the Prelude is at the beach cabin from that weekend.
8* Which feels like, yesterday.
9* Good story in itself getting to the hospital in time, etc.