a lot of you have asked if i would be sharing my love story during this series. you didn’t really think i was going to leave you hanging like that, did you? so, yes! today’s love story is written by little old me. well, it is really written by my loving Creator and i am just here to tell it. to tell of how He had the most wonderful man waiting for me as i waited for him… on the other side of the country. and pardon me, i went a little picture and vlog (my first vlog EVER people, oh the terror! but don’t get too excited it’s just an outtake) crazy.
i was eighteen, in my first year of college in upstate new york and he was 20 in his second year of college in a little town north of seattle… do you know where this going yet?
by only the Lord’s divine plan, caleb went on this tiny little christian website for the same two day, if that, span that i did. the website had devotions on it, chatting and a bunch of other things. i won’t say the name. cause it slightly embarassing. unless i email them and they will pay me, then i will say the name.
while on it, a message popped up from a user named fuzzywool. say that with me folks, f u z z y w o o l. i am thinking, what in the world?! caleb, jokingly, made this bogus profile after his sister went on the website to actually try to meet a godly man. we talked on this website for one day and never went back on. we ended up exchanging emails, and after a few days of emails and pictures of us each holding signs that said “hi, danielle!” and “hi, caleb!”, to prove that we each weren’t really a creeper, we made the nerve wracking decision to talk on the phone. the phone call led to a slightly obsessed with each other unofficial (because we hadn’t met yet) relationship consisting of emailing 89 times a day and talking on the phone every free minute we could. we stayed up hours talking. HOURS. he would stay on the phone with me until i fell asleep and set his alarm to be my wakeup call at 5:45am before i started my long day of classes, two jobs and an internship. 5:45am would be 2:45am on the west coast, check it, people. if that ain’t true love i don’t know what is.
we wrote letters, sent cards, sent cds, and anxiously waited to meet each other in person.
we were falling in love.
some like to call this collage the many hairstyles of danielle
exactly two months from our first conversation online, caleb boarded a plane to come meet his girl. well, i wasn’t technically his girl until after that weekend when we became official boyfriend and girlfriend. we tried to do a vlog talking about our first time seeing each other but we were REALLY bad at it. i will tell you that we knew when we saw each other that this was it. and i will also tell you that my dad army crawled across our living room floor and peered out windows like a sniper to catch glimpses of caleb when we were about to come inside. anyways, here’s a little outtake for you:
did i creep you out? do i sound like you thought i would?
i have no idea why i was going to say hospital. clearly i talk more about giving birth than falling in love.
our weekend together only affirmed everything we already felt for each other. it is such a strange way to fall in love, before ever seeing each other in person, but it comes off my tongue so easily because it is our story. when i take a couple minutes to stop and think about how truly crazy it all is it totally blows my mind. we loved and learned things about each other that we never would have, had we been together in person. every day the Lord showed me that this was the man that i had prayed for, the one he had created with me in mind.
the next few months consisted of each of us flying back and forth from east coast to west coast. meeting more family and friends and continuing our whirlwind romance. it was crazy and it was beautiful.
three months after our first meeting in person (five months after we first talked) caleb came to new york for the summer to do an internship and never went back. we got engaged on july 16th, 2005 and were married on september 16th, 2006.
please take note of foster (FOSTIE the snowman) aka newborn bundled in red velour
brody came along in april of 2008, shortly followed by foster in 2009.
and here we are today. trying to live a life that pleases our maker, falling more in love with Him and each other every day. i am so thankful for the husband, father and man of God that you are. you better read this, babe. I LOVE YOU.
This is so sweet and beautiful, Danielle. I'm so happy you shared! And I don't think there's any part of y'all's story that sounds insane or crazy — it's the 21st century! Anything is possible, even finding absolute true love via a website and before having ever seen the other's face in person. 🙂
Beautiful! So glad you shared your own. 🙂 You guys make a great couple, and a sweet family.
Cute Story! Thanks so much for sharing! 😀
that is amazing! long distance makes it so that you KNOW. I related to the phone calls 🙂
OMG, i love your love story. the video of you…HOSPITAL. L to the OL.
and also that you met on the interweb…i would have never guessed that about you. although you are the intranet queen.
Such a cute story of you 2. Love to see all those pics of you:)
What a sweet story! I love sharing mine and my husband's story, although sometimes I think maybe it's boring for other people I adore it!!! And I still adore him too – you have a beautiful family!!!
i love your story! very sweet. and bless you for responding to a guy named FUZZYWOOL! you're brave 🙂
Ahhh, L-O-V-E.
What a sweet story.
The Lords plans are perfect, and will find you.
Sweet
Love your story!
such a great story! i need to blog about me and zach's love story. i love how you glorified god in how you wrote this…what a great woman of god! you're just so cool!
this is awesome.
it sounds almost identical to mine and my husband's story-only we met by stumbling on each other's blogs while he was in florida and i was in texas.
YAY! I'm glad that you finally shared His story for your life! L O V E it!
Oh I just loved reading your story! Thanks for sharing it. I'm on my phone so I wasn't able to watch the vlog but I will watch it as soon as I can get to a computer. Can't wait to hear what you guys have to say. 🙂
I love it! What a great story! I bet you don't even questions fate after a journey like that.
And no. You don't sound like I thought you would…but no one really does do they?
Here's hoping you have a good day! 🙂
Great love story! My husband and I met online during a free trial kind of thing. Just seeing what was out there. Never knew it would lead to marriage!
a) i love "the many hairstyles of danielle," because those pics def took me back 🙂
b) the video is hysterical! i wish it were longer!! i love that you're laughing through it 🙂
c)i love the pic of the yellow dining room 🙂 it's a little extra sentimental for me 🙂 seeing you guys in that apt reminds me of when you were newly weds & we got engaged and came over for dinner 🙂
a.
So glad we finally got to hear your story! As a single gal, it's so fun to hear all of these crazy love stories. I know God has one planned for me as well!
I loved your 2 second video as well. 🙂 Can't wait to see another!
your story is so beautiful. a fairytale straight from the mouth of God. xoxo friend!!
such a beautiful story! I loved reading it, and looking at all of the old school pictures! so fun Danielle!! 🙂 You sounded nothing like what I imagined.. haha! Not creepy at all though
what a sweet story, I love hearing things like this 🙂 so cute!
xoxo
how cute…I love it!!!! Thank you for sharing!
i have really loved this series, and i'm so glad you finally shared your story. 🙂 isn't our Father the best at knowing what and who we need??
I love all your pics! You two haven't aged a bit! Love your love story!
haha cherish. i love her. you totally sounded just like i thought you would. weird. it took me the whole blog to understand what a vlog was. ahhhhh sinus meds.
love your story 🙂 and my husband and i met on a christian website, also! it's amazing the ways the lord uses to get two people together sometimes.
Loved reading your story, it reminds me of the way a couple of friend's of mine met. it's a beautiful love story.
love your story! and the vlog 🙂 you totally sounded like i imagined too…your smile is contagious. that was a cute clip. have a happy day!
The voice of my friend! Ha. Uhhhh, I've been waiting like two weeks since you said you were going to share your story. Waiting, waiting. Wait! Tell me how long it was from the time you first chatted on the site to when you married. So, I went shopping for the first time since Mason was born (clothes shopping, yes, first time) and saw some awesome mustard flats. I thought of you. Now I can't find them online. They were at Macys. Go look:)
What a lovely love story!
You two are just the cutest and can tell how much you love each other 🙂
Your boys are simply adorable too!! 🙂
God always knows what He is doing! Can I get an Amen!!
Oh I love your love story!! So cute! And you really do have a beautiful family!!
I just love your blog!
I just stummbled on your blog today. So sweet and my husband and I did the long distance thing too. I have been in Canada for 8 years now and we have three little adorable boys. A Canadian and aTexan, only God could do that.
You're beautiful! Thanks for sharing! great story 🙂
so fun! I've loved reading all your love stories!
Came across your blog after Katy told me about it (Hi, Katy!). Love your story! Such a fun blog!
hello! thanks for stopping by my blog so i could find yours!! this love story is soo beautiful!! your kids are soo cute!! 🙂
you guys make a beautiful family : ) The two of you have such genuine smiles, it's so heartwarming to see! Such a sweet story.
Beautiful story! (It's crazy similar to mine!) Your little family is flippin' adorable 🙂
gahhh! that is one of the cutest love stories ever! i love how God always has the best timing ever! because of His timing, you have the most darling little charmers ever!
xoxo
i super love this story. you guys are all really cute and i think you sound just how i thought you would. you are adorb.
so glad you shared your love story! so great–and your family is so beautiful! loved the video too!
OMG! Your really cute!
I love the post, the pics and your blog!
Follow me? I'll be very happy if you do it!
Thank you so much!
http://www.cipollainspiration.blogspot.com
ohhhhhh I'm squealing over here! loved this! you two are so cute!! hahaha and that video is just great–really I wish it was longer! 🙂
Love your story, and this series!!
best. love. story. ever.
xo
what a great story! too bad you didn't move here to seattle, then we could meet up for some fun!!!
oh my gosh that is SUCH a lovely story!
Sweet, I forgot about you guys meeting online (I've been reading for a few years now and I was reminded while reading your post on your 8th anniversary). I met my husband online too… long distance relationship: Georgia, USA to Paris, FRANCE. Yes and God directed it all!!! I'm in process on writing our blog… maybe one day I'll share God's story for us too.