Crazy and Love Struck: History of Jon and Lizzy

As many of you know, Jon and I don't have the most conventional relationship history, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Today I read through our first emails to each other and it brought back so many memories. I still get butterflies thinking about my man. Many called us crazy, and well...we were, but hey, sometimes love is a little crazy. In fact...we were flat out insane and I guarantee you if my daughter ever tries to do what we did...well, it ain't happening lol.

Now for the fun stuff :)

Skyping with Jon while it was still in Iraq

Jon and I met on match.com. YES! A DATING SITE! Now don't get all bent outta shape. Nowadays, 1 in every 6 people met their spouse online. No, I was not desperate, yes there were weirdoes that tried to hit on me, and yes...I would recommend online dating.

"Only" 6,475.05 Miles Away:
Jon was in the Army on Deployment to Iraq, and I was back home in Indiana. It wasn't easy, but it was all we knew and it was a little comforting knowing that we would have to talk in order to get to know each other...and if he was a weirdo, he was very far away. Just kidding, but in all honesty this distance is a big factor in what makes our story so unique.

Lizzy "Point A" Jon "Point B" 

A little history on the first hello...on match.com, they send you a few suggestions every day based on the things you have in common and your location. You can say yes, no, or maybe. I had been on match for a couple months and was sitting at work when I got an email with my suggestions for the day...I thumbed through them quickly looking at the profile pics, because face it, if you are not attracted to them, there is no point. (No thats not shallow, its honest) I saw this cute guy in uniform and clicked maybe, then continued on with my day...honestly I completely forgot about my "Mr. Maybe." it wasn't till I got an email from him the next day that I even looked at his profile.
I wish I still had that first email from him...but it went a little something like this. "Hi, I saw you were added to my list of interests and realized we hadn't talked." He introduced himself and then said something that gave me the impression he was looking for an extremely submissive woman. I can't for the life of me remember exactly what it said, but I do remember laughing a little bit, cause honestly, I'm stubborn...submission isn't my strong point. Long story short, I responded with an intro and a brief explanation that I wasn't the type of girl to be "bossed around, or expected to submit to everything without a good debate first." The fact that he didn't run away at that response, was a good sign that we would get along just fine.

We met on February 10, 2010 on Match, Skyped for the first time on Valentines Day 2010. Oh boy was I nervous. I went out and bought a web cam (which was horribly cheap) poor guy probably couldn't even tell what I looked like, I definitely got what I paid for. But I will never forget the first time I saw him. I just sat and stared at him, well gawked at him was more like it. I couldn't stop smiling. I don't think I said more then ten words the entire time, none of which made up a full sentence. I just sat and smiled at him while he jibber jabbered on. The next day I told him, "I promise I will start to talk more, I think I was just a little flabbergasted... You are a lot cuter than I was expecting...and I like to listen to you talk."

Lizzy (me) the first time we skyped...yes I did get up at 3a.m. (on multiple occasions) to do my hair because it was morning for him in Iraq

We talked/skyped for 114 days before we met for the first time in person.  Jon came home on leave on June 3, 2010. Meeting him for the first time at the airport felt like something out of the movies. Complete with a mid-air hug while he spun me around. I didn't want to let go, and if I had, I most definitely would have fallen over. Spinning mid-air is slightly disorienting. 

Our first picture together, little did I know, this would be the beginning of me trying to get him to take a "good" picture...unending silliness. :) 

First Kiss: WOW! Let me just say, I feel sorry for those people whose first kiss sucked. Waiting four months to see your man in person, then getting to kiss him...wow. Sparks were a-flying. (I know, I know, I'm getting all mushy gushy on ya, I told you these were facts you probably wouldn't care about.) But Im gonna share 'em anyway.

Day 2 of being together, couldn't be happier! 

3 Days later...we got married.  Not only did we get married, but it was a surprise to me. I knew we were getting married, but I didn't know any of the details...and I never would have guessed what was in store. Jon planned it all. It was wonderful. We got up early that monday morning, drove to Noblesville, climbed in a hot-air balloon, and said "I Do" at 1500 ft. right at sunrise. It was beautiful. By far, the best day of my life. 

Wedding Day after landing

Jon Never Proposed...well not officially.  Technically he asked me if I wanted to marry him the first time we skyped, I just laughed and smiled and said "sure!" Then, I was only half kidding. Two weeks after meeting on match, the subject came up again, and I knew, I wouldn't turn him down. I would seriously marry this man I hardly knew, but had already grown to love. I got the ring the day before we got married, a friend of my dads made it for us and it is perfect! I love it! Someday, maybe ill get him to get me a matching wedding band, cause frankly, we didn't have an engagement, so the engagement ring became The Ring. At the time there was no need for two rings, but now, people think I'm still engaged, and well, with a baby on the way, I want people to know Im "bought n paid for" lol. 

Getting ready to say goodbye after two wonderful weeks 

Deployment after 2 weeks of marriage. Yup, he had to go back to Iraq, we got married, had two wonderful weeks together, then he had to leave again.  Seriously, our life could be a movie...or a really good book. We knew it would be that way, we knew that he would come home for a 2 week leave, then have to return to Iraq for four more months. I knew it would be hard, but I didn't realize how quickly those two weeks would fly by. In a way, it seems like they drug on forever, but at the same time, they would never be long enough. Saying goodbye to him at the airport that day felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. We had waited four months to see each other and hold each other and now we would have to do it all over again. Only this time, we would know what it was like to actually be together in person. 

Recap: So, In case you missed it, we only knew each other for 4 months before we got married, and we had only spent 3 days together in person before we got married. Crazy? ...Yes. Would I change a single thing?....most definitely not. We are not your perfect couple. We have our problems but somehow we work it out. Some things are just meant to be. 

Update: We have been married 2 1/2 years. Jon is now out of the military and working as a software engineer on a particle accelerator. HOW COOL! I'm a stay at home wife, learning to keep my sanity while spending most hours at home...and Our first child is due in June, only 7 more months! Life is amazing...and the fun part...Our story has just begun. 



Check out Part II of our love story here!