The Story of Us

The first photo of us.  At camp, summer 2000.

Dan and Lindsy met at church camp. Technically, we met when Lindsy was 11 or 12 and Dan was 13, but he doesn't remember her so she doesn't like to bring it up.  He was a late bloomer and paid no attention to girls.

During the summer of 2000, we both attended Senior High Camp at Camp Tapawingo in Falls City, Oregon.   Lindsy's friends were going to be late to camp (due to a trip to Europe and a cruise to Mexico).  So, Lindsy headed up to ol' Camp Tapawingo alone.  She didnt think it would be a big deal since she'd been going to this camp EVERY YEAR since she was 8.  When she showed up, she was mortified that she don't know anyone there.  Luckily, Dan noticed her.  So, on the first organized event of the evening, an ice-cream social, who rushes to sit next to her?  Dan, of course.  We laughed the entire time and talked a lot about movies.  Legend has it that later that night Dan was talking with his best friend, Jay, and was like "Did you see that girl, Lindsy, I was talking to? She's so cool." To which Jay replied, "Dan, you're going away to college."

The first couple days of camp we were together as often as possible at a conservative "no purple" camp. (Boys are blue, girls are pink, together they make purple). When Lindsy's friends showed up, she was torn between girl time and Dan time.  Dan wasn't torn.  He wanted to spend every possible second with her.  The week ended with a photo together, a hug, and an exchanging of phone numbers and email addresses.

We saw each other again that summer and he did go to college. We were "pen pals" (via e-mail) for a full year until the summer of 2001 when Lindsy announced that she was going to Taylor University also.  We told each other we liked each other.  I think we liked each other so much that we knew that if we started dating this would be it.  We would get married.

In the dorms.

We went on our first date September 15, 2001.  We said "I love you" just a few weeks later.

Dan proposed to Lindsy on his 22nd birthday and we got married 5 months later on August 23, 2003.  We had a big wedding with about 250 guests at the church Lindsy grew up at, Dan's dad officiated, and then we had a rockin' reception at Cedars Golf Club in Vancouver, Washington.

A lot of people think that getting married young will hold you back.  We think that in our situation it did the complete opposite. We have traveled the world together, lived in France and Canada and Chicago, renovated two houses, made some amazing friends, and helped each other through some of life's most depressing and difficult moments.  We attempt to seize the day, every day and we always try to support each others dreams.

And we are determined to live happily ever after....

Photo by Jade Ehlers Photography, 2012.