The Start of Our Life

It all started with an instant message on AOL.  You remember AOL, don't you?  Back then it was "all the rage!"  You needed an AOL account back then like you need a FaceBook account now. 

Sitting in my parent's house at the computer I sent Don an instant message that read something like this:
"Hi, please don't be alarmed.  I know you don't know me.  I'm just looking to make new friends in the area and I noticed you live in Elmira.  I'm 18 yrs old, 5'7", hazel eyes and brown hair.  How are you?"

I have no idea what he responded, but the fact that he did respond is quite evident.  And, after "talking" through IM's for about an hour I gave him my phone number -- HIGHLY RISKY AND I DON'T ENCOURAGE ANYONE TO DO THAT!!  -- and after talking on the phone for about an hour we made a date to meet in person -- ALSO HIGHLY RISKY AND I DON'T WANT TO HEAR OF ANYONE DOING THAT!!

Our 1st date was June 1st, 1998 at Perkins (now Denny's) in Painted Post!  I remember it as if it were yesterday.

What followed was a year of high telephone bills and even higher gas bills going back and forth from Savona to Elmira ..... getting to know each other.

June 1st, 1999 it was almost over.  We went out for our 1 yr. anniversary to a fancy prime rib dinner and then proceeded to have "the" talk that all couples must go through at some point.  While I longed for children, Don didn't know if he was up to it at the age of 43.

It was an extremely difficult break-up for both us, there were days of tears.  For two weeks we tried healing, seperately, from the pain that a break up like that would cause.  Then, an intervention.  My Mother sent us both an email that had these words "no matter who you're with, if God wants you to have children, you'll have children."  Within a matter of 48 hrs. we were back together and then on June 20th, 1999 we were engaged to be married.

September 18th, 1999 started the beginning of our married life together.  It was the best day of my life, hands down.  And now, over 11 years later, we are so much more in love than we were then and I didn't think that was possible.