I love reading your stories and yes, I am a little slow since I just found this thread today.

I first met Dh (Duane) through an online dating service called "One and Only" in 10/99. I had just gotten my own computer and had never responded to an ad before. We chatted online 2x when we discovered we worked in the same building - he was a preschool teacher for Autistic children and I was the Ass. Direct. of OT at the time so our paths never crossed. I did however hear all of the OT's/PT's talking about some "hottie" in the preschool wing during lunch and never guessed it was him. We chatted for 2 weeks and then decided to meet for coffee after work (that was the Tues. before Thanksgiving). He called me to confirm our "date" and I was prepared to tell him anything to get out of it - I was having second thoughts. Well, he convinced me to go anyway and we ended up talking for about 4-5 hours. He was extremely handsome and so sweet opening doors for me.. (definitely the "hottie" everyone had said he was! ) We planned our first real "date" for Sat. after Thanksgiving.

Dh said he wanted to dress up and go out - he showed up at my apt. in a suit w/tie and I was dressed to the nines and it was so much fun! We went to a resturant that was an old house from the 1700's and dined in a small room by the fire - very romantic! We dated for about a month and he asked me to marry him and I said yes. We designed my ring through a family jeweler and had to wait until Valentine's day '00 to make it offical. We were married Aug 19, 2000 after knowing each other for 9 months! We have been married 6 years this year and are still so much in love!

We look back and laugh b/c we used to say "how long should we be together before we tell people we're getting married?" We thought family/friends would think we were nuts and some did too - but the laughs on them!

3 years prior to meeting Dh, I was dating someone else and really was praying if he was the "one". I heard a definite "NO". When I asked where my husband was, I heard "Texas". I thought I was hearing things since I didn't know anyone in TX and had no immediate plans to go there. Come to find out, Dh was in TX at Fort Hood at that exact time!! Dh told me later that he knew as soon as he saw me walk out into the parking lot that he would marry me. He too had been praying for a wife and after meeting me didn't hear "wait" anymore. God has a plan and it will always come to fruition!!

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