A Love Story

I was reading some notes some of my facebook friends wrote. Some of my friends had filled out questions about their relationship with their significant other. One question was what did you do on your first date. I was thinking back to almost 8 years ago when my romance with Phil began. It's hard to say what we did on our first date because I am not really sure when that was. I remember being accused of going on a date with him while at Grace. Phil asked me to go get some ice cream with him. It was a long day of classes, so I told him I wanted to go take a shower and then we could go. I had a friend who decided that because I felt the need to freshen up, that it was a date. Really, I just didn't want to be sweaty anymore!!

So, if that wasn't a "date" when was our first date? I think I would say our first date (the day I decided I really liked Phil) was the first full day I was back in Winona Lake for the summer. I had gone home for a couple of weeks, and then moved back to Winona Lake to work as a youth leader at a church there. My first night back in town I had arranged to stay with a friend. She forgot, and I was left with no where to stay and no money to get a room. I knew where her family lived, even though I didn't know them, so I stopped at her parents house to see if they knew where she was. She was in Iowa (I think) visiting her boyfriend. Her mom was nice enough to offer me a warm bed and I watched My Fair Lady for the first time with her. The next day was a Sunday. Phil and I had talked about him coming to visit and going to church with me. To say I was feeling lonely would be an understatement. I was waiting in the church lobby to see him and when he walked in the door, I gave him the biggest hug ever!

Phil spent that whole day with me. The lady I was supposed to be living with for the summer was out of town and we weren't sure if she was going to be back for me to have a bed that night. Phil stayed with me until we were sure I had a place to live and even though I don't remember exactly what we spent that whole day doing, it was when I knew I was falling for this guy. That was in June of 2001. He proposed in August. It was the best summer of my life!