The John and Jenny Story
This is truly a great love story, and it keeps getting better every day! This page is for all of you who are interested in what is going on with us...it will keep you well-informed.
John and I met in the Spring of 1997, when I was still attending Dixie College in St. George, Utah, where I'm from. John is from a little town called Cosmopolis, Washington, but is almost finished going to school at the University of Washington in Seattle. We both were in school at the time, and spent a lot of our spare time on IRC (Internet Relay Chat), where you can meet people from all over the place. We both happened to find our way into the Undernet's #hottub channel and we ran into each other from time to time and started to talk to each other. We exchanged pictures and we both liked what we saw!
Time went by, and right around the first part of March, 1998, we started chatting with each other a lot more often. One Saturday morning, John decided to get crazy and gave me a call on the phone, after first warning me about his "cheesy" voice (which it's not!!!). After we talked for a while, we discovered how much we liked talking to each other, and wanted to get to know each other even better.
Well, one thing led to another and soon we were calling each other every day...almost to the point of addiction! Some people don't think it's possible, but we fell in love with each other before we had ever even met in person. After having talked so much, I just -had- to meet him, so I booked my plane ticket on St. Patrick's Day, 1998 to go to Seattle, and on April 16, I flew out to meet the love of my life.
You can imagine how nervous we both were about meeting each other. We were both so afraid that things would be different in person. I was one of the last people off the plane (which made John pretty nervous), but when I stepped out of the gate, John immediately recognized me. He stepped out from the group of people who were waiting, and I smiled, walked quickly over to him, and we gave each other the warmest, most wonderful hug I'd ever experienced. I couldn't believe we had -finally- met...it was such a wonderful feeling. All I could say to him was, "You're real!" and I couldn't take my eyes off him.
Love in the Emerald City
John and I did a lot of fun things while I was in Seattle. My hotel was right near the Space Needle. We went over to Seattle Center (where the Space Needle is) and went to the Musical Fountain there. It was so awesome! Then we took the monorail over to Westlake Center, where the Bon Marche and Nordstrom's are. We walked all through the stores and saw lots of cool stuff, and got a feel for what each others' tastes are. After that, we walked along 6th Street where there are some large hotels, and we went and looked around in the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, which is absolutely beautiful. We then walked down to Pike Street, where the Pike Street Market is. This is where they have a seafood stand that is famous for throwing fish around as it is ordered. It's a lot of fun! We had a wonderful five days together, and when it was time to go, it was extremely hard to say good bye.
Living Apart
The next five months were spent calling each other, e-mailing each other, chatting on IRC, and missing each other very much. John went back to Cosmopolis, Washington, where he's from, after school let out, and spent his summer volunteering at the police department there, taking care of his grandmother, and in the middle of summer, he started working out in the rain forest at the Lake Quinault Lodge's restaurant called the Roosevelt Room.
I continued working at the Holiday Inn, and spent my evenings relaxing and usually on the phone with John. My summers aren't much different than other times of the years now. All summer long I had been hoping that John could come out and visit. One night in August, when I was at work, John called me and told me the good news...that he'd be flying into Las Vegas at night on September 14th. I let out a gleeful yell and tried to keep from bouncing off the walls for the next month.
Together Again
I woke up at about 2:30 a.m. on the morning that John arrived in Las Vegas. I knew this was too early to leave, but I was so excited that I couldn't sleep! I got up and showered and then went over to the Holiday Inn where I worked, and did a few things I had neglected before I took time off work. I held off until 4:30 a.m., and then I decided I would just go ahead and leave for Las Vegas. That was a very long drive...it was pitch black outside the entire trip, so you can imagine my excitement when I finally saw the glittering lights of Las Vegas in the distance. It was 5:00 in the morning, Pacific time, and John was laying asleep in his the hotel room when I used the key he had left for me to open the door. He heard me creep in, and shuffle around in the dark until I found him. He was so warm, and I kissed him...it was like we'd never been apart.
We spent a little time together at the hotel in the morning, and then we went off to check out some of the hotels and casinos in Vegas, as this was John's first time to visit the city. We went to the Luxor, the Excalibur, New York New York (where we took a ride on the rollercoaster), and the MGM Grand Hotel. We also visited Coca-Cola World, which was a lot of fun. We took off for St. George later in the afternoon.
We got back to St. George, and John met my parents...we all ate dinner together and spent the evening settling in. We got up the next day, which was John's 23rd Birthday, and took off for Zion National Park. We went to the Zion Canyon Cinemax Theater to see "Treasure of the Gods," which was really awesome, and we went out to lunch at the Panda Garden Chinese restaurant in Springdale, which is the town right outside the park. We drove around the park and then we took the little hike up to the Narrows, which is beautiful. We headed back that afternoon and went out to dinner with my parents for John's birthday at Chili's...it was a lot of fun.
The next day we got up and drove up to Bryce Canyon National Park, which is a very beautful place...we drove up over Cedar Mountain on the way there, and it was really nice. We walked around and looked at the scenery, and then we went back to St. George. Later on, we went to Quail Lake to ride around on my grandparents' pontoon boat. I went swimming (and was the only one who did, as usual, and we had dinner aboard the boat. Later that night, we went swimming at the Holiday Inn where I worked, and we had a fun time playing around in the pool there.
Unfortunately, it came time for John to leave the next morning, and we got ready and took off with my sister, mother, and niece to McCarren Airport in Las Vegas. We got there barely on time, and had a brief goodbye. It didn't seem so hard this time, because in my heart I knew we'd be together again soon...and this time, for good. I admit that I cried and cried that before I went to sleep that night...just because it was so hard to be without him again.
Moving To Seattle
The next month couldn't go by quickly enough. I was busy preparing to move to Seattle, and that took a lot of time and money...getting a job and a place to live lined up would have been a lot harder if it had not been for the internet. I discovered just how much you can do with it!
On October 16, my mom and I took off for Seattle with my Chevy Corsica loaded up with just about everything I own. We drove for about 11 hours the first day, stopping in Ontario, Oregon the first night. We got up the next day and started driving again, and made it into Seattle by around 1:00 pm that day. I called John from my new home, and he came over and the reunion was sweet! We were so happy to be together again...and even happier knowing that we wouldn't have to say good bye anymore.
The First Two Months
The first two months I lived in Seattle were spent getting settled in, accustomed to rain, and having lots and lots of fun. We went to a lot of different places in Seattle...shopping, walking along the ship canal, to various lakes, the Ballard Locks and such.
So Happy Together!
It is now April 1999, and things are going better than ever. It has been over a year since we first met each other face to face, which is so hard to believe! Time flies... John is going to school and working at the front desk of the Seattle Yacht Club, and I'm still working at the Silver Cloud Inn. We don't have any wedding plans yet, but I'll make sure and let you know as soon as we do!
Engagement - December 11, 1999
John proposed to me on December 11, 1999 at Golden Gardens Park, in Ballard, Washington. We had a lavish dinner at our favorite restaurant, Ray's Boathouse, which looks over the Puget Sound. My engagement ring is a platinum band, with a round center diamond, two smaller round diamonds on either side of the center diamond, and two baguettes on either side of those. It is a very beautiful ring! We set the date for May 6, 2000, and we decided to get married in St. George, Utah, where I am from, so that all my family could be there. We spent the time between the engagement and wedding planning the wedding long-distance, and we made one trip down to Utah in that time, which was when I got my wedding dress. The time went by really fast, and before we knew it, our wedding day was upon us. Check out my engagement ring!
Our Wedding Day - May 6, 2000
Our wedding day was a hot, windy day in Southern Utah. Some of John's relatives were able to travel and be with us, and that made the day extra special. We had a beautiful wedding luncheon at the Bentley House at the Greene Gate Village Bed & Breakfast. Later on, we were married on the porch of a pioneer home at Greene Gate, and it was lovely. We had a two hour reception, and afterward, we stayed in a lovely honeymoon suite. It was a wonderful day, and I will treasure my memories of it forever.
One Year Later
John and I just celebrated our first anniversary. My how time flies! No children yet, and no prospects of having them just yet (in fact, it will be probably another 4 years before we start trying for any). We are more in love than ever, and it seems like our love keeps getting stronger day by day. Every day that John and I spend together reminds me of why I married him, and I am always glad that I did marry him. He is a wonderful husband, and someday he will be a wonderful father.
April 2002 Update
Well, we have just about made it to two years. Can't believe it. We're still doing great. We just had our marriage convalidated in the Catholic Church, which means we now have a sacramental marriage, on March 16, 2002. I was baptized and confirmed a Catholic on March 30, 2002 at the beautiful Easter Vigil Mass, which is the night before Easter. I will write more about it on the page I am working on regarding my conversion. Anyway, John and I are doing great, and are looking forward to many great years to come.
January 2004 Update
Wow, it's been a long time since I have updated anything here! We are still living in Mountlake Terrace, WA, and are about to start the process of buying a home! We are hoping to stay in the north end of the Seattle Metro area. We are still childless (unless you count our cat!), but are planning to start our family next year. I am really excited to be a mom! It's been really nice having this time with John, though, and I am glad we have waited. I am still working at Minor & James Medical, and John is still at the Seattle Yacht Club. Other than that, we have just been enjoying life and having fun together as a couple. I'll write more after we have moved into our new home!
July 2004 Update
A lot has happened since I last wrote. We bought a condo and moved in on my birthday (March 27). It is 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and only 5 years old. I really love it! It is in South Everett, and is set right along Deer Creek, which we can see from our deck. We also brought another black kitty into our home, and her name is Jezebel. Mistoffelees wasn't too sure about her at first, but they get along pretty well now. It's fun to see them playing together. We're still planning on trying for a baby next year, probably not too long after our 5th wedding anniversary, which is actually what we agreed on when we got married. So things are at least going according to plan! Otherwise, things are pretty much the same as they were in January.
March 2005 Update
We are really doing great right now. We have been at our condo for a full year now, and still love it, and I just celebrated my 27th birthday. I am currently in a Medical Transcription educational program through Everett Community College, and will be finished with that in June 2006. After I complete the program, I will be able to work from home. We are planning to start trying for a baby around October, so I will be done with school by the time the baby is born. I had my gallbladder removed in August last year, after a painful series of gallbladder attacks, and I'm feeling much better now. I guess that's all the news I have for now. Bye!
June 2007 Update
Coming soon!
To see pictures of the two of us, you can click here.