Manti Te'o

Don't let Manti Te'o's nightmare story deter you from online dating. Paul and I met online! I realized I have never shared our whole story, and thought this is a perfect time since many people will be wary of online dating now!

Dating is for marriage. There is no point in dating just to date. In 2006, (I was newly 19 years old), and wanted to find my husband. I dated a few guys who did just want to date. This was not working. So, I sucked up my pride and got on Yahoo Personals, (I was too embarrassed to get on a real dating site so I chose Yahoo Personals. Thankfully, at the same time Paul's friend talked him into getting on as well!).

You were matched according to your criteria- you picked 4 of your most important, (mine were: Christian, Conservative, Didn't drink and wanted kids). You had to pay $30/month to talk to people.

Well, I was contacted by many guys, (most of which did not meet my criteria and obviously didn't notice my 4 most important points!), and obviously that was not working.

After a month I canceled my ability to talk, (stopped paying lol), and I decided to start looking. You see, if I got on there to find a husband, I would need to start looking because letting them come to me obviously did not work.

Well the "matching" system was less than stellar. I sat and scrolled through PAGES and PAGES of guys. None caught my eyes. Around page 30 or so, (mind you there were about 30 per page, so this was about guy #900), I found Paul. He had a teenie tiny, out of focus pic. I am not vain, but there does need to be some physical attraction! I almost skipped him because I couldn't really see him! Then something stopped me and I read his profile, (I kick my self for this day for not saving what he had written!!).

He had chosen the same 4 main points as I had. Then I found the "about me" section where you could write anything about yourself. Paul had written on and on about what he was looking for in a wife and his love of God. Though I couldn't really see what he looked like, I knew I HAD to meet him! There were two problems: one was that he was 26 and the youngest age he was ok with dating was a 20 year old, the other was I had stopped paying. I could only send him a "flirt." Basically a prewritten statement to say, "Hey! I'm interested in you!"

The next day Paul sent a flirt back- another problem! It was now obvious that neither of us were paying and so we were not able to exchange email addresses or any other way to contact each other!

Thankfully Paul paid so he could contact me. :)

After a few days of trying to figure out the kinks of online dating- we "met" on April 6, 2006 around 6PM. By 5AM the next morning, (April 7 for those of you keeping track), I KNEW I would marry him.

It was that sudden. That obvious. No questions asked. When you know, you know, (When You Know by Shawn Colvin was played at our wedding for this reason). :)

Fast forward to ONE YEAR later (April 7, 2007), and we were married. People thought we were crazy. They thought I was pregnant. They thought we were stupid. They thought I just wanted to be a bride.

They were all dead wrong.

I would have married him even sooner than that. We live in a society that is so different from what God has intended it to be. We knew we were created to be together. We knew His hands were in on this. Not everyone else did. But we did. :)

Online dating is not always terrible like Manti Te'o or other nightmares. Still be safe! I had a guy contacting me and it just felt weird. Really weird. So I didn't pursue him. When I met Paul I knew he was the one and he was legit. Stay safe, and look for your true love. I found mine! :)

 Our online profile pictures :)

 The weekend we met in person, mid-May 2006

 Our engagement August 21, 2006

Our Wedding April 7, 2007

Our Honeymoon August 2007

Our Second Anniversary April 7, 2009

Our third anniversary April 7, 2010

We didn't take pics on our 4 and 5 anniversaries. :( but here is a picture of Annie on our 4th anniversary, 2011. I dressed her in this lobster outfit because Paul and I are "Lobsters," (remember Phoebe from FRIENDS?) :)