Q & A Part 2.

Our Relationship

How did you and Garth meet?

Funny story. I had just moved back in with my parents after college and was working on my masters. Most of my friends had moved away or were still at college, but my good friend, Kim, had moved home too and invited me over for a game night at her house. Garth was at this game night and as soon as I was introduced to him I liked him. And it seemed he liked me too because we were pretty much inseparable the whole night. He asked Kim to arrange a group date the next weekend and I was soooooo excited...BUT that next weekend we did not get along. I thought he was rude and he thought I talked too much. After that we didn't see each other for another six months until Garth moved in with my friend, Brad. I went over to play tennis with Brad and guess who tagged along? After tennis, the three of us went out to dinner and the rest, as they say, is history.

So, why didn't we get along on our group date? Looking back, we both realized we weren't ready yet. We weren't mature enough and God still had work to do in us separately. Plus, we think it makes a great story to tell our kids someday, ha!

To this day, our friends joke about who gets credit for introducing us.

When/How did you know he was the one?

I knew Garth was the one after a month of dating because, honestly, I wasn't tired of him. Garth and I were both really picky because we knew what we wanted in a relationship and we could tell quickly if the person was right for us or not. In both our circle of friends we were known as the heartbreakers because our relationships usually ended after 2 weeks and we usually did the breaking up. Actually, some of our friends had bets on who would break up with who because of our dating history!

The longer Garth and I dated the more I knew he was the kind of guy I wanted to marry. My best friend and I made a list of essentials and non-essentials our future husbands had to meet and Garth hit every one, even the non-essentials (accent, played guitar, and sang).

I know it's cliche, but when you know you just know and I knew. I was having the time of my life dating Garth. He made me want to be a better person. When I wasn't with him I wanted to be with him. I would drive an hour just to see him for 30 minutes. Oh the crazy things we do when we're in love!

How did Garth propose?

It was our one year anniversary (July 26) and we decided to go camping to celebrate. We spent the day swimming, hiking, and eating good food. That night we were roasting marshmellows while reflecting on our relationship and praying about our future together. Afterwards, Garth got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. I collapsed into his arms crying and said yes. It was such a sweet moment. Then Garth had to ask if I wanted to see the ring, ha! I was so excited I forgot I got a ring in this deal! Then we called all of our family, though they already knew since Garth had met with my dad the week before to ask permission, and he had told his family his plan. But they were so excited for us and very supportive.

Garth's family had cake and shirts made for us:

And my dad made lawn art:

How often do you and your hubby go out on a date?

We have at least one date night a week. We usually try to make it for Friday nights, but if life gets too busy we reschedule. Sometimes we have three date nights in a week and some weeks we just have one. But we always make sure to get one date night in a week. We are big into spending quality time together.

What is your favorite 'date night' activity with Garth?

Though I enjoy getting dressed up and seeing a show or eating at a fancy restaurant once in awhile, I'm a homebody. So my favorite 'date night' activity has to be renting a movie, getting into my pajamas, and eating Chinese take-out on the couch together. Perfection.

What is the best gift you've ever given or received from Garth?
Garth is the ultimate gift giver. He is so good at keeping secrets and he loves to spoil me. So the best gift I have received had to be the trip to Traverse City on my 25th birthday. Garth had this elaborate plan on taking me away to this mystery destination and he gave me clues the week leading up to the big day. I was so excited and my co-workers were all trying to guess where he was taking me when I got the clues. We stayed in this amazing hotel on the 15th floor and ate dinner at this SUPER fancy hotel, swam in Lake Michigan, went wine tasting, and fell in love with Traverse City together. It was one of my favorite vacations and it was extra special because I usually did all the vacation planning so it was fun for Garth to take charge.

What is your dream gift that Garth could give you if money was no object?
If money weren't an object I would want him to take me to South Africa and France so I can meet the rest of his family and see where he grew up.

What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends?
I love lazy weekends full of lounging around in my pajamas with Garth ,eating good food and watching a movie. Told you I was a homebody.


Is Garth the first guy you have slept with?
Yes, first and last. It was very important to me to wait until marriage and I am so glad I did. I had the fancy hotel, rose petals on the bed, champagne and strawberries just like every woman deserves.


How do you keep romance alive when there isn't much money?
This is such a good question because Garth and I are saving for a house so we are watching our pennies. To keep the romance alive without spending a lot of cash, you could:
-Choose a recipe and cook together.
-Order a pizza and eat it over candlelight.
-Head to your local park and go for a good hike or bike ride (our personal favorite).
-Play board games together.
-Head to the local bookstore and drink coffee and read.
-Try a new restaurant in town and share an entree or just go for dessert or a drink.
-Rent a movie.
-Choose a book to read and discuss together. Our personal favorites for this is For Men Only and For Woman Only.

What is your favorite trait in your husband?
It has got to be his dedication to me, his faith, his dreams, his job, his friends and family.

Least favorite?
That boy can be moody. When he is hungry or tired stay away!



*This is turning into a novel, sorry about that. I'll save marriage for tomorrow and end with this:



Questions for Garth

Describe your wife in one word.
If I had to describe my wife in one word, I would have to use the word "Riumakapuku." In case some of you are reaching for your dictionaries, don't bother because you will not find it. This word is my own creation and the reason why I had to invent this word is because there is no word in the English dictionary that could encapsulate all the amazing qualities that describe my wife, Lindsey. To begin defining "riumakapuku" one must think of these words combined: beatutiful, smart, funny, amazing, gorgeous, generous, forgiving, gentle, strong, able, dreamy, genuine, and my favorite, God loving. Once all these words have been smooshed together, add to it the free feeling of standing on the beach with the sand between your toes, breathing in the open ocean and the setting sun, topped off with that little drink with the umbrella. Every time I see my wife, I think - wow, riumakapuku!!

What was it like growing up in another country?
The South African culture is a lot different than the American culture. I definitely had to adjust to the food and the fact that we didn't have to wear uniforms to school. We love soccer, rugby, and cricket, which is hard to follow in this country. But don't worry, I have adjusted - Go Colts!! Coming from a less wealthy country put my views of the world a little bit more in perspective. It may seem odd to you when I say the crime rate is relatively low here, but I came from a much higher crime rate which makes walking around a different experience. I know there are countries that have a lot less than what we do and much of which we take for granted. We are free to do whatever we want, go wherever we want, and become whoever we want. Those are freedoms that come at a price, thanks to our troops, that a lot of countries don't have and I'll never take that for granted.