Written by Candace on August 8, 2012 | 5 Comments

Frank+Laura
Napa Photo Date

This past weekend while at the Beazley House in Napa, we met the lovely Frank and Laura.

While chatting over wine in the lobby, we put off dinner in order to continue laughing with these two. You never know who you’ll meet at a bed and breakfast, and sometimes you just might end up pleasantly surprised.

Frank and Laura were celebrating their 2 year wedding anniversary. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to celebrate their love through photos. Here’s a peek into their story.

Laura was studying abroad in Italy when she needed to finalize her class schedule. With only a few credits left, her counselor placed her in a life-guarding class. Being a swimmer, Laura was expected to glide right through the semester. This class would soon be worth far more than the few credits it earned her. Frank was signed up for the very same class.

I assumed the story would progress with Frank finding a way to play the hero and save the damsel in distress, played by Laura. But sadly, there would be no “mouth to mouth resuscitation” on the side of the pool for these two.

Though Frank did have his eye on Laura, they never actually connected during class. Running into each other at a party, Frank finally found the courage to approach “the pretty girl from life-guarding class.” The semester abroad must have given Laura a thing for Italians because Frank is definitely a true Italian, tall, dark and handsome. These two have been swimming in love ever since.

Frank and Laura – just like you “just so happened” to attend the same life-guarding class, we are happy we “just so happened” to stay at the same bed and breakfast. You were a sweet surprise to our anniversary weekend! Getting to celebrate your love only made us more excited about our own. Cheers to many, many more years of love and laughter! We are very much looking forward to reuniting on the East Coast. Love to you both!

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Written by Candace on August 2, 2012 | 7 Comments

Roman+Inna:
A Photo Date

The first time they met, Inna was only 15 years old.

Roman picked up a group of people who were joining him at a summer camp and Inna happened to be one of the passengers. They all grabbed lunch together, but before hitting the road, Inna suggested they say a prayer for safety and the time ahead at camp. This definitely grabbed Roman’s attention, but camp ended just a week later and they each went their separate ways.

Then a year later Roman returned to Ukraine, his native country, for another church camp. Inna, who is also Ukrainian, happened to return for the very same camp. Roman immediately recognized her; however, someone as beautiful as she is would be hard to forget. He didn’t hesitate to approach her, and thankfully for Roman, she remembered him as well.

Though they were living in two different cities in California, Roman was not going to let that stop him. When they returned to the States, he located her phone number through a mutual friend and commenced a long distance courtship. Every phone call bringing them closer and closer together regardless of the distance.

The day these photos were taken, Roman and Inna were celebrating 7 years of marriage. Two children and a third growing inside. And yet, regardless of how crazy life can be with children, Roman and Inna wanted to carve out time to celebrate their marriage with photos. There’s no better way to love your children than to love your spouse.

Roman and Inna, thank you for the example you are to us and so many others. We love you both so much! And we wish you even more years of love and laughter together as husband and wife!

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Written by Candace on July 31, 2012 | 8 Comments

Einstein Bagels

This Sunday Vitaliy and I will be celebrating 6 years of marriage. I’m still in denial that it has already been 6 years.

As we plan how we want to celebrate, we can’t help but reminisce our epic trip to Chicago last year to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. We wanted to go back down memory lane, to visit all of the places where our love both started and blossomed. It was honestly one of the best trips we’ve ever taken together.

When we were at college in Chicago, one of the things that became a Saturday morning tradition was to walk to Einstein Bagels for breakfast. It was about a mile walk, which during a Chicago winter can feel more like a 5 mile trek. Though the wind was painfully piercing at times, all that mattered was that he was by my side.

Vitaliy and I have been through a lot over the last 6 years. It’s hard to put into words how special this trip was for us as a couple. I can remember sitting at Einstein’s as a college student trying to decipher my feelings for Vitaliy and what future we would have together. He was a graduating senior; I still had two years left. He was from Ukraine and could possibly move back. I didn’t imagine my life outside of the Midwest. It was all so unclear.

But there we sat at the same table, now as husband and wife, having lived through things that we could never have imagined as two college kids in love. God is faithful. We had much to celebrate last year and even more to celebrate this year.

Have you taken a trip down memory lane with your loved one recently? I cannot recommend it enough! Revisit one of your early traditions. Redo your first date. It will conjure up fond memories and feelings towards one another. While remembering how it all started, you will walk away encouraged to keep pressing forward. Together.

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