Justin and Kelly have been married for almost 4 years and they now have a daughter as a result of their sweet love. Below is my interview with them both. By the way, I absolutely love their date ideas at the end. Hope you enjoy!

Q. How many years have you been married? When is your anniversary?

A. It will be four years come August 8th.

Q. How did the two of you meet?

A. The very, very first time we met was at Rock Lobster (a bar) in Indianapolis. We had a mutual friend who invited both of us out that night. We were both dating other people, so we didn’t start dating each other until about a year later, even though we both liked each other. Unfortunately, our mutual friend told Kelly that I would never be interested in her (which obviously was not true). That kept us from pursuing each other even longer.

The first time we ever hung out and got to really know each other was at the Def Leopard/Journey concert in Indianapolis. After that, I went away to the Secret Service training academy. We wouldn’t go on our first official date until I got back.

Q. What is one thing you wish you would have known before you got married? Possibly something you learned the first few years of marriage that could help another couple out.

A. Don’t sweat the small stuff! We both have things that annoy the crap out of each other. At first, we spent too much time pointing out those “problems” and making a big deal about them. Eventually we learned that neither of us is perfect and that we are definitely going to have things that annoy each other. Unless it’s something big, we just deal with it!

Also, some good advice was given to us….”never go to bed angry with each other”

Q. What’s been a favorite date of yours whether while you were dating or now that you’re married with children?

A. Kelly: Justin surprised me on Christmas Eve last year (I was super pregnant & due any day), with a nice night in the city. We had dinner at Tadich Grill, took a ride on a street car trolley looking at Christmas lights (I had not done this yet after living in the area for over 6 years), attended midnight mass at St. Mary’s (this is the church we had our premarital counseling at), and then spent the night at the Fairmont. He then surprised me with my re-sized wedding band and engagement ring with a new engraving. It was our last night out on the town before Lilly arrived so it was an extra special evening, our last Christmas that would be just the two of us.

A. Justin: we went on a weekend getaway down to Hearst Castle for one night. It was great road tripping, stopping at all the beaches along the way. We had a great tour of the castle and then a great dinner in Cambria. The next day we took our time getting back to the Bay Area, stopping in Carmel along the way.

Justin and Taylor have been married for almost 10 years and have three fun and adventurous boys which you can see above. Below is my interview with Taylor about their own relationship. I hope you walk away encouraged. Enjoy!

Q. How many years have you been married? When is your anniversary?

A. We’ve been married 9.5 years. Our 10th anniversary is this summer, on August 16.

Q. How did the two of you meet?

A. We met at a party, in the kitchen. Justin was 2 years out of college, I had just graduated. Justin’s mom led him to begin praying for me, his future wife, when he was four years old. My parents divorced when I was a baby. Growing up, I saw firsthand how destructive and painful divorce is for all people that it involves — the couple, their children, their extended family. I knew I never wanted to get divorced, and I also knew the only way to 100% ensure I didn’t get divorced would be to not get married. Therefore, I planned to play it safe and be a career woman.

I feared marriage. But, after 6 months of dating and 3 months of engagement, I was ready to face my fear, walk down the aisle, and become Justin’s wife. It was the scariest, most thrilling thing I have done in my life. It required all of my faith. Walking down the aisle was me showing God that I believed he cares for me better than I care for myself, that he protects me better than I protect myself, that he provides for me better than I provide for myself.

Q. What is one thing you wish you would have known before you got married?

A. Marriage is a crazy, beautiful thing. At it’s most basic level, marriage is two selfish people committing to love one another and stick together. This is truly wild and crazy.

We romanticize marriage in our culture, but it’s important to enter marriage with eyes wide open. Marriage is an ongoing cycle of loving and forgiving, loving and forgiving, loving and forgiving. On and on and on. And forgiveness and loving are not natural and easy.

It’s also crucial to understand that marriage was God’s idea. He created marriage, and marriage is supposed to mirror God’s love and commitment to us, his people. All humans have an innate desire to be fully known (the good, the bad, and the ugly) and fully loved (with full awareness of the bad and the ugly). Only God can fulfill this longing to be fully known and perfectly loved. And marriage is intended to be the human relationship where we are most fully known and loved.

The marriage promise is a hard one to fulfill! It takes time, energy, and work. Justin and I attribute the health of our marriage to Jesus and his power working in our lives. Jesus is the foundation of our marriage and the power source of our marriage. We want our love for one another to echo Jesus’ love for us. We are pretty bad at this. Which is why forgiving is so important! But, after nearly ten years of marriage, we have gotten better at the art of loving and forgiving.

Q. What’s been a favorite date of yours whether while you were dating or now that you’re married with children?

A. A favorite date was a one-month-long date — we drove from California to Alaska and back for our one year anniversary and slept in the back of our truck every night. The most vivid memories are the times when I was scared (mostly due to bear encounters). Good thing my husband is strong and tough.

If you’d like to see more pictures from their session and hear about Justin’s book Date Your Wife, you can do so here.

Also, I tried something different this time and left the interview in the Q&A format rather than summarizing it and telling a story like my first Marriage In Focus interview. Which format do you enjoy more? I’m still trying to figure this all out.

Leon and Cheryl were in kindergarten the first time they met. Leon likely pulled Cheryl’s hair in the sandbox or chased her around the playground.

But, there is no photographic evidence that any of it was true.

Without any proof, the duo is left recounting the story from the second time they met which was in 11th grade. “In Singapore, 11th and 12th grade are equal to Junior College,” says Leon. Cheryl was on the girls’ basketball team and Leon was on the boys’. But unfortunately for Leon, Cheryl was an overachiever and took off for Undergrad leaving Leon behind where he finished Junior College and served his Military Service.

Leon then made his way to the University of Michigan which was actually where Cheryl attended. But once again, Cheryl was already finished by the time he arrived. They lost touch for 8 years, but reconnected via Friendster. “The predecessor of the predecessor of Facebook,” says Cheryl, “and that, as we say is that.”

The two were married on September 6, 2009. After almost 4 years of marriage, the one thing they wished they would have known from the very start was to pick your battles wisely. “That would have saved us from a few arguments when we were dating. Somehow, by the grace of God, after we were married, we both figured out which issues to let slide, and which needed…ironing out.”

One of their favorite dates is to take their dog Chloe to the beach at Fort Funston. “It’s a beautiful location with stunning views, hang-gliders in the sky, and long stretches of open sand for Chloe to run on. We can’t wait when Noelle can run around with Chloe in the water!”

This is the first in a new series titled Marriage In Focus where we take a peek inside a couple’s marriage, how they met, what they wish they would have known, a favorite date idea, and more.