~Our Romance Story in a "Nutshell"~

~That is a typical Colombian bag that I have over my shoulder
Our Dear friend Janet took this pic of us, here in Colombia~

Thought that I'd take you down memories lane with me. My Phillip grew up in between AZ and MI, moving back and forth through his younger years. But he spent his high school years in Michigan, and became best friends with Matt J. When it came time for them to go to college, Matt went to Hobe and Phillip went to GBS. At Hobe, one of my dear friends, Kimberly N. and Matt became good friends. Phillip went to GBS the year before I did. I visited GBS several times that year, but since Phillip lived and worked off campus he never saw me. The IHC before I went to GBS as a freshman, my friend Kimberly told me about Phillip and told me that she thought that we'd make a good couple. =) AND GOOD OLE MATT called Phillip twice the summer before I came and told him the same thing...that he thought that we would make a great couple, and told Phillip to look me up. Since Phillip's Dad was the maintenance man at GBS at that time, Phillip was working with him in the boy's dorm...on the day that I arrived. He had casually told the guys that he was working with that his friend had told him to look me up...but that he had no clue who I was. Right then I walked by and he said something about that being a new girl...and the guys recognized me from visiting GBS the year before and told him that that was the Heather he wanted to look up. So, he watched me for 2 weeks or so, and I had NO CLUE he was in the world...for he lived and worked off campus and was a Sophmore, not a freshman, so he was not around. At the end of the 2 weeks we started becoming friends...but I still did not think about this guy being the "Phillip" that Kimberly had told me about. A few days after he asked me to the Freshman picnic...we were chatting and he mentioned his best friend Matt...and I let out a squeal and said, "Oh, now I remember, you are the one that Kimberly told me about!"...and then he told me that Matt had told him about me too. Before I came to college, I had talked to my Heavenly Father about the guy that I was to date. I asked him to protect me from the wrong man...and that IF IT WAS HIS WILL...to please help the man that asked me to the picnic to be my mate for life! AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED! (But I kept THAT SECRET between me and God and stayed close to God, to be careful that this was the man for me.) After dating for 18 months...he asked me to marry him on APRIL FOOLS DAY 1994...but Thank the Lord he wasn't fooling around, he was SERIOUS. =) His gift to me was an AWESOME, HUGE picture that he drew of me...all dots...it took him 50 hours during Mid-term exams at GBS. He is an amazing artist...and I TREASURE his gift to me. When we came back to GBS from our spring break...(when we had gotten engaged in South Dakota visting my parents) I got soooo sick of the "I FEEL SORRY FOR YOU LOOKS"...when I'd tell my friends that Phillip drew a picture of me for an engagement gift. So, Dad D. and I put up an easel in the GBS kitchen and left my picture on display for 3 days...and I never received any more "Poor You" looks or comments. =)
~This is the best pic I have of the portrait that Phillip drew of me (BUT THIS PICTURE DOES NOT DO IT JUSTICE!)...my parents are keeping my treasure for me while we are serving God in Colombia.~

We got married June 6th, 1995....and so really soon we have been married for 12 wonderful years!!!!....Thanks to our DEAR friends Matt J. and Kimberly N. =)