A New Tradition Started

When Christa and I got together in 2007, I wanted to start another new tradition to honor our parents who had passed away, that we miss so very much.

So we came up with the Memory Tree!

The tree itself is a Flowering Cherry Tree and it's decorated with white lights and red bows. At the bottom of the tree there are three round, green circles, that are wrapped with red lights that shine bright at night.

The three circles with red lights each represent Christa's Mom, and both my Mom and Dad, who have already passed away.

We chose this special tree because it sits at the end of our driveway making it the first thing we see when we pull into the driveway and the last thing we see as we are leaving the driveway. It will forever be a tree that will hold lots of memories in our hearts!

Merry Christmas and We Miss You! We love you with all our hearts!

The Perfect Tree

Our First Christmas Tree as husband and wife!

It stands over 7 feet tall and thanks to Christa's decorating talents she made our tree so beautiful this year!

We have white and blue lights wrapped around the tree that lights up the room with holiday cheer.

Christmas to me is a very special time of year!

Growing up our house was always decorated inside and out. The multi-colored lights on the outside lit the night sky beautifully, always displaying an awesome glow that always caught the eye of passing cars.

Decorating for Christmas has always been a family tradition. A tradition that I want to keep sharing with Christa. A tradition that I hope we will continue for many years to come.

Christmas decorating became more meaningful to me after my dad passed away the 5th of December in 1986, as Christmas was his favorite time of year. Since his death it has become a time honored tradition that all the outside Christmas decorations be up before the 5th of every December and turned on that night as a tribute to him.

Our Christmas Tree Adventure

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's now time to hunt for the great Christmas Tree! This year we decided we would start are own tradition by going out and getting our Christmas Tree on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Last year we went out and cut our own tree down from a Christmas Tree Farm and decided that we would do that again this year.

It was raining out but we decided to go ahead as planned and get our tree no matter how wet or how dirty we would get. The good news is that we would not have to worry about getting wet or dirty as when we arrived there was a large closed sign on the gate stating they were closed due to the weather.

We were still determined to get our tree so we chose to go with the good ole trusty standby.....we went to our local Lowes store where we purchased our Christmas Tree.....a Frazier Fur!

It's so beautiful as it stands nearly 8 foot tall in our living room. It has yet to be decorated as we decided to wait until tomorrow to put all the decorations on the tree so it would have time for the limbs to settle into place from being tied for shipping.

This years tree is going to be as beautiful as ever!

Our First Thanksgiving as Husband & Wife

Our first Thanksgiving as Husband and Wife!

For me the day started off at 5:15 am as I had to be at work at 6 am. My beautiful bride on the other hand got to sleep in late this morning.

I was able to get off work a little early so we could start our Thanksgiving day together.

We started out cooking.....we made rice and gravy, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, dressing and ham. We also had rools along with pumpkin pie and key lime pie.

We were able to sit down just after 2 pm to eat our wonderful meal that was so very delicious! We laid around the house for about an hour before Christa came up with a wonderful suggestion.....Lets put up the inside Christmas decorations.

After a short trip to Wal-Mart we returned home to put up all of our inside decorations. The only thing left to put in the house is the Christmas tree that we will be getting on Saturday. The house looks so beautiful....Yipee!

I would have to say that our first Thanksgiving together went really great! I am looking forward to many, many more!

Christa's 1st UGA (University of Georgia) Experience

I forgot to mention Christa's 1st University of Georgia experience that occurred back on April 5, 2008.

It was UGA's annual Spring Game at historic Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. We went with some friends and went up early and tailgated in the parking deck (cooking hotdogs) before heading over to the stadium.

Before going into the stadium we walked over to the UGA Book Store (you can purchase anything to do with UGA here). We got in the stadium a few minutes before kickoff and sat in the club section (the covered area of the stadium) as it was lightly raining at the start of the game.

The game was between the UGA team (1st string vs 2nd string). There was about 35,000 people in the stands (the stadium holds 98,500). It may not have been a real game but Christa seemed to enjoy her first taste of the UGA Life. Go Dawgs!

A Surprise Father's Day Visit

Fathers Day 2008 was a special day for Christa and her dad.

The Friday before Fathers Day Christa, Jacob and I flew to Minnesota for a surprise Fathers Day visit.

We arrived late into Minneapolis and took a cab to the hotel we were staying at for the night. We got up the next morning and drove over to Christa's sisters house for a visit before going on to Christa's dads house.

We left Linda's house around 11:00 am and Christa had a surprise in store for me. She took me to the Little House on the Prairie museum and to see Plum Creek in Walnut Grove, Minnesota. I was thrilled to finally get to visit those two places. We left there about 1:00 pm and made a stop by the the cemetary to visit Christa's moms grave. It was an honor for me to finally get the chance to visit her. We then drove to Christa's dads house arriving a little after 3:00 pm.

Christa's dad was working in his shop so he didn't see us when we arrived so we were able to sneak up to the door and Christa gave him the shock of his life as he turned around and Christa said "Hi dad." He was so happy to see her! We had a wonderful two day visit with him.

"Happy Fathers Day Dad"

Our First Trip as Husband & Wife

In May 2008 we took our first offical trip as husband and wife to Chattanooga, Tennessee. The mountains on the way up were so beautiful and peaceful.

We spent three nights there exploring the city as this was Christa's first visit to Chattanooga. We took a walk along the Tennessee River, went down in the caves of Raccoon Mountain and Ruby Falls. The falls were so beautiful.

We rode the Incline down the mountain and then back up and took a stroll through Rock City Gardens.......Christa's favorite. We visited Point Park (a part of the Lookout Mountain Battleground from the Civil War). It sits on top of Lookout Mountain with awesome views of Chattanooga and the Tennessee River!

This was definitely a wonderful weekend trip!

Married Day 4: Going Home

Just when the fun was starting it was now time to go home.

We had a wonderful time in Minnesota.

We had it all this weekend....A Great Wedding, cold weather, snow, ice fishing, snow tubing and most important we were with family.

Minnesota will always hold a special place in our hearts forever, not only because we were married there but it's where Christa was born and it's the place that jump started our relationship to what it is today! Thanks Minnesota!

Married Day 3: Ice Fishing Experience

Married Day 3: We drove to Gaylord to visit Christa's dad since he was unable to attend the wedding, he was home recovering from recent surgery. It was great to see and visit with him as always!

We left Gaylord around 2:00 pm and drove to Lake Waconia where we met Chuck and Linda and Christa's brother Kevin at 3:00 pm for our first, well my first, Ice Fishing Adventure!

It was very cold out on the lake, temperatures in the 20's and the wind blowing swiftly but we had two ice fishing houses that kept us warm and comfortable. We cooked out and ate supper on the lake, which was frozen solid.

We were out there for about five and a half hours and caught only one fish between us all and I was the one to catch it. This was truly an awesome experience that I hope we can make a yearly family outing.

Thanks Kevin for making this an awesome time and a wonderful experience for the kids and I and a special thanks to my wife Christa for suggesting we do this!

Married Day 2: Our Snow Tubing Adventure

Married Day 2: We spent the afternoon at Linda's house visiting until nightfall when we left to go snow tubing at Buck Hill.

We arrived about 7:15 pm and spent two hours tubing down the runs (in the photo). This was a first for me and it was awesome. The weather was clear and very cold, as it always is in Minnesota in the winter.

Jayme, my oldest son, was the only one that did not go snow tubing but instead tried his hand at snow boarding and did a good job being his first time doing it. When the night was over we all were wishing we could turn back clock and do it all over again.

Awesome Wedding Reception, Thanks Linda!!!!

Our wedding reception was awesome! Christa's sister, Linda, did a wonderful job putting it all together at her house. The decorations were so beautiful and the sign Linda's husband Chuck made for us was an added surprise!

It read "Congratulations Jimbo and Christa, February 1, 2008".

After the reception Christa and I drove to the Embassy Suites Hotel on American Blvd in Bloomington where we spent our wedding night.

The hotel surprised us by having a bottle of Champagne on ice and Chocolate Covered Strawberries delivered to our room. We let the champagne chill on ice as we checked out the hotel.

Once back in the room we filled up the hot tub with bubbles and sat there enjoying a glass of Champagne and feeding each other the chocolate covered strawberries as we remanenced about our wedding day. Today was the best day of mine and Christa's life.

Thanks Linda for helping make our wedding day very special!

Our Wedding Finally Arrived

This has been a long time coming but thank God we finally get the chance!

The rehersal is over and it's time for our BIG Event.... OUR WEDDING!

You couldn't have asked for a better wedding! The minister was awesone, the boys stood with there hands in their pockets and Christa's sister forgot her flowers and had to run get them has Christa was getting ready to walk down the isle. It was a good ole relaxed hometown wedding.

After the service we had our photos taken and then it was off to the middle of the Mall of America for the Minnesota Tradition, Just Married, Roller Coaster Ride. I don't believe we could have planned a better wedding than this one. It was AWESOME!!!! I love you Christa!

FINALLY! Our Wedding Day, YIPEE!

I wouldn't call this your normal wedding day itinerary but then again we wanted our day to be special and different from anyone else's.

It started out with an early wake up call.....4:30 am. With one excited to travel, one still tired, one a little nervous about the days activities and the other excited about everything, we managed to leave the house at 5:30 am for the Atlanta Airport.

Our flight took off from Atlanta, Georgia at 8:30 am and we arrived in Minnespolis, Minnesota at 9:46 am. With the temperatures in the mid-teens the boys never knew it from all the excitement from seeing snow.

We went to Christa's sisters house and we visited while the kids played outside in the snow until it was time to leave for the ceremony. We left for the Mall of America at 2:00 pm and arrived just in time for our 2:30 pm rehersal at the Chapel of Love. The clock is counting down and it's almost time!

Our First MAGICAL Trip Together

Christa and I made our very first trip together to the Mountains, August 16-19, 2007. It was a trip that I made many times with my parents growing up and now I was getting the chance to share my special place with the one I cherish with all my heart!

We left early enough that I timed it just right arriving in Dillard, Georgia at lunch time, where I treated Christa to the best food in the country, The Dillard House restrauant! It was awesome as always!! We made stops at the Tullulah George in North Georgia and Cherokee, North Carolina before traveling over the Great Smokey Mountains to Gatlinburg, Tennessee!

We arrived in Gatlinburg mid afternoon and checked into our hotel before hitting the streets and seeing the sights. We listened to musicians along the street playing mountain music and checked out the crafts at the annual crafts fair. We rode the scenic chairlift and tried our turn at ice skating. We even took a hike up to Clingmans Dome.

On our way home we made a special, mid-afternoon, stop in Dillard, Georgia to have dinner at the Dillard House restrauant one more time. The weekend was truly wonderful and very romantic. This was truly a special trip that the magic did not stop when we arrived home.

I knew the time was perfect driving home. We were standing in the dining room of my house when I gave Christa a present. It was a glass keep sake engraved with a saying that ended with a saying "Will You Marry Me"? When Christa finished reading, she looked up at me with shocked and thats when I got down on my knee and held a ring up and asked Christa to marry me.......she said YES!

Gatlinburg, Tennessee and August 19th will forever hold a special place in our hearts!

The Greatest News A Person Can Receive

The greatest news on earth was given to me in early May 2007. Christa told me that she would be coming for a visit in June and that she wanted my help in finding her an apartment because she was moving here July 1st.

YIPEE! Christa and I are going to be together!

The Happiest day in my life was the day I saw Christa pull into the driveway driving the moving truck. I knew at that moment that a new chapter, a chapter that had been missing in my life, was about to begin. I knew it would be a chapter in my life that I would look forward to writing!

Welcome to Georgia Christa!

Christa's 1st Real Visit to Macon

Christa's first real visit to Macon to visit me came in January 2007. She arrived around lunch time on Thursday the 19th in Atlanta, where I met her at the airport when she arrived.

I was so excited that she was here because I was finally going to get the chance to show her around the city that I lived in. The visit also marked the first time that she met my two sons.

We spent the week together seeing a few sights around town and the moment that really meant alot to me was when she wanted to go visit my parents graves at the cemetary. Christa bought some artificial flowers and we went out to the cemetary and placed them on their graves. That one moment touched my heart more than any other moment had before in my life.

When the week was over I was sad to see Christa go. The drive to the airport, which always seemed to take forever before, seemed so short this time around. I can say the drive home seemed to take forever but I knew it was only because Christa wasn't with me. I have come to believe that when your sharing time with the one that means the most to you that time really flies by.

All the way home I couldn't do anything but think about our next visit together!

The Reunion of All Reunions

The reunion of all reunions happened on November 14, 2006 when I flew to Boston, Massachusetts arriving there around mid-morning. When I arrived at Christa's house I parked around the corner, near the beach, so she couldn't see me first, making sure that when we saw each other it would be at the same time.

I walked up the block quickly hoping not to be seen by Christa if she was looking out the window. I knocked on the door and shortly after that opened the door and WOW, there she was, standing there in person! I couldn't believe it, after five years we were standing there looking at one another face to face again.

I stepped inside the doorway and we gave each other the biggest hug two people could ever give. It felt so wonderful holding her in my arms again after so many years that after we finished hugging we embraced and shared another magical and romantic first kiss. We both knew at that moment this was the start of a new beginning for us.

During our visit we did so many wonderful things. We walked the L & M Street beach at night wading into the water, took a Trolley Tour of downtown Boston, took a relaxing stroll around Castle Island in South Boston and even took turns cooking one another dinner. We couldn't have asked for a better reunion.....it was awesome!

Getting To Know One Another Again?

We spent the next few weeks getting to know each other again.....it was actually getting caught up on what the other has done the past few years because we already knew each other. We learned during our daily talks that our feelings for one another had never changed. I remember Christa telling me that she wanted to tell me something but she wanted to tell me the next time that we saw each other in person.

In mid October we decided it was time for us to see each other again. We decided that I would travel to see her and that our reunion would be November 14 - 18, 2006 in Boston, Massachusetts. The really strange thing about this visit was that just fours months ago, June 2006, my two sons and I had just visited Boston for two days during our three week east coast driving trip we took seeing the country.

I had no idea that Christa lived there and our sight seeing itinerary brought us within a few miles of her house. Here's the strange part.....I got lost in downtown Boston looking for Paul Revere's home. I spent an hour trying to find it and kept going in circles as returning to where I started from. I told my sons that we were getting out of Boston and I was never coming back there? Well, guess what? I am going back!

A few weeks before I was to leave for Boston Christa told me that she couldn't wait any longer to tell me what she wanted to tell me. I asked her what it was and again she told me that she really wanted to wait to tell me face to face but couldn't wait any longer. I asked her to go ahead and tell me what it was and then there was those words in that sweet, sexy voice saying "I LOVE YOU". Oh, my heart melted with joy and happiness.....Oh the words I had dreamed of wanting to hear Christa tell me for so long! I immediately told her that I loved her too!

Oh was I ready for our reunion!

The Surprise of a Life Time!

Friday, September 15, 2006 I received the shock of my life tonight! I was just getting home around midnight from picking my oldest son up from school, he had just returned from an out of town football game.

As I walked into the house the home phone was ringing. I was on my cell phone talking to a buddy of mine and made the statement "What stupid sales person is calling my house at midnight."

I decided to let the answering machine get the call. I pushed the button on the answering machine to hear the message and all I heards was "Hi Jimbo, it's Christa...I thought I would give you a once in a lifetime call" and the machine cut off.

Before the message could stop playing I was jumping across the bed grabbing the telephone and calling the number back that the call came from! All I got was an answering machine in return? I left a message and could only hope that she would get it and call me again? I was very lucky that night because Christa called me back just minutes after I left a message on her phone.

Our conversation started out casual as neither one of us knew what to really say to the other as it had been over two and a half years since we last really talked. We ended up talking until 4:30 am in the morning. Once we opened up to each other we started talking about the feelings that we used to have for one another years before. In my heart those feelings were still there and alive and kicking. I finally had to tell Christa that I still felt the same way about her that I always had.

Our four and a half hour conversation was one conversation that I would not forget. I remember getting into bed and laying there thinking about all we talked about and wondering if this would be the start of another great run for us?

I can say it was hard to sleep the rest of the night from thinking about Christa.

Several More Visits Before Going Seperate Ways

Between May and June of 2001 I made several more trips to minnesota to visit Christa. I was able to visit several days before by birthday in late May. On my last morning Christa had stopped by the store and bought me a small bakery item that had a candle on top which represented a birthday cake and had bought me a few birthday presents. It was so sweet of her to do that for me!

Between my last visit to Minnesota in mid June, Christa and I somehow allowed distance to come between us. I thought about her so much and I never stopped loving her even though we had almost completely stopped talking to one another.

Christa and I did talk a few times between 2002 and 2004 before the conversations completely stopped all together. It was really a hard time because I missed her so much and for 20 years I knew in my heart that she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

There was no way of knowing what the future held for us or if there would ever be a future between us, only time would tell.

Christa's First Visit to Georgia

(April 26-29, 2001) Christa's first visit to Georgia to see me came in the spring of 2001 when she traveled south with her sister Linda, who attended a conference in Atlanta. I traveled to Atlanta on Thursday and picked them up upon there arrival at the airport.

I was so excited to see Christa and really excited to have the chance to show her around Macon and Atlanta. We took in the sights of Centennial Olympic Park, CNN and Oakland Cemetary. We visited the Atlanta Zoo and took a nap under a shade tree in Grant Park next to the zoo. We drove to Macon where we visited with my mom before driving to High Falls (above photo) where we had a picnic lunch.

Our last night together (Saturday) I took Christa and Linda to Stone Mountain where we spent the evening and saw the Laser Show.

Sunday morning was sad...our time together was almost over. The day started out at Krispy Kreme and then the long drive to the airport. When it was time for Christa to board the plane, it was a time that we didn't want to happen. We hugged and kissed and said we loved one another and said good-bye. My heart started hurting when Christa walked through the door, heading down the gangway and got out of sight.

I missed her so much!

The Beginning of Something Wonderful

Christa and I spent the next four months building a wonderful relationship!

We shared so many wonderful moments together right from the start. If you have never experienced Minnesota in the winter it's a must you do? The temperatures were in the minus digits for lows and in the teens for highs while I was there in February. We didn't care because we were together.

One of the first things we did together was go out to Lake Calhoun (pictured above) and we walked a good distance around the lake in the cold, snowy weather. I had never seen a frozen lake before in my life until now. Christa took me to Lake Nakomis where we were able to walk out onto the frozen lake, that was an experience itself and i'm glad I was able to share a first for me with Christa.

Another place in Minnesota that holds a special place in my heart is the Minnesota Zoo. We spent several hours there in the winter of 2001, it was so beautiful as the grounds were covered with snow. It's so amazing how much a romantic wintery atmosphere can add to a relationship.

Minnesota will forever be in my heart!

The Long Awaited 1st Kiss

The long awaited first kiss?

The real question before us now is would either one of us overcome our shyness to attempt such a bold move? If so then who would make the first move?

On the afternoon of my arrival in Minnesota (Feburary 12, 2001) we were sitting around looking at some old photos, giggling and laughing, when it happened........WE KISSED for the very first time.

Finally after 16 years, 7 months and 19 days (a span of 6,077 days) from the day we first met we shared our first kiss. It was so amazing......oh the wonderful feelings that went through my body during that kiss.

The feelings that I felt in my heart during that moment reassured me of the feelings that I had always had for Christa all these years. There are so many wonderful things that could describe Christa but the one that word that says it all is that she's PERFECT!

The Long Walk Up The Gangway

(February 12, 2001) It was my first ever visit to Minnesota.....my first visit ever to see Christa.......our first time seeing one another in 15 years.

When I stepped off the plane onto the gangway leading up to the airport my heart started racing. It was that time? The time had come for Christa and I to meet face to face after all these years?

It felt like it took me forever to walk up the gangway, I was so ready to see her. As I approached the doorway leading into the terminal there she was.....I saw Christa standing there waiting for me? My first impression was "Oh My God, She is so Beautiful."

I walked through the door exiting the gangway into the terminal of the airport and it happened......we greeted one another with a big hug. It was the first time since we were kids that we had held each other in our arms. It was magical, it was like we went from being 18 and 16 years old to 32 and 30 years old instantly.

So just like that the long awaited visit had finally arrived.........and now it was time for the reunion to start!

The Big Reunion

The BIG day has arrived and I'm Nervous and Scared all at the same time.

My flight, scheduled to depart at 12:10 pm, was delayed leaving Atlanta, Georgia due to a mechanical problem. I was finally able to get on another flight that left at 1:10 pm.

The flight to Minneapolis, Minnesota took about 2 hours. I sat there thinking about what our first impressions and actions were going to be. I wondered if we would be as shy as we were 15 years ago when we last saw each other. I was even worried if we would recognize one another when I got off the plane.

When the flight crew announced that we were decending into the Minneapolis area and would be landing shortly I started getting really nervous. My hands became sweaty and I started getting butterflies in my stomach. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming and to be sure that what was about to happen was really happening. I couldn't grasp the reality that I was only minutes away from seeing Christa again after so many years.

When my plane landed I was so nervous, I thought I was going to have an anxiety attack. I took a few deep breaths and realized in a few moments I was going to be reunited with the love of my life. I remember saying to myself that wishes really do come true and thanked God for allowing this day to finally come.

Summer Love

Love comes in all shapes and sizes but the summer of 2000 brought the greatest love of all.........It was the first time that Christa and I had told each other that we loved one another. Wow, 16 years since we met and we finally get around to letting each other know that we were in love with each other.

We spent the rest of the year continuously talking about when we were going to be able to see each other again. It was all about the timing and we couldn't get the timing right to see each other before the end of the year.

In late December of 2000 we were finally able to come up with a date for our first visit together, since our last in July of 1986. We decided that February 12 - 15, 2001 was the right time. So now my feelings for Christa just hit another high as it was real now that we were going to see each other again after 14 years and 7 months since our last visit.

The feelings that were going through my body.......EXCITED because I was going to get to see Christa. SCARED because I didn't know what she was going to think about me when she saw me again. NERVOUS because we hadn't been together in so long I didn't know how to act around her. HAPPY beacuse I was going to get to spend four days with the girl that is my hearts only desire.

Same Place But Seperate Times

The one place I have always wanted to share with Christa is Hawaii. It's the one place that we both wanted to share together. But in the early 2000 we both discovered that we both would be traveling to Hawaii within two months of each other.

Christa was the first to visit Hawaii.....we talked every night while she was there. She told me how she would sit on the beach and think about us as she drew our names in the sand. I remember her telling me she found the hotel I was going to be staying in and she walked every floor touching each door knob wondering which room was I going to be staying in.

Christa did the most amazing thing while she was there! She found a way to leave a little something of us behind. She found a store that allowed you to write something on their floor for a small fee.......she wrote "Christa & Jimbo, forever in our hearts."

Two months later it was my turn. I left for Hawaii and the entire trip I was wishing Christa was with me! Call me silly but I went to the hotel she stayed at several times just to touch the door knob of the room that she had touched just a few weeks before.

Each evening I would walk the beach looking out above Diamond Head starring at the moon and thinking about Christa and how much I loved her. Each night I thought of wanting to do something special for us just as Christa did? It finally came to me and one morning I drove up to Diamond Head and walked the trails to the top (a 45 minute hike) to the observation point. At the top of Diamond Head I placed our names "Christa and Jimbo, together forever" on a rock for all the world to see.

So in a small way Christa and I both left a large part of our feelings for one another in Hawaii until the day comes that we both can return together to experience the love and romance that the real Hawaii has to offer.

A Special Phone Call

It was late October 1999......I received a special phone from none other, the love of my life, CHRISTA! I was so surprised to hear from her but was super glad that I did. That phone call was the one call that changed the course of our relationship!

For the first time in the 15 years of knowing each other we FINALLY told each other how we felt about one another and come to find out we had had the same feelings for each other all along. Yipee!

This one phone call set the stage to a wonderful beginning for us. Alot of people would question how you could have such strong feelings for someone when you have only seen them twice in 15 years, especially when we met when I was 16 and she was 13 and the last time we saw one another I was 18 and she was 15.

Everyone has heard of the word fate? Well I knew in my heart that fate brought us together! Fate over the years continued to allow us to stay in touch and continued to allow us to have the feelings we have had for one another all these years. Fate would be responsible for keeping each other in others heart for all these years!

Always follow your heart......the heart NEVER lies. My heart has always sent messages to my mind which in turn sent messages back letting it know she was the one that my heart belonged to.

Time Passes Us By

Christa and I somehow let time pass us by......we communicated every once in a while with periods of more than year going by without talking. No matter how long we went in between the times we talked I continued to think about Christa just as much as I always had.

As the years went by I missed what we had. I missed the times that we were so lucky to share together. Some how we drifted our own seperate ways but we would never forget about one another no matter what. Christa was in my heart and there she was planning to stay. I knew that there would never be another person to ever touch my life like she has.

I still continued to day dream everyday about the day that we would see one another again. The only question was when and where would that special moment be.

Tragedy Strikes More Ways Than One

When tragedy strikes it truely strikes in more ways than one!

December 5, 1986 was truely MY BLACK FRIDAY........This date will never be forgotten as this was the day my dad suddenly died from a massive heart attack shortly before 6:30 pm. It's amazing how death has no boundaries or rules and no warning signs for that matter. As in my case, I was sitting there carrying on a conversation with my dad one minute and come back into the room several minutes later and find him laying down on the couch, what appeared to be sleeping, but deceased.

Within a few days I received a phone call from the one person that meant the world to me. When Christa called to check on me after she had learned my dad had died, that meant the world to me. It also meant alot to me that after her dad found out about my dads passing that he went home and told her. Christa's family is truely wonderful!

After talking to Christa on the phone reality started to set in? I was never going to see Christa again since I would not be going on anymore Farm Bureau trips. I started thinking was this the end of us? Would we still keep in touch? Would we really see each other again one day. For the moment all I could think about was due to this tragedy it caused me to lose 2 of the 3 people that meant everything in the world to me.

After all I had gone through losing my dad, I would soon learn that I hadn't lost Christa. We continued to write back and forth and call one another every now and then.

No Doubt We Belong Together

We spent each of the 3 nights that we had together walking the area around the Grove Park Inn, (See Picture). Each night brought wonderful talks and slow strolls through the woods under a moonlite sky. We were inseperatable, always holding hands.

We talked about the bears in the mountains not realizing that Christa was scared of them. Sje kept telling me that there was no bears in these mountains. I guess being from Iowa you wouldn't see any bears? I spent alot of time scaring Christa that I was hearing bears in the brush because she would aways hold me close to her so they wouldn't get her.

As I mentioned above that we were always holding hands.......thats true. What I know now is that we both thought alot about kissing one another but were to scared to do it. We were the same now as we were 2 years ago when we first met but now I had just turned 18 and Christa was a few months away from turning 16.

So many times while we walked under the stars I wanted to stop and turn Christa towards me and for us to share our FIRST kiss together but it would not happen. We ended our time together just as we did 2 years earlier.......no kiss, hating to say goodbye and wondering when we were going to see each other again!

I knew when my heart started hurting shortly after Christa left for home that she was my true love! When you can develope feelings for someone that you first meet, only spend several days with then, not see them again for 2 years and think about them constantly and then have the same feelings and plus some when you do see them again then you know it's true love!

We Still Have It

We still have what we had when we last saw each other 2 years ago! We hung out together every moment we had walking around the resort. We went back to our little way of flirting with one another by bumping each other into walls while we walked around the resort. It didn't take long before we were holding hands again.

Everyone with the Farm Bureau Convention went on a sight-seeing visit to the Biltmore House (see picture). Christa and I ended up hanging out together and we walked through the gardens, the mansion grounds and stayed outside walking around the brewery while the adults toured the inside.

It was during this trip that I was saddened by the news from Christa's seester (thats how they say it) of the loss of their mother just a month before. It hurt me in more ways than one......not being able to be there for Christa bothered me because her family meant the world to me even though I had only known them for a short period of time.

There is no doubt in my heart.......My heart truely belongs to Christa!

A Shock and Surprise At The Same Time

Never knew what shocked and surprised all at the same time felt like until now?

It was on a Sunday, June 29, 1986 and we had just left Dillard, Georgia where we had stayed the night before on our way to Asheville, North Carolina for the annual Farm Bureau Convention. I had looked at the convention roster many times before but had to look at it one more time. No matter how many times I looked at that roster I remained sad and empty inside because Christa's name was not on it. At that point I wondered if I would ever get to see her again.

We arrived at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC around 1 pm and checked in. I decided to go walking around the resort checking out what all there was to do. I started off walking through the lobby area following the signs to the pool which brought me to a long hallway. As I made my way down the hallway I came to an open area that overlooked the indoor pool below. I stopped to look at the pool area and noticed two girls swimming in the pool and then it hit me! (I thought to myself) OH MY GOD that looks like Christa and I took off running down towards the end of the hallway not realizing it was a deadend.

I stood there a moment scared and nervous wondering if it really was Christa? I thought if it was her what was I going to say to her as I was very shy. I was really nervous just thinking about having to walk back down that hallway and past the pool area again. I told myself that it couldn't have been Christa because she would have written to me telling me she would be at the convention. I was WRONG! As I turned the corner to go up the hallway....BAM! I ran slap into Christa who had jumped out of the pool and came running after me.

Talking about shocked and surprised!!!! What a way to run into someone you haven't seen in 2 years! It was still hard to believe that Christa was standing right in front of me and even though she was wearing a wet towel and her hair was soaking, she was still as beautiful as ever! It was so great seeing her......I was so glad that she had made it to the convention. My only concern now was did we still have what we had when we last saw one another 2 years ago............

Thoughts Of Christa Nightly

Each evening I went out to the lake (Lake Tahoe) and sat there looking at the sunset and thinking about Christa.

I remember saying a prayer that Christa would always be a part of my life and hoped that one day we would be together!

It's still unexplainable how after only spending 3 days with Christa and now it's been a year that we haven't seen one another that I have these strong feelings for her.

It's like the old saying that "you'll know when you have met the right person". I have. I have met Christa Burns......the one that puts the spark in my life and makes my heart keep on beating!

My last night in Lake Tahoe I sat there by the lake and wished upon the brightest star that I could find and wished that next year (1986) Christa would be at the next Farm Bureau Convention in Asheville, North Carolina.

Stayed In Touch Off and On

As time went on that first year after Christa and I met we stayed in touch quite a bit with letters and phone calls for several months and then they became less and less.

June of 1985 had rolled around and I hadn't heard from Christa in a while? It was getting close to our 1 year anniversary of meeting and the next Farm Burea Convention was approaching and I hadn't heard if she was going to be attending.

It was time to leave for the trip? This years convention was being held in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and no word from Christa? My parents and I flew to San Francisco, California for a few days before going to Lake Tahoe. I thought about Christa the whole time wondering if she was going to be there?

When we arrived in Lake Tahoe, Nevada I couldn't do anything but walk aound hoping to run into Christa. I searched almost the entire day and when she didn't show up for the opening night dinner I knew then that she didn't come this year. I was really dissappointed that she wasn't there! I had all my hopes up that we would be together again!

While in Lake Tahoe I thought about Christa the entire time. I wondered if we would ever see each other again? I wondered what she was doing? I wondered if she missed me as much as I missed her? So many qustions but few little answers.........I could only hope for the best!

The First Thing I Did

The first thing I did the day I got home from Wisconsin was find the first pay phone and I called Christa! I was so nervous! Actually I was scared to death!! I remember dialing the number and then hanging up scared wondering who would answer the phone? Yes, I was nervous to talk to Christa but I was more nervous wondering if her parents were going to aswer the phone and what they would think about me calling their daughter from so far away.

I finally dialed the number and it started ringing.......I can't remember which parent answered but I do remember asking for Christa and was told to hold on? Ohhhh, the nervous feeling I had waiting? What was I going to say? How was I going to start the conversation off? And then there it was, the sweetest sound a person could here! The beautiful voice of Christa saying hello.

We talked for a while and talked about anything and everything? I remember thinking that I sure didn't won't this phone call to end. I really missed her, she said she really missed me......I really hated the distance that was between us (Iowa & Georgia) because I couldn't just go see her when I wanted. It made the desire to want to be with her greater.

We vowed to one another that we would always keep in touch!

A Sad Good-Bye!

Day 3 - Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (June 27, 1984).......This was a day that I honestly did not want to see come. It was the day that I had to say good-bye to Christa! We met up before having to leave the resort to go home and exchanged addresses and phone numbers. This was truly a very sad day in my life, I never wanted our trip to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to end.

When I had to say good-bye to Christa I honestly felt like I was going to die. My heart hurt, I felt so empty on the inside. I know we had only known each other for three days but deep down I knew Christa was the one that I was supposed to be with the rest of my life.

I was in love with her from the first moment I saw her. My heart fluttered the first time I heard her sweet, midwestern voice speak. From the moment we met she won my heart over, she truly owned my heart from day one.

I know you have heard of a long ride home.....this was a LONG ride home. I kept thinking would I ever get to see Christa again. I wondered if she would be at next years convention in Lake Tahoe. I thought about Christa every minute and the closer that we got home the more anxious I became because I knew the first thing I was going to do when I got home was call her!

Excited To See The Sun Come Up!

Day 2 - Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (June 26, 1984): I remember being so excited when I woke up that morning......I rememeber getting dressed and going to the lobby waiting for Christa. I was so excited when she finally showed up. The morning started out again with our little way of flirting with one another but it wasn't long before we were holding hands again.

This date was only the second day of knowing each other but it was also our last full day to spend together as we would both be going home tomorrow. We started the day off just walking around the resort spending time together.

After lunch we all went on an adventure......we went skeet shooting! I remember we rode in a brown station wagon that belonged to this couple from South Carolina who had a daughter named Beth. Mentioning Beth, she got with my friend Tim from Alabama, and they both were with us. Christa and I sat in the very back of the WAGON where there was more room and where we could hold hands in private. (Holding hands was the big thing back then). We all had a great time.

After dinner we all (Tim, Beth, Christa and I) went walking around the resort. Some how Christa and I got seperated from Tim and Beth and we ended up trying to find them but were unsuccessful. Christa and I finally went out back of the resort to a lake that sat down near the golf course and sat on the picnic bench looking up at the moon and watching the lightning storm that was in the distance. We didn't realize it was a fast moving storm coming our way as we ended up having to run back to the resort trying to out run the rain........we got wet!

We laughed so much over that as we tried to dry off. We spent the rest of the night jut walking and talking hoping the night would never end! Unfortunately the night would come to an end and we had to say goodnight but promised to see each other tomorrow before we both left the resort to go home.

The Day We Met

The day I met the one I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with........ It was on a Monday, early afternoon as I recall, on June 25, 1984. I was 16 years old at the time and was in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin with my parents on a buisness trip with my dad's company, Georgia Farm Bureau. On this day I was out playing a round of golf with Tim McCollum from Alabama and another individual that all I can remember is that he was from Mississippi.

It was somewhere between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm when we were getting ready to tee off the 16th hole when I looked down the fairway and noticed this girl walking down the hill from the resort onto the golf course and coming our direction. (The photo above, the top right portion, is the actual spot we met).

This girl had to be 300 yards to 400 yards away but I could tell she had her hair pulled up in a ponytail, wearing a blue shirt and shorts and she was wearing glasses and she was really beautiful. As she approched I spoke to her causing her to stop momentary from her afternoon walk. We talked for a few minutes I guess, long enough to introduce ourselves and tell one another where we were from. She told me her was Christa and she was from Iowa and that she was also at the resort for the Farm Bureau convention. Oh her voice, she had the most awesome accent and she was truly a beautiful girl, I feel in love with her instantly!

Later that afternoon the Farm Bureau quest set out on buses for a boat tour on Lake Geneva. Tim and I were together when we arrived at the lake and noticed boarding had already started so we rushed down to the dock to get on so we could get a good seat. As we boarded I saw Christa and her mom were already aboard and that there was an empty seat right behind them. I hurried down the isle making sure that seat was ours so I could sit behind her. We talked throughout the cruise and agreed to meet back in the lobby of the resort when we got back.

Once we got back to the resort we met in the lobby as we agreed. We walked around the resort talking and getting to know one another. After awhile we started the inocent flurting, like kids, by bumping each other and pushing each other in to the walls while walking down the halls of the resort. After a while we both got the nerve up to grab one anothers hand and thats when we became inseperatable.