A Love Story

Happy Valentine’s Day my friends!

Last year, we were celebrating up phat at One Ocean (and ate a ridiculous meal!!), but this year, my Valentine is Bella 🙂

bella

She’s a great Valentine… especially since I don’t have to share any chocolate with her 😉 She was my Valentine’s Day gift from the Pilot, 5 years ago.

Here’s a love story in honor of today’s holiday:

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A love story

Once upon a time…

There was a girl who grew up in Tucson, Arizona. She was very studious, loved to dance and adored shopping. She lived close to the Air Force base, and would constantly hear military planes flying overhead. While she appreciated the planes as a signal of freedom and safety, she couldn’t ever see herself marrying a military man…. she wasn’t sure if her heart could handle the loneliness.

a10

Like pretty much all college-aged girls, she had been hurt quite a few times in the past. After a particularly traumatizing break-up with the man she thought she would marry, she thought she was destined to climb the corporate ladder and live alone.

Then, she happened to meet the love of her life while studying at one of her favorite places.

bizzle (Source)

He was finishing up pilot training at the Air Force base, and had just moved to Tucson from Oklahoma two weeks prior to that.

Their first dinner date lasted four hours and as they say, the rest is history 😉

From that moment on, they had many adventures together.

Nights out dancing

u

and random shenanigans

face

Vacations

disney

Some studying 😉

me

(and a baby Bell!)

Getting engaged

rings

The Pilot’s first deployment

pilot

(and creepy mustache)

having a “second child”

vies

getting married

cake

Moving to North Carolina

215

and then to Valdosta.

house

It was when they got to Valdosta that things changed quite a bit. The Pilot’s work schedule was crazy.. the random adventures were still there,

us (2)

but more spaced out. Event though her heart hurt from the work schedule and constant deployments and TDYs, the wife used the alone time to her advantage: chasing her goals and hanging out with friends.

To her surprise, all of the times he was gone didn’t make her heart lonely or resentful. It made her stronger, and made her love and appreciate him even more- something she didn’t think was possible.

Today, her heart is very happy because she knows when he’ll be home (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and that they have many new exciting adventures to look forward to 🙂

Lesson of the story: Everything really does work out the way it’s supposed to <3

Lesson #2: Starbucks is a great place to hang out 😉

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Something to talk about: V-day: love it or hate it? Any plans for tonight?

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150 Comments

  1. fittingbackin on February 14, 2011 at 5:53 pm

    Beautiful story – love, love, love it and especially adore how you used your “alone time” and followed your passions! Talk about making lemonade out of lemons!

  2. mi-an dela cruz on February 14, 2011 at 5:58 pm

    so sweet!! 🙂 my boyfriend just gave me a lotus necklace handmade from Bali with my birthstone in the middle (yes this was shipped from Bali!). 🙂 Love is great! <3

  3. Theorist on February 14, 2011 at 5:58 pm

    thanks for posting this. i needed that…only one year left apart. Happy Valentine’s Day.

  4. Amy on February 14, 2011 at 6:01 pm

    I hope the Pilot is home real soon! Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!!

  5. natalie @ http://healthybalancingact.blogspot.com/ on February 14, 2011 at 6:11 pm

    nawww what a lovely story, for valentines day this year my single friend and i went out on a ‘date’ it was a blast. we went to a bar then hired bikes and rode around the city at night 🙂 it was beautiful

  6. jennifer on February 14, 2011 at 6:18 pm

    What a sweet romantic story! Stories like this give hope to those of us who haven’t yet found ‘the one’ I am spending Valentines Day with my little poodle too, her name is Jasmine and I also got her for Valentines Day but that was about 14 years ago from my parents. I hope you two have a wonderful day!

  7. Christina on February 14, 2011 at 6:20 pm

    awww what a beautiful love story! I love your posts about the Pilot, they are always so sweet 🙂

    And yes Starbucks is a great place to hang out, that’s actually where I met my love 🙂

  8. Katelyn @ Chef Katelyn on February 14, 2011 at 6:30 pm

    Aweeee girl you two have the sweetest story, and I am so happy that you know when the pilot will be home!!

    I love valentine’s day, it reminds me of all of the days in elementary school with shoebox mailboxes for our valentimes and candy:)

  9. CampingGirl on February 14, 2011 at 6:37 pm

    I think that it is wonderful that you were able to take a potentially lonely time and turn it into a self reflective, character building experience.

  10. Parita@myinnershakti on February 14, 2011 at 6:39 pm

    Your story is so cute! I’m glad the pilot will be home SOON! 🙂

    And I really believe in the “everything happens for a reason” saying too!

  11. Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin on February 14, 2011 at 7:28 pm

    Could you two BE any cuter? 😉 That is so exciting that you know when he’s going to be home!!!

  12. Melissa @ Delectable Living on February 14, 2011 at 7:49 pm

    Such a sweet story!

  13. Stephanie on February 14, 2011 at 8:02 pm

    What a sweet love story. Thanks for sharing! My military man is still away, but I’ll see him in exactly 4 days. Can the time go by any slower right now?!?

    • Fitnessista on February 14, 2011 at 9:09 pm

      ehhh those last few days are always the worst! hang in there- you’re so close!

  14. Audrey on February 14, 2011 at 8:06 pm

    I linked over from another site to yours…anyway…small world…I live in Lake Park.

  15. Nicole on February 14, 2011 at 8:25 pm

    Beautiful story. Thanks for sharing.

  16. Amber L on February 14, 2011 at 8:56 pm

    This is such a beautiful story! Thank you to the Pilot for all that he does. You guys have a great relationship, and I can’t wait to read more about the two of you in your future blog posts!

    My hubby’s birthday is today! However he had to work the night shift last night, and had to go back into work today at 6pm, so we will celebrate his birthday tomorrow. I could take V-day or leave it. Since it is my husband’s birthday, I try to make it more his day. Although he still always makes me feel special too!

    Happy Valentine’s Day Gina!

  17. joanna on February 14, 2011 at 9:25 pm

    The dogs were so cute as puppies. Post more pics?

  18. joanna on February 14, 2011 at 9:25 pm

    puppies! I want to see more pics

    • Fitnessista on February 14, 2011 at 9:26 pm

      hahah ok i’ll post more 🙂

  19. MMiller on February 14, 2011 at 9:27 pm

    Such a great story! I was a Navy wife, for just a few years! My DH missed most of my first pregnancy, but “left the USN” a few months after our daughter was born! So he didn’t really miss any of her life, Although I’m sure he wished he would have missed all of her screaming that first year, LOL! Today is our 25th anniversary!

    And my cousin met her husband at … Starbucks as well! He was working there! He is now in Law School, they were married last summer!

  20. Rachel @ Healthy Teacher on February 14, 2011 at 10:22 pm

    Love is crazy that way. It changes you.

  21. Namaste Gurl on February 14, 2011 at 10:32 pm

    Such a cute love story, indeed! WAY better than that silly Taylor Swift song 🙂
    No plans for me tonight- if homework and munching on bakers chocolate counts…

  22. Mac on February 14, 2011 at 11:38 pm

    Don’t hate V-day, but my boyfriend and I chose not to celebrate it… I love your “love story” though. I have a cousin who is currently struggling with having her husband away all the time (over seas) for duty… tough stuff!

  23. Brigid of Vegging out in T-Town on February 15, 2011 at 10:40 am

    What a lovely story! I hope someday to have what you two have. Also, I didn’t realize the pilot was from Oklahoma. So am I. 🙂

  24. steph on February 15, 2011 at 12:44 pm

    My husband is an A10 pilot in the military as well. He just finished in Arizona and is FINALLY back home in Idaho. He left a couple days after our honeymoon 2 1/2 years ago and we didn’t live together (or even live in the same state) permanently until Aug of last year and at that point our baby was 4 months old. He was only able to come home for a couple days to see her be born. I learned a lot in my time alone as well. I am very independent. I can now teach my daughter to fix the fence, sprinkler system…. what ever it may be. We don’t wait for daddy to get home to do it, I love that. And EVERYDAY I appreciate hearing that garage door open when he gets off work!

  25. Arianna on April 10, 2011 at 11:39 pm

    This makes me soo happy! (and I may start to linger around starbucks even more than usual.. haha!) 🙂

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