Jason & Dawn's Story

So I threw in some pics of our family over the years....of course they are in the opposite order? Well, I am not a professional blogger...so forgive me.

I had a request for Jason & I's story...so here it goes. Actually our story starts 13 years ago at a place called Wesley Woods Camp & Retreat Center in Indianola, IA. I had worked there for several years already while going to college. Now that I was teaching band in a small town I had nothing to do for the summer...so I went back to work at camp!
Jason was from a "suburb" if you like of London ( South Croydon). His mom worked at the church office and she found a flyer that talked about working at a Christian Camp for the summer. She gave it to Jason and he decided - why not. So he gets a phone call from Iowa- where in the world is that anyway??? As only God could design he is working at the same camp I would be working at. God really does have a strange sense of humor!!!!
So while working there together for the summer we of course knew each other, but not that well. I lifeguarded with him the first week, but we had a summer staff there of 35+ people....so I still really didn't know him. Then as God would have it....I invited a bunch of summer staff to my parents house in Clear Lake, IA. So some of them decided to come and watch fire works over the lake, and they also had a fun fare too. Jason didn't want to go...I mean....looking back it does sound kind of weird...come back with me to my parents house for a while??? I wasn't worried- I didn't know him really. But as he couldn't find anything else to do over the long weekend.....as a last resort....he came. So there was a group of around 10? We hung out went to the fun fare, talked with my parents, etc. Even before I "noticed" him...my parents did. My mom said he is a nice young man. Random, but hey. Maybe it was mother's intuition
So we sat down to eat some pizza and I said...I sure would be nice to meet a man who could cook (because I can't) and who would like to stay at home and watch our kids (because at the time I didn't want to stay home- I loved teaching music- but I wanted to not send our kids to daycare). Jason perked up and said- I love to cook, and I would love to be home with the kids. So later that night we sat around watching "Ma & Pa Kettle" at my parents house. We joked about being them....now how is that for God's joke on us!!! After that we started writing letters back and forth through the "camp's letter system", and we hung out more on our time off....and then 1 week before I had to go back to teach, and he was off to tour around the US........after a long long long time.....he finally asked me out!
We spent our last week lifeguarding together, and then goodbye....Couple of weeks later I had a long weekend for Labor Day and I traveled all the way to KS by myself to see him (he was staying with some friends that had done an exchange to his church). My parents knew it was serious then. We went to 6 Flags together- our first official date time. Then we didn't see each other for months- until 2 weeks before Christmas break. We wrote loads of letters, postcards, etc. He even tape recorded him singing and playing the keyboard for me, and read scripture onto tapes too. (Am I sounding old school or what writing letters, tape recording...but hey we didn't have e-mail, and calling England at that time was $.50 a minute!) So we communicated the old fashioned way!!!!
We were together for 2 weeks before heading to England to meet his family for 10 days, and then I had to come back to the US to get back to teaching. In the mean time he breaks up with me! Crazy! But because we had already bought tickets to see each other...he still came over. Then I beat him up into submission....or just kidding......we talked and prayed, and got back together so to speak. After that we had some other visits....One in February for a few weeks, and one in April for a few weeks....and then I flew over for the summer.
But before we went to England for the summer....He proposed...in front of my high school band!!!! He wrote a poem (he is the best!!!) and my students all said that if I didn't marry him they would! We were planning on getting married about a year or so from then, but after talking, praying, telling our family about it.....we decided to move it up to that summer. Then since his pastor was going to be away...we moved it up even more. My best friend said- hey don't bother calling to move it up anymore - or just tell me you are going to elope....which we didn't. From the time my plane landed (a week after he went back)...we had 6 weeks until the wedding happened.

His mom made my dress, we had a friend do the cake, another friend do the flowers, others did the "meal", and my brother DJ'd the reception. We only had my best friend- Deb, and my brother Scott- stand up with us. It was really simple, but we shared our testimonies during the service, had a skit on love during the service, and sang "Thank You" by Ray Boltz to our family during the service. It was longer than most weddings, but we thought- you know this is our goodbye to England, and peole spend good money on outfits for weddings....why not make it last!!!!

Well, that is it for now....I will have a continuing story.....later..........................