Our First Date

My first date with Amber was on Wednesday, July 6, 2011, a little over a week before our Wild West Junior Camp. She arrived via Mega Bus in downtown Chicago around lunchtime, and I remember getting a big hug from her when we found each other on the crowded street.

This was Amber's first time visiting the Windy City, so I was excited to do my thing and act as amateur tour guide for the day. For our first stop we visited the Art Institute of Chicago. Our favorite piece was A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte. We were really surprised by how large and yet intricate the painting was; we also thought that one of the people in the painting, whose back is turned to the viewer near the left, looked like a carrot on a rock. In one area of the museum, we found a statue of a deity with six arms and riding a peacock; I was a fan, but Amber was not. To this day I tease her that my goal in life is to have six arms and ride around on a peacock.

Next was Millennium Park and especially Buckingham Fountain. It was a good place for us to sit, watch the water, and just talk to each other in person (this was also the first time we had even been together in months, and we really enjoyed having the time face-to-face to build upon the friendship that had begun to grow already).

I knew the date was going well when we stopped at Panda Express for a meal and Amber voluntarily ate some carrots - something she normally would not do but was willing to try in the name of making a good impression. I texted her best friend Alex about this later that evening, and Alex confirmed that getting Amber to eat carrots on the date was indeed an impressive feat. The carrots incident seems minor but it demonstrates the true fact about Amber that she is always willing to try different or hard things with me. I am flattered on a regular basis by this show of trust and affection.

The evening ended with a Broadway show: Beauty and the Beast. On the way back to the parking garage, we enjoyed the beautiful summer night and the lights of the city; there was even a news program being recorded nearby at one point. Amber decided she liked the city; I decided I liked taking Amber on dates. It set a marvelous tone for the many many dates we have had ever since! Yay!


I last left off with Andrew and I parting ways at the end of the camp season in 2010. We did see each other that Thanksgiving and had a nice time catching up, and that fall we occasionally chatted on facebook and had one conversation on the phone. However, it wasn't until February of 2011 that we started talking on a regular basis, after I received a phone call from him that I will never forget-- the day Andrew told me he had had a crush on me and was interested in getting to know me better. So we spent the rest of that winter and spring doing just that: getting to know one another and becoming closer friends. It was fantastic :) We learned SO MUCH about each other, and the more we learned, the clearer it became that we could have something really incredible between us. But we both wanted to take our relationship in stride, with great consideration and a lot of prayer, because we were very happy with where things seemed to be headed and we didn't want to enter into a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship before we knew for certain that God was giving us the go-ahead.

Andrew always reminded me we were "letting God write our love story." As the author of romance and the one who knows what lies ahead for us, God is the only one we could fully rely on to guide us in the best direction. Andrew helped me so much to grow in patience and peacefulness just by, together with me, handing our futures over to our Maker. It made everything that would have otherwise been so difficult (being hundreds of miles apart, not knowing where either of us were going to be in the upcoming year, dealing with wounds from the past, etc.) instead feel so right and calming; I just knew that we were exactly where we should be in the process of whatever God's plan was for us. Andrew always made me feel so cared for. He always remained open to me and willing to talk about anything and everything that either of us wanted or needed to discuss together. I remember I liked to think of this time with Andrew as a non-hurried, peaceful summer afternoon walk down a long and winding path through a beautiful park. Everything was right. It didn't matter where we were going. There was no hurry. I was happy. And Andrew, a boy that I loved to talk to and laugh with and share with, was by my side. It was perfect. :) I will always look back on the beginning of our story with much thankfulness in my heart.

So! Eventually it was summer and time for camp again! And I had been planning on being on Andrew's junior camp staff again. So we made plans for the day that we were going to get to hang out together in person again, at last. It was very exciting! We decided that I was going to go out to Illinois to stay with the Carrs and help them get ready for camp the Wednesday prior to junior camp week. And as a seasoned Mega Bus traveler (Mega Bus rocks), I needed a ride from the bus stop in Chicago to Andrew's home in Afolkey. So Andrew and I made arrangements to meet in Chicago. And we decided to make a Chicago Adventure First Date out of it! And Andrew was wonderful. He made all these spectacular plans for us, based on our common interests and things I told him I would like to see while he educated me on what the Windy City has to offer.

When I arrived, I called Andrew and he found me there by the bus. I remember seeing him coming toward me through the thinning crowds of people on the sidewalk. I was too happy and excited to let my nerves get the best of me. He greeted me with a big smile and a hug. We first took my luggage to his car in a parking garage. Then we headed over to the Art Institute- one Wednesday a month is free admission, and it just happened to be that day- woot! We had so much fun being together and looking at all the art exhibits, some beautiful and interesting and others not quite our style :) But all fun nonetheless. When we were finished there, we walked to Millennium Park and saw the Buckingham Fountain, the largest fountain in the country! It was so pretty and exciting! After walking around the fountain for a little while and taking pictures, we sat at a nearby bench to rest.

When it was time to get dinner, we walked through more of Millennium Park and searched for a place to eat. We ended up choosing Panda Express, which was great because I had never had Panda Express before and now it is one of my very favorite restaurants! I ordered a bowl of fried rice and orange chicken. It was delicious but I didn't have much of an appetite, and had to confess to Andrew that when I'm with a boy that I like, my stomach just doesn't feel like eating because I'm too giddy/nervous/distracted! It was funny but I felt bad that I couldn't finish the dinner he bought for me. He understood and I think he was flattered, but was concerned that I would never be able to eat around him. I laughed and assured him it was something that I would get used to pretty quickly and it would no longer be a problem :)

From there we went to see Beauty and the Beast on Broadway!!!! It was my first time seeing a Broadway show, something I had been wanting to do for SO long, and Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite stories. It was the most perfect thing :) The show was awesome, but what I really enjoyed most about it was sitting next to Andrew and thinking about how handsome he looked and how amazing of a day we were having together.

When the show was over, it was time to hit the road. Andrew drove us to his house in Afolkey, three hours away, and when we got there the house was dark and everyone else was asleep. He showed me to the room I was going to be sleeping in, thanked me for coming out early to spend time with him, gave me a goodnight-hug, and I went to bed with a big smile and a happy heart. I had just spent an entire, incredible day in an amazing place with Andrew David Carr. Nothing in the world could have been better than that :)

A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte at the Art Institute of Chicago

Amber admires a gorgeous nightscape

Photo outside the Art Institute of Chicago. Amber is gorgeous and better at taking one-handed pictures of us :)

In front of Buckingham Fountain

Outside Beauty and the Beast!

Having FUN at the theater

Your turn! Share with us something about your first date with your husband/wife or the coolest date you have ever gone on together in a big city!

Coming Soon:

Be sure to check back soon for the next chapters of our blog:

-Our First Date

-Bourbonnais

-Engagement

-Happening Now

-Future Plans

We hope you enjoy reading our story! We love sharing with you. Please share your stories with us, too!

How We Met

Once upon a summer, the one in 2010 to be specific, I had just graduated high school and was about to experience my last week ever at Camp ECCO as a camper. My best friend Alex Archer came along with me! It was the first day, Sunday, the fourth of July, and all the campers and staff were arriving and registering. In the dining hall, I saw my brother talking with someone. I walked over to them and Weston said, "Have you met Andrew?" To which I replied, "No, only once last Thanksgiving but never really officially." So I said hi to him and Andrew asked if I was going to be staying for the week and then I found out that he was our evening chapel speaker. And I was like, alright, cool! He was wearing a red Rock River Bible Camp t-shirt that day.

So, we do this thing at Camp where we write our names on little brown paper bags and decorate them all fun-like and hang them with clothes pins out by the snack area and write notes to drop into each others' "mailboxes" throughout the week. But Andrew got extra creative with his and stapled the opening of the bag together and turned it the other way to make it like a hand puppet. He came over to Alex and I and asked if I might be able to cut a slit in the mouth part of it wherein his mail would be put. So I gladly did that for him and he remained at the table to talk with us as he decorated his bag person. [Time for a (relevant) side story: Earlier that same year during spring break, a group of friends (Alex included) and I had a Disney movie night. While Mulan was playing, the topic of Asian guys came up and I told the girls I would date an Asian guy (given that he was nice, attractive, etc.). And then Alex and I came up with the fun idea that maybe at Camp that summer there would be a wonderful Asian boy who would sweep me off my feet and become my future husband. On the drive down to Camp, I reminded her of this and told her to be on the lookout for my Asian boyfriend.] Okay! So! Andrew was drawing the face on his bag and consulting Alex and I with his color choices, when someone else came to the table and asked Andrew, "Is that supposed to be you?" And another walked over, "It looks Asian!" Immediately Alex and I looked at each other with wide eyes and laughed and laughed. I have many more fun stories of coincidences from that week and my developing crush on Andrew Carr, and perhaps I will add those as another chapter of the blog in the future, but there is at least the start for you. :)

Andrew and I had a lot of fun getting to know each other that week, and he invited me to come out to Rock River Bible Camp to be a counselor for their Junior Camp, for which he is the dean. It was a couple weeks later. I really enjoyed it and was very happy to have more time with Andrew. That summer we became friends, but we parted knowing it would be a long time until we would get to hang out again, if ever at all, as he was living in Eastern PA at that time and I was on my way to Rosedale Bible College in mid/south/western Ohio. But I held onto the hope that one day things would work out so that I might have the opportunity to date Andrew, because he had definitely caught my attention and I liked him very much. I thought the idea of us ever being together was a long-shot, but Andrew is an incredible man who I thought was worth holding out hope for. He and I clearly had potential to be a perfect match. And somehow I had a feeling that it was going to work out that way. I didn't know when or how, just that it would, and that I could wait for it. And so I did! And we are both very thankful about that. :)

I met Amber at Camp Ecco's Senior Camp on July 4, 2010; I find it appropriate and fun that there were fireworks the first time we were together. I knew Amber as my "cousin," a term applied loosely by the members of You-Lead Camp. Amber is not actually my cousin - she is actually my mom's sister's husband's sister's son's wife's dad's brother's daughter - but the name "cousin Amber" is how my own siblings referred to her. As we continued to get to know one another, though, it was clear that she did not appreciate my designation of her as my "cousin," since "cousin" and "boyfriend" used in conjunction do not really work. Speaking of family, I found out when I met Amber that our families had known each other growing up in Ohio, that we had been to a lot of the same places, and that we knew a lot of the same people. Because of our connections and similarities, I made a mental note to get to know Amber better over the course of the week.

Some of the observations I made that week about Amber really stood out in my mind. I was at first immediately attracted to her character, particularly the friends that she surrounded herself with and the fun and caring way that she treated them. She seemed at ease with people and well-liked by them. Her laughter and smile lit up whatever space she occupied, but when you talked with her you also discovered her quick wit, intelligence, and real spiritual depth. I have a lot of fond memories of our times at Ecco and Rock River that year, but I will share one in particular. I sometimes fancy myself a composer, director, and all-around musician. One afternoon I was walking outside of my cabin on the hill conducting a song for an imaginary orchestra. Amber came out of her cabin with some friends and noticed what I was doing. She asked me questions and thought I was fun and then showed me that my hand motions were actually backwards! I didn't know that I had been conducting the wrong way. I learned from her then that she plays the clarinet, loves band, and had even done some conducting at her high school. This story embodies so much of who Amber is: her kindness, her sense of play, her skills, her ability to improve people and situations, and most importantly the fact that there is always more to her than meets the eye for those who take the time to enjoy this amazing woman.

Amber and I parted ways after the summer camp season as friends. I drove her and some of our Ohio friends back home after Junior Camp at Rock River and did not expect to see her or know her as anything other than a favorite camp acquaintance. Amber did not give up on the idea of us as a potential dating couple, but she never gave me any indication of this. I, for my part, really enjoyed our very sparse and sporadic communication in the months that followed but didn't consider the possibility of a romance between us. In the spring of 2011, Amber and I began talking more and more via telephone and internet. We evolved over the next several months from friendship, to crush, to dating, to boyfriend and girlfriend. From day one, God has been a central part of our relationship, and I am so thankful for the way he led me to Amber, worked in both of our hearts, and guided our personal histories. As I think back on how we met, it just seems to me that she has always been a glowing, joyful gift to me, and I am so happy now for the chance to love her and learn more about her every day.

Story time:
Please comment and tell us about how you and your spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend/best friend met, or share your favorite memories about the beginning of your relationship!

Who We Are

Hello! My name is Amber. I was born in Akron, Ohio almost 21 years ago. I have an older brother, Weston, and a younger sister, Morgan. My wonderful parents are Don and Diane. I went to kindergarten at Greenwood Elementary School, and then we moved to Uniontown and I went to Lake from then until I graduated in 2010. I grew up going to Cottage Grove Evangelical Congregational Church and to our EC Church camp, Camp ECCO. I first committed my life to Jesus when I was five years old. Thus began the incredible journey that is my life, full of joy, hope, and endless love.

Things that I like: laughing, coloring, typing, chocolate, my green Chevy S10 pickup truck, discussion/debates about things that matter, the Bible, clarinet, piano, singing, listening to classical music while driving, puppies (shout out to my Lena!), being engaged, having friends, teaching Sunday School and VBS and the like, walking, sunshine, shoes, my engagement ring, dresses and skirts, my hair, marching band and concert band, Ohio, kids, movies, books, shopping, ice cream, kiwi, Panda Express, water, lemons, the color green, being a camp counselor, sunflowers, daisies, Spanish, grammar, staying up late, Easter and Thanksgiving and Christmas, real Christmas trees, bonfires, swimming, cousins, hedgehogs, psychology/counseling, facebook, hugs, learning, being a nanny, squeegees, poptarts, Toy Story, Pixar, movie commentaries, pillows and blankets, Full House, chicken, the numbers two and eleven, musicals, waterfalls, watching Lost, roller coasters, zoos, taking tests.

Things that I do not like: carrots, green beans, winter, rudeness, dirt, bugs and spiders where they're not supposed to be. In conclusion, I am fairly easy to please.

Fun facts: I am left-handed. My favorite part of high school was band; band things I did included: freshman year- squadling, symphonic band; sophomore year- right guide, symphonic winds; junior year- squad leader, section leader, symphonic winds; senior year- officer, section leader, squad leader, symphonic winds, was named Senior Band Member of the Year, and was chosen out of my graduating class to receive the Fine Arts Award. Alex Archer is my best friend. I couldn't whistle until age 19, and now it is one of my favorite hobbies and I do it every day. After high school I attended Rosedale Bible College for one year (shout out to my RBC friends!), and I have been working the past two years as a full-time nanny.

Hi! My name is Andrew. I was born in Warren, Ohio on December 9, 1985. My dad, David, is a pastor in the Evangelical Congregational Church, and my mom, Caren, runs her own arts and crafts business. I am the oldest child in my family; my younger siblings are Casie, Caleb, and Annette. I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was five years old and have dedicated my life to loving Him and loving others in His name. I have degrees in English Literature and Biblical Studies from Wheaton College and Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois; I also have ministry training from Evangelical Seminary in Myerstown, PA. I currently teach Old Testament as a general education course and direct the Preteen / Junior High Ministry at College Church of the Nazarene.

Things that I like: singing, piano, trumpet, whistling, exploring, walking, wood, water, tennis, disc golf, reading, board games and card games, designing curriculum, teaching, television, movies, ancient Greek, history, computer games, lists, the color green, thunderstorms, smell of wet grass, theme parks, zoos, window shopping, miniature golf, pets of all kinds, my golden retriever named Honey, alligators, pretzels, sandwiches, seafood, garlic bread, sweet tea, Chick-Fil-A, Chinese food, organizing, suits and ties, hotels, deep conversations, and being creative.

Things that I do not like: cold weather, most condiments and dressings, arrogance, impatience, mud, folding laundry, earwigs, foul language, and crude humor.

Fun facts: I am the oldest member of my generation in my family, I have dimples, I like to sleep with a blanket pulled over my head and my feet uncovered, I was prom king and class president of my class in high school, I was part of an all-men's choir for four years in college, I interned as a concierge at Port Orleans at Walt Disney World, I was the dean of Junior Camp at Rock River Bible Camp for four years, and the squirrels that live on my balcony are named Waffles, Cupcake, and Muffin.