Lena

How We Met: Like most people today, Dave and I met at work, but atypically, that work was a Navy ship. I met Dave the day I reported to my first duty station, USS Chancellorsville, CG 62, on April 3rd, 2007. Ironically, I don't really remember much about it, because it was my first day and I met a lot of people, haha! When We Started Dating: In Patong Beach, Thailand during our first deployment in 2008. After spending quite a long time being friends, and afraid of ruining a good friendship by bringing romance into the mix, we went to a concert by the beach on Halloween night, the last night we were in Thailand, and after a bit of liquid courage, decided to throw caution to the wind and give it a shot. Though we weren't able to pursue much since we still had a few more weeks of deployment left. We spent a lot of time talking, which was probably something most people in new relationships should do more, it created a pretty strong basis for our relationship. Moving In: When we got back from deployment, a friend of ours and I had agreed to move in together as roommates, and at the same time, Dave was also looking at getting into a new living situation. Robbie and I quickly moved into our new place, and both agreed that Dave could stay with us for a while until he figured out where he was going to go. Eventually, it became clear that Dave wasn't leaving :) I was nervous about cohabitation so early in the relationship, a feeling fueled by many cautions from my family, but we sat down and had a serious heart-to-heart where we laid out the rules: I would buy my own stuff, he would by his, and everything would be kept separate to make things easier. This even split continued until I got out of the Navy in 2011. Meeting My Family: In 2009, my mother said she wanted to spend Christmas in Cancún, Mexico, and she invited both me and Dave to join her, my father, my brother, and his wife at an all-inclusive resort for the holidays. How could we say no?? Well, we almost had to, because the ship was under a new Captain who made intra-command dating against the rules. Dave and I had to fight teeth and nail simply to maintain out living situation, let alone going on leave together out of the country! Yes, they tried to tell me that one of us needed to find another place to live, and they told him they weren't comfortable with us going to Mexico together because they thought we were going to get married there. Ridiculous! Fortunately for us, this kind of unfair treatment made us a stronger couple, a team against The Man trying to get us down. Luckily, we were able to convince the command to give us our paperwork and let us leave, and we had a fantastic time in Cancún, soaking up the sun, and Dave and my family got along fantastically well. Starting A Family: On Winter Solstice 2010, Dave and I brought home two little chihuahuas we would refer to as our "children" thereafter. I was on LIMDU, and Robbie had decided to move back to Florida for school, so I would be alone in the apartment while Dave was gone on a seven month deployment. We brought home Spud, then six months, and Isis, then three years, to keep me company while Dave was gone. We could not imagine our lives without these two little babies. They own us. We are the most dedicated dog-parents you have ever seen. We have more stories and pictures than most people with children I know. Buying A House: On December 7th, 2011 (Pearl Harbor Day), Dave and I got the keys to our very own side-split bungalow, our own little piece of San Diego that we could call our own. Ironically, Spud, the dog that freaks out if you move a chair, was totally at ease in the new house, as was Isis, who settled right in. It took me a bit longer to get used to it, but luckily, by this time, Dave was on shore duty and was here with me every night. :) Getting Engaged: Dave proposed to me on October 19, 2012. We drove out to Sunset Cliffs, and walked around for a while until Dave stopped and took my hands in his. It was a few minutes after sunset, and it was cold, but I knew something big was coming, (we had also spent the last three months designing an engagement ring at Charles Koll Jewelers, so I knew he was going to ask me eventually, I just didn't know when or where...) he told me he loved me, that our time together had allowed him to see what I was made of and show himself  to me. He said he accepted me for who I was and ever would be, and asked if I would accept him for who he was and ever would be, then he got down on one knee and presented the ring in it's box. I was speechless (something that doesn't happen often, as anyone that knows me can attest to...) and I cried for a moment before being able to say "yes" and get the ring on. It was perfect. Even if it was cloudy and we couldn't see the sunset, even if I got us lost by telling him to take a wrong turn, even if I was freezing and couldn't wait to get back in the car. It was perfect.