love story//kellie and steven

 Here is mine and Steven's story. I figured it was perfect timing for Valentine's Day, eh?

Steven and I met three years ago this June.
At a bar.
But it's not like that.
I promise.
One night my good friend Brittany wanted to go to this bar to see her crush and his band. I didn't want to go. At all. But I knew how much she did, so her sister and I reluctantly went along.
Once we were there we found a place at the bar and we girls just hung out and talked, waiting for the band to go on. Then this guy came over and started talking to us (Steven's friend, (now our friend) Eric). Soon after, his friend came over (Steven), apologizing for his friend botherng us. Both guys stayed around and we all started talking. I'm pretty sure Steven and I talked about movies all night. He kept saying he'd seen almost every movie. I kept trying to point out one he hadn't. (I won with Princess Bride).

While I was also currently dating someone (which had been on and off again more times than I could count), there was just something about Steven. He seemed so interested in what I said and then when we girls left, he walked us to the car because it was late. He didn't make a move, he just hugged us all goodbye. I remember thinking then that even if I never saw this guy again, he had at least restored my faith in guys. He was a gentleman. I was afraid they were all gone.
I soon broke up for good with the boy that I had such a rocky relationship with.
And I did see Steven again, once I was single.

 

 Our first date was at a deli that is no longer open. And it lasted for over 12 hours. We saw A-team at the theatre, Red Sox game, ordered pizza, and had some of the best conversation. I remember not wanting it to be over.
It's now been about 2 and a half years since our first date, and we've spent almost every day together since.

 He is my best friend. 

My better half. 

The man who makes me laugh and smile more than I can count. 

He's opened my eyes to so many things I would have never of known about. 

He makes me feel loved and special.

He is one of the best men I've ever known and he for some reason has decided to be with me of all girls. 

 I am so incredibly lucky and blessed to have him in my life. And even though we've had our fair share of ups and downs, we've survived them. Our love has grown and become what it is today. 

I am a better person because of Steven and in a way, I think that's one of the best definitions of love. 

Happy Valentines Day/

kel

love story//charity

Today's love story is by my sweet and beautiful friend Charity. It's short and lovely and it's honestly something that we all need to hear. Enjoy.

This post is definitely going to scream “SINGLE PERSON!” and I guess that’s the truth of the matter. I am 31 years old and single for another Valentine’s Day. At the same time, what I’m going to say is as important to people in relationships as it is to single people.

“The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.” ― Steve Maraboli

I know for myself, I very often rely on other people to create happiness for me. If other people aren’t at peace, I’m definitely not at peace. Something I’ve realized lately is that I need to love myself. I need to be happy with myself. I need to be at peace within myself. We all need other people, but the reality is, if we can’t love ourselves, we end up being insecure in love and relationships – needing constant affirmation of our worth.

So this season, while you’re reading and writing love quotations, spending romantic evenings, or even casual evenings with the people you love… make sure to spend time valuing yourself. You’re worth it. Trust me.

“It’s all about falling in love with yourself and sharing that love with someone who appreciates you, rather than looking for love to compensate for a self love deficit.” ― Eartha Kitt

“I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art.” ― Madonna

love story//mel

 Today's love story is by my boyfriend's sweet and lovely sister, Mel.  She and her boyfriend are one of the cutest couples I've ever met. You can tell how in love they are and how much they care for each other from the moment you meet them. And I love her story. It's perfectly written and explained.
Enjoy!!!
~~~~~~~~

Love: the funny thing about it, it that it is never quite the same. I love my mom. I love my dog. I love sleeping in. I love dark denim. I love my boyfriend... 

All of these things I LOVE, but each in their own, special way. 

What love is to me is actually more definable by explaining the things that it is not. It is not lust. It is not infatuation. It is not allowing yourself to be stubborn. It is not facing a problem with your partner/spouse that you both aren't willing to fix. It is not making decisions on your own.

What it IS though, is trying your hardest to always recognize the good and the importance of another. No matter how angry you are at your parent, or if you feel unappreciated by a spouse, or if you forgot to shut off your weekday alarm and had an early wake up call on saturday, all of these things don't make you stop loving what you love. It is actually the struggles and challenges that we have with our "loves" that eventually prove our love for them. Love is being selfless, being supportive, and being a believer. 

Lastly, to me, love is the willingness to grow. Grow from the person you were, into the person you are in love, because you know that by doing so, you are strengthening a bond with another and creating a happier life.

My love story is simple. This is the person who makes me feel all of the things i've mentioned above. He's the one who taught me how to love.

love story//chelsea

Hello everyone! This is Chelsea from 3...2...1...  

February, the month of love. With Valentine's Day right around the corner, we are reminded of the special people and things in our life. In the spirit of the day, I would like to talk about my one greatest love.

Before I talk about my one greatest love, I would like to define what I think love is. On the most basic level, I believe love is a deep feeling of respect and caring. Love can evolve in other ways, whether it be with a significant other, friend, pet or family member, but all love is based off respect and caring.

With that in mind, my one true love is a little bit different than what most people may think. It is not something I can hold or hug, but I love it all the same.

 

The cosmos are my one true love. It is a bit different, but space is the one thing that I know I will always love. Ever since I was young, I have been obsessed with space. When you look out at the night sky, you see that the world is so much more than just the city you're in or the country you live in. The expanses of the universe are right beyond reach, there for us to observe, admire, study, and for those who are really lucky, explore. The universe is the most beautiful, complex, and mysterious mistress anyone could ever ask for. It is filled with gorgeous galaxies, fantastic nebulae, and countless planets that could be brimming with life. Space is a never-ending, dynamic, amazing entity. Without the death of stars, we could never exists. It's such a beautiful and poetic thought, that humans and everything that is come from stardust.

I am always humbled when I see amazing images compiled by Hubble and other telescopes, like the ones I showed above. Our entire solar system is nothing compared to these majestic giants. The size of nebulae and galaxies are almost unfathomable, and that's still nothing compared to the scale of the always expanding universe.

I know my previous definition of love may not seem to coincide with my saying that my one true love is space, but I respect and care for the universe just as you respect and care for a person. It is not the same sort of care and respect, but it is there nonetheless. The cosmos are my one greatest love, and it always will be.

love story// stefany and michael

Stefany is the wife of my oldest friend, Michael. We've known each other since the day I was born and he's family. Then he met Stefany. And all of a sudden I had another sister. They are adorable together and have the most precious children. Here is their beautiful story.
_______________________

I'm 28 and I've been married twice. To the same guy. Five months apart. This it the story of two anniversaries.

Michael and I met in 2003. He was a cart pusher at Wal-Mart and I worked in the photo studio at the front of the store. He would walk by all the time with his friend, drinking a diet Coke. When he got brave enough he would stop by and talk to me. He was so incredibly shy. So shy that he had his friend vet out if I would go out with him. We did about a week later, but I only told him I had about an hour just in case things were really uncomfortable or we didn't mesh well. We met at a local coffee shop and Michael was so nervous and awkward and was saying many of the wrong things, and in all reality it wasn't a great first date. Still, there was something about him that I liked and I gave him a second date anyways. Since then we have been together almost every single day.

We moved in together after 6 months, and got engaged on our year anniversary while in vacation in New Orleans. We didn't have much money so it was a long engagement that lasted 2 years. When we were financially ready to get married, we met with the pastor of our church and he encouraged us to make our living situation right and wanted us to get married right away...or we wouldn't be able to get married in the church. So, on Tuesday February 7, 2006, with just immediate family, we were married in a gazebo in a park downtown.

 Five months later on July 7(completey random that both days were the 7th of the month) we had a traditional wedding in the church.

 It is now 7 years later that we have been married and almost 10 years that we have been together. We now have 2 kids: Roman who is almost 4 and Milania who will be 2 soon. What could have been the end of a relationship at the get go, turned out to the beginnings of our lives together.