I asked Christy to send me a little info so I could share a little bit about the bride and groom. It is such a cute story that I left it just like Christy wrote it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!How Joe Houston and I met:
Hummm....well, we met approx 6 yrs ago in 2004 while serving in the same Air Force Reserve unit. He was a C-130 Flight Engineer and I was a C-130 avionics mechanic. As he remembers it, we were in Kuwait supporting the Global War on Terror. He was talking to a mutual friend of ours when I walked up to interrupt. We were not introduced at that time and I have no recollection of that "meeting" but he says he knew then that I was the one for him. I remember it a little differently: I say we met in Souda Bay, Crete while I was enroute to Kuwait and he was heading home. We had stayed in the same hotel and the morning we were both to depart for different destinations, I asked if I could join him for breakfast. It was a short but nice interlude as Joe had to pre-flight his aircraft for the days flight. We became friendly acquaintances until 2007 when I, too, became a flight engineer (this made us co-workers). Finally, in May/June of 2008, we went on our first "accidental" date. He had come to my house to help with a project and as a thank you, I took him to a concert at the outdoor amphitheater to see The Big Bad Voodoo Daddies. We had so much fun! After that, we spent most every weekend together and embarked in a long distance relationship (Joe was living in Montgomery at the time). About 7 months later, Joe transferred jobs with the FAA to metro Atlanta and moved in with me. We have enjoyed everything together from household projects and renovations, traveling, SCUBA diving, triathlons, cycling, running, private flying...you name it! In Oct. 2009, we were on vacation in San Fransisco and planned to spend the day touring wine country. We drove up to Sonoma Valley and were having a wonderful day tasting wine and shopping. I had mentioned that we should visit a local wine and cheese shop and buy supplies for a picnic. (Little did I know I was planning my own engagement!)We settled on a bench, by a pond, in a park at the center of town and as we snacked on cheese, crackers, almonds, wine and fudge we talked about how happy we were and how blessed our life was. Before I knew it, Joe was down on one knee holding the most sparkly thing I had ever seen and asking me to marry him! He had to ask a second time as I was crying and in shock and having difficulty responding. Of course, I said YES! Wow! What a moment! I wish all my friends and family could have been there to witness it. It was perfect! The best part was that it was a total surprise! I had no idea he was planning to propose. He did a great job planning it and keeping it a secret and even enlisted the help of my twin sister to pick out the ring...which I love. I couldn't have picked a more beautiful ring if I had done it myself. So, here I am in the midst of wedding planning. Only 84 days until our Big Day and I have so much to do!
Hummm....well, we met approx 6 yrs ago in 2004 while serving in the same Air Force Reserve unit. He was a C-130 Flight Engineer and I was a C-130 avionics mechanic. As he remembers it, we were in Kuwait supporting the Global War on Terror. He was talking to a mutual friend of ours when I walked up to interrupt. We were not introduced at that time and I have no recollection of that "meeting" but he says he knew then that I was the one for him. I remember it a little differently: I say we met in Souda Bay, Crete while I was enroute to Kuwait and he was heading home. We had stayed in the same hotel and the morning we were both to depart for different destinations, I asked if I could join him for breakfast. It was a short but nice interlude as Joe had to pre-flight his aircraft for the days flight. We became friendly acquaintances until 2007 when I, too, became a flight engineer (this made us co-workers). Finally, in May/June of 2008, we went on our first "accidental" date. He had come to my house to help with a project and as a thank you, I took him to a concert at the outdoor amphitheater to see The Big Bad Voodoo Daddies. We had so much fun! After that, we spent most every weekend together and embarked in a long distance relationship (Joe was living in Montgomery at the time). About 7 months later, Joe transferred jobs with the FAA to metro Atlanta and moved in with me. We have enjoyed everything together from household projects and renovations, traveling, SCUBA diving, triathlons, cycling, running, private flying...you name it! In Oct. 2009, we were on vacation in San Fransisco and planned to spend the day touring wine country. We drove up to Sonoma Valley and were having a wonderful day tasting wine and shopping. I had mentioned that we should visit a local wine and cheese shop and buy supplies for a picnic. (Little did I know I was planning my own engagement!)We settled on a bench, by a pond, in a park at the center of town and as we snacked on cheese, crackers, almonds, wine and fudge we talked about how happy we were and how blessed our life was. Before I knew it, Joe was down on one knee holding the most sparkly thing I had ever seen and asking me to marry him! He had to ask a second time as I was crying and in shock and having difficulty responding. Of course, I said YES! Wow! What a moment! I wish all my friends and family could have been there to witness it. It was perfect! The best part was that it was a total surprise! I had no idea he was planning to propose. He did a great job planning it and keeping it a secret and even enlisted the help of my twin sister to pick out the ring...which I love. I couldn't have picked a more beautiful ring if I had done it myself. So, here I am in the midst of wedding planning. Only 84 days until our Big Day and I have so much to do!
Christy
Career:aircraft mechanic for a major airline
Military: C-130 flight engineer; 18 years served so far
Hobby: some private flight time
Joe
Career: FAA
Military: C-130 flight engineer; 21 years in service so far
Hobby: Private pilot
