Our love Story, Part 2 ~ 1998

 January 1998 found us in our last quarter of school. We were busy with class, work and lots of clinicals. But we still made time for fun, it was well needed. 

For my birthday we had a spaghetti food fight with the kids

We had so much fun, even cleaning up

Love can be messy!

In February my mother died. We flew to Austin, and it meant so much to me that Marty came with me. It was the first time that my oldest son, Shan and his wife, Susan met Marty. After the funeral we went out to dinner to the restaurant that my mother loved but didn't get to go much because she thought it too expensive. We told stories about my mother laughing and crying. Marty helped lighten the mood as only he can.

Taken the morning we left in the U-Haul back to Minnesota.
 We were all exhausted from cleaning out the house in one week's time.

In April we went to another wedding!
 Love was in the air!

The month of May we celebrated our1st living together anniversary. In that year as our love for each other grew, I learned how to go from being scared to feeling empowered. Marty did that for me. He allowed me to breathe deep and to trust him completely. He convinced me to go on The Wild Thing at Six Flags, when I was so very afraid. But I trusted him. 

He took me hiking along the Mississippi and we climbed to the very top of a hill, and even though I wanted to give up he encouraged me, with so much love, telling me that he knew I could do it. He was right. He allowed me to be me. I loved that about him. He taught me that I was beautiful, that I was lovable, that I was perfect for him.

We climbed to the top

One movie that we loved was Titanic. Marty told me that he wanted a portrait of me like Jack did for Rose.  I told him he was crazy! But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I convinced myself that I could do it. I didn't know any artists that did nude charcoal portraits, so I called Rochester Community College Art Department and to my surprise there was a professor who taught a course in drawing nudes who did nude portraits. I called him and set up the first session. I was petrified to undress for someone who I never met before, but I kept hearing Marty's voice in my head asking me for a portrait like Rose's. The artist made me very comfortable, it was a job to him. I went out for four sessions, and it was done. I had done it, and I was so very proud of myself. I did it for Marty and he was the only man who ever made me feel absolutely beautiful.  

Here is Rose...

Here's me...

There may be some of you who do not get why I would share a nude portrait of Rose and myself. I share this because Marty's love for me, as Jack's love for Rose, allowed me to accept myself and I saw who I was through Marty's eyes. He brought healing to my wounded soul. It was this healing which gave me the courage to give him the one thing he wanted for our Anniversary. To me both portraits are ART. Plus, it is part of our love story!

We went on a very nice picnic for our Anniversary and
when I gave the gift to Marty, he loved it. He was very proud of my courage.

In June, after taking our National Registry written exam and the practical stations, we graduated, with honors I might say! Now we just had to wait for either a big envelope which had our diploma in it or a small envelope which said we didn't pass it. Thankfully we both passed! It was well worth the 2 years we spent getting through the program.

So happy to be done with school

Marty's parents, David and Sandi Matzke

My children, Kimberly, Joe and Sarah

We celebrated our freedom from school by taking Joe and Sarah to The Wisconsin Dells. We had such an amazing time. That is the other thing I loved about Marty, the way he was such a great role model for the kids. We had fun! Laughter and Joy abounded. 

Trying not to get too close!

In July Marty found us two options for paramedic jobs. One was moving to Montana, and the other to Ottumwa, Iowa. We chose Iowa. In hindsight we wish we had to gone to Montana! We made all the arrangements for our move, and although it was not an easy decision because I would be further away from my kids, it was the only place hiring at that time. We moved at the end of August into a really cute house that had three bedrooms, plenty of room for when the kids came to visit. 

We took Aunt Velda out to eat before we moved.

In October they came to live with us permanently. Marty and I had had numerous conversations about the kids coming to live with us and when they did everything worked out for the better for all of us. To have Joe and Sarah experience what was like to have Marty as a great role model as a stepdad figure made me love him even more. He was always so patient with them and I could breathe easy. 

We all painted pumpkins for Halloween

Joe enjoyed getting back into basketball

Sarah was part of the girls' basketball skills troupe

Marty and I worked at Ottumwa Regional Hospital's Ambulance Department. When we accepted the jobs, they told us that we would be for a 3-month probation period, and after that was over, we would both have full time positions. We made it to the three-month mark and Marty got sacked, because he'd not gotten along with a nurse in the ED. When we were not out on ambulance calls, we were required to work in the ED. Marty had never even been given a word of warning, they just fired him. I was so livid that I went in and told them that I quit too. 

Here we are before Marty got fired

    

We ended up picketing the hospital, which was the only thing we could 'do' to make us feel better about the situation.

Our landlords were wonderful. Once they knew what the situation was, they let us out of our lease agreement. We will always be grateful to them for doing that.

Our 1998 Christmas photo

Merry Christmas to all

We ended the year with my having gotten my job back at Mayo and we found a rental in Owatonna. We rented a U-Haul, and wouldn't you know that a winter storm blew in with lots of snow. We packed it all up though, in the blizzard, and we headed home...home to Minnesota.