Meet The Parents - The Hertleins

I remember as a kid never wanting to hear the mushyness about my parents (i.e. how they met, where they went on their first date, how they got engaged). I mean, I was grossed out even seeing them kiss :)......which is why there was always the comments of "Yuck" and "EWWW" from me and my siblings everytime they did (sorry mom and dad:).

Now that I am engaged and about to marry and begin my own family, I found myself thinking several months ago about how I don't even really know the story about my parents. Yeah, I think I had heard it in my adolescence, but my semi-conscience brain at that time of my life probably didn't really comprehend the significance of it and the story had been forgotten.

So I questioned my mom a little bit about it the other day and found out the following. As with all good love stories, I feel that it is worthy to share and for all to hear.

My mom and dad grew up about 20 miles from each other in two rural towns in Western PA. They attended high school together, knew of each other, but were not really friends and didn't talk much. What they do seem to remember of each other during those days however is "Those green knee socks" that my dad swears my mom wore everyday; and that, in the words of my mom: "He was such a country bumpkin". So how did they ever get together?

Well apparently one weekend my mom's roomate asked her to come along on a double date with her to meet the brother of this guy she was seeing. So my mom agreed and they headed off to the movies where she encountered "the country bumpkin" -- dressed in cowboy boots and a jean jacket. Yeah Dad!!! Instead of watching the movie they talked the whole time (which doesn't suprise me given my mom :), but I would have never guessed my dad would have been much of a talker.......well, I guess he could have been listening.

So from there I think some flirting continued, love notes may have been exchanged and in a little over a year, they were engaged and married. Several years later, I was born!

My parents taught me a lot about their love story though the years growing up with them. I saw that even though things are not always easy, you work through them, you turn to God for wisdom and love each other most importantly through God's love.

Today my parents are living without any of us kids and I hope they are finding the times they did back at the beginning of their relationship to just really enjoy each other.

I love you both so much and am so thankful to have two Godly individuals unite to guide me into the person I am today.