Both divorced, we approach each other carefully, intentionally, and with guidance. First and foremost, we commit to God’s will for this marriage-to-be. We come to each other with full-grown lives, too many dishes, and not enough Rich family (Imagine, as we have, the meeting between daughter-in-law and parents-in-law on that beautiful Resurrection day).

We’ll gladly tell you about meeting for the first time (Jennifer knows that he looked right at her and smiled a special smile, while Larry knows her response to his profession was the strangest he’s ever heard) . . .but it’s best told in tandem and in-person. . .so that part of the story we'll save for our time together (remember to choose your date) at the "Moveable Feast" (since COVID-times stole our wedding reception), when we'll sit down and visit one-on-one with each of you!

We have spent our lives separated only a few degrees from each other – at one point living almost back to back in Angwin, California where we were both taking classes in the Education Department of PUC. We have many mutual friends (even from childhood), speak the same professional language, share third (or more)-generation Seventh-day Adventist cultural quirks (haystacks, Fri Chick, Apple-a-Day cookbook favorites, etc.), and have parents who might remember each other from their time working at Loma Linda University.

Jennifer almost broke up with Larry before they even got together (due to a Michael Bublé concert situation) and Larry absolutely shakes his head in wonder that he stayed on the phone after the big announcement (before the first date), “I have to tell you right away that I have 5 kids.”

Somehow though, we both stayed. We shared the stories of our lives thoroughly – did you know that Larry was a miracle baby, and that they were both born at the same place (although not the same year - heehee)? We assessed relationship risk-to-benefit ratios , “fleeced” God, watched TV together as the world shut down, and grieved our lost and missing loved ones. We added a God-chosen poodle named Sunny Rae, began Nerf-war-in-the-dark games with the kids, joined a Bible Study Sabbath School class at Yucaipa church, went on chaperoned trips (thank you Vendens, Trivetts, Groths, etc. ) and then . . . we tried our luck with the Enrich “pre-engagement” compatibility tests with Pastor Dan Smith as our facilitator.

You know us – you have stories about each of us (please share!!) that reveal our characters, who we are in relationships, as well as, the ways that God has grown and blessed us individually.

So, we invite you to join us now, in our joining together --
because by calendar time,
we haven’t yet been together nearly long enough,
but already, we have been apart too long!