September 17, 2015

Chalkboard Encouragement: Let Love Keep you Strong!

“When life feels like a struggle, and things keep going wrong,
Know that better days are coming, and let love keep you strong.”

Here’s a little encouragement for anyone who’s been having a difficult time lately. We’ve been receiving lots of messages on our Facebook page, from long-distance couples. Many people are struggling with the distance, and all the uncertainties that come from being far away from someone you love. We don’t have the answers to all the problems, but we do understand how it feels!

If you’d like to read more about long-distance relationships, you’ll find lots of information on our website. We’ve written about how to cope with feelings of jealousy and insecurity. There’s also an article about arguments; a common problem in long-distance relationships! And if you reach the stage where everything feels too much, read some words of encouragement. You can contact us on our Facebook page, or share your own story there. There will be other people who understand what you’re going through. Perhaps your post will also help to encourage other long-distance couples!

We survived our long-distance relationship, and we hope you can too. The distance may try to break you, but let love keep you strong!

February 14, 2015

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s our third one together since we closed the distance in August 2012!

Of course, we like to think that all you need is love and music, but that’s not exactly true. Coffee, for example. And who can live without cheese? Also a passport and visa, if you’re in a long-distance relationship. And great communication skills, a reliable internet connection and phone signal, and seemingly-endless patience. These last few things aren’t always easy to find, but they help a lot. If you’ve been following us on our Facebook page, you’ll know about some of the things we had to go through in our long-distance relationship. Being away from each other was a huge challenge, but now that we’re together in the same place, we’re glad we didn’t give up. Now we can say “Happy Valentine’s Day” face-to-face instead of on a computer screen… and we know that all the waiting was worthwhile.

Wherever you are in your own relationship, we wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day. If you have your partner beside you, and everything you need, that’s wonderful. If you’re still waiting for all the good things to come to you, hang in there. True love is worth waiting for.

January 30, 2015

On our Way to Redding Bronze!

Today we’ll be taking a long road trip – from Mountain View to Redding – to take part in Redding Bronze. After spending nearly three years in a long-distance relationship, we think road trips together are fun – and we always look forward to this one. We’ll be driving for several hours, and will be stopping en route to search for Cherry Sours, our traditional road-trip snack. You’ll notice that they have no fat and no cholesterol – so they’re practically “health food”! Yeah, right. But we’re going to eat them anyway.

Redding Bronze is a fun and challenging handbell event! It takes place from Friday evening until Saturday evening, at First Presbyterian Church, 2315 Placer Street, Redding, CA 96001. Larry will be directing, and this year’s repertoire is as follows:

Moon Over the Ruined Castle – arr. Kazuko Okamoto
Beach Spring – arr. Lee Afdahl
Guantanamera – arr. Paul McKlveen and Ann Legarde
Knowing You – arr. Patricia Cota
Dorian Dance – Michael Joy
Festive Peal -Karen Thompson
I Will Arise and Go to Jesus – arr. Larry Sue
Diademata Festal – arr. Bill Ingram

There’s a public concert on Saturday at 4:00pm, and admission is free. If you’re anywhere near the Redding area, we’d love to see you there!

November 15, 2014

Back to Long Distance for a Week!

We’re going back to long distance… but not for long.

Carla’s traveling back to England today, to attend a funeral. It’s a sad time, and we’ll be back to our old 8-hour time difference for the coming week. We’ll miss each other, of course. On the plus side, though, Carla will be glad to re-connect with family and friends back in the UK. While she’s away, we’ll be making the most of Facebook and Skype to stay in close contact, just like long-distance couples all over the world.

Larry’s face looks sad in the photo, but we’re not really making a fuss about this. We’ve already survived nearly three years in a long-distance relationship, before we got the K-1 fiancée visa and Carla moved from the UK to California. A week apart is nothing compared to the time many couples spend waiting to close the distance. Carla will be busy with funeral things, and seeing friends and family – and for her, the time will probably go far too quickly. Larry will have plenty to do at home in California while Carla’s away. In just a few days’ time, he’ll be driving back to the airport. No problem… right? We can do this!