My Life in France ~ The Back Story

Hello everyone!  How your day is treating you well.  I was thinking I would do a little series about what it is like to live in France, but I wasn't sure if it wouldn't bore people to death.  Then I got a little encouragement from a blogger friend and lots of wonderful feedback from our love story posted over At Love with Katie and I thought, you know what, I'll do it!  So come fly away with me!  Well not just yet, a little back story first, so just pack your bags. J  (if you read our little story at Katie's place, it might be a tad redundant, but bear with me!)

a visit to France before we were married, little dinner date at Buffalo Grill.  The French's version of BBQ.

I met my husband in college, second semester freshman year.  We liked each other immediately but didn’t actually officially start dating until our junior year.  We broke up a few months later because there were some people in Lavar’s life (his coach) who were not okay with our interracial relationship. But because we couldn’t get enough of each other, we got back together after that season.  They didn’t like it again, but could only control Lavar throughout the season (they threatened to take away his scholarship if we dated) we broke up again.  After that season we got back together and were good to go.  I always knew there was something different about this guy that I couldn’t get over.  I never was stuck on guys, but Lavar, he had me, dang it.  Turns out, I loved him, still do, and work hard to love him for the rest of our lives.

my first trip to France and up the EIffel Tower!

After we graduated college, Lavar got the opportunity to place overseas in a little town called St Quentin.  I didn’t speak a lick of French, nor had I ever been there, but I was super excited for him.  We stayed together throughout him leaving and I was able to visit him three times the first year.  Loved it. Love Paris (he lived an hour away), loved the little French houses (still do), and I loved the atmosphere.  In case you were wondering, I didn’t go with him.  I had made up my mind that I would never follow a man who wasn’t my husband, and that was that.  The summer after his first year we found out I was pregnant.  This is a whole other story, probably series (that I will probably never write), but I will tell you that it wasn’t planned and that was probably the hardest time in my life.  But praise the Lord, he watches us even when we don’t deserve it.  We got married in 2007, Tae was 4 months old, and a month later up and moved to France.  This time Brest, France in Bretange.

It's a boy!  Lavar was so proud...

I was so excited.  I was excited to be married, excited to be starting our new life and excited to be in another country (I like adventures!).  I had noooo idea what was comin’ for me.  Without too many boring details, it was hard.  We were newly weds, newly parents, interracial, intercultural, and living in a country that is neither of ours and a language that neither of us spoke.  Our first year of marriage was hard. But, thankfully, we both had made up our minds to love God and love each other before everything and we were able to pull through.  Not that marriage has been cake since then, but it was worth it, for sure.



My future husband signing autographs in St Quentin



So if you put up with my little story here and are actually interested in our life here in France, then stay tuned until next week!  And then you can come fly away with me! If you have any questions or are interested in anything specific put it in the comments or message me, I would love to hear about it!