Our story

This is a true story of a little girl who dreamed of one day being married, having her white picket fence, a puppy, and some kids to watch over. Little did she know, it would happen sooner then she thought.

This was taken only 3 months prior to my engagement. Time sure has flown by hasn't it?

This is her story:
It was 1997, I was just a 17 year old girl enjoying spending time with her friends and working. I didn't have much care in the world. I enjoyed just hanging out with my two best friends, John and Brandy. I couldn't go a day without talking to those two. My life seemed perfect. Nothing there to make me worry about or stress about. I was having the life that any teenage girl would dream of. A wonderful best friend, a fun job, a car to drive and just about to finish 9th grad and ready for the summer. I had visions of going out with my friends on the weekend after work and just taking our drives and spending time together. I wanted to make sure that i had all the time to spend with my friends. But a little part of me was pretty scared. I was going to be all by myself this year. My sister had all graduated from school so i would be starting my 10th grad all on my own. Going to school on my own was a little frightening to me. I'd have to get up all my self, no sister to wake me up or no sister to come home with. I hated changes; the one thing i can't deal with is changes. I was I suppose to cope with that? Good thing I had my best friends there with me. I'd had broken down.
One day, needless to say, this day would change my whole life. I couldn't even have known that in one week the course of my life would change...and to think i was afraid of changes! I did that to myself for sure.

I had just gotten home from work and mom was at her usual spot waiting for me on the sofa watching her Thai lakorns. Mom kinda had this little smile on her face...seemed kinda weird but i didn't think too much about it. After my sister arrived home, mom sat us down. Uh oh!! What did we do this time?
My mom told us that it was time that we had to move on with our lives. Mainly she was talking to my sister. She told her that she is getting older now and she has finished school now and she thinks that it's time she should get married and have a family. She told my sister she has someone for her, he's a nice guy and his family is ready for him to get married and they had called her. You see mom wanted my sister to marry this stranger, some one who she has never even seen before. How is she suppose to marry some one she doesn't even know?
My sister told her no, i won't do it. I love my boyfriend and i'm moving out with him. So that was it....my sister was pretty brave huh?
A few days later I was working pretty late at the shop. I had made a personal pizza for mom - her fave with jalapenos! We were sitting down and eating our food watching moms' Thai lakorns. After we finished mom said " Noy sit down i want to talk to you about something".
Oh man I'm in trouble is what i was thinking at that time (don't know why i always think that, why would i be in trouble. I never do anything to get in trouble for.)
"I want you to know that all I ever wanted for you girls is to be happy. I want you girls to find some one who will take care of you.
You should know how my life was in Laos, it was a struggle. And i don't want you guys to struggle like i did. I want you girls to have a good life. I want you girls to know that I would do anything for you girls to make you happy. But living here is not going to be good. We don't have enough money to do anything. I want you to have a better life than what you have now. Don't have the life that i've had."
You must know, all while she is telling me this, she is crying. So what do you think i was doing? Yep, i cried, because i couldn't stand seeing mom cry even though i had no idea what she was crying about.
" Since your sister won't marry him, i want you to think about it. I think it'll be good for you. If you stay here, there'll be nothing here  for you. At least if you marry him, you'll have a better life, a better chance to do things that you won't be able to do if you stayed.  I want you to think of my life back when i had no choice, i have to walk every where, i had to ask for food some times just to feed you girls. I would walk to the store or to work for miles and if you girls wet/soiled yourself i had to walk back home to wash your cloth and then walk back. I don't want that kind of life for you girls. Your dad is in jail because he stole to provide for us. I don't ever want that kind of life for you girls. That's why i came out here, to give you girls a better life. I want you to think about it and do this for me. I know you'll have better life if you do. He will take good care of you.
I know I can count on you to do this. Your sisters aren't like you. Your older sister has left and now your sister is leaving us too. You're the only one i can count on now."
She takes one look at me and say "go think about what i said."

That night i couldn't sleep at all. I tossed and turned, my mind racing with thoughts and images. Images of my white picket fence, my puppy and kids running around my big yard. Man that would be the life wouldn't it? So weird though, that all these images that are going through my head, there's not a man in that image. Where is he?
I went to work the next day and thought of it all day. When i got home mom was waiting for me.
" His family said they will have him call you today. Make sure you don't go anywhere today okay? I talked to them already and they say okay. I will send a picture to them for him to see."
Mom seemed so happy just with the aspect of sending a picture. How could i think of breaking that smile?

A few days passed....."Noy phone for you."
"Hello"
"Hello Noy?
"Yes"
"Hi this is Lien."
Silence
"Umm hi."
"Your parents told me to call you."
"Oh okay."

I'm not even sure what we talked about the first time he called me, it's such a blurr. The second time he called:
"Hi Noy."
"Hi"
"I got your picture today. It's nice"
"thanks"

The famous picture! He said he took one look at me and knew he wanted to marry me. He said just by looking in to my eyes he knew i was a nice person with a good heart, someone he would want to marry.

The night of our second call I had a dream. In my dream i was walking to my friends house with her to eat. When we got to her place, we walked up the steps and went inside. Once inside her father was at the corner sitting down to eat. He called us over. I sat down ready to eat then i heard the door open, i looked at my friends' father, he looked at me and said " look there he is, he's here now." I turned around to look, right about when i turned around to see who it was, i woke up. I was sweating like crazy even though it wasn't a nightmare. How weird!
I went to work that day. When I got home, my and I did our usual routine. And i did it! I looked at her and said "ok mom, i'll do it. You can tell them ok." 
please don't ask me why i said yes....because i don't know why. I just did it. I still don't know why
Mom gave me a smile and said "ok i will."
That was it, that was the beginning of my adult life. A decision like that would be, to me, an adult choice.
We talked on the phone for two months. He seemed pretty happy to be talking to me. He'd wait to call me after i got off work at midnight, it wold be 3 am in Ohio.
He asked me once, "Are you sure this is what you want to do? I know this is what i want to do. They wanted to me marry your sister but i was never interested. Even when i saw your guys' picture, before i even knew who you are she was, i looked at your picture and wanted it to be you. But when they told me it was her, i didn't want to. So that's why i never called. When they told me that it was you, I was happy. I couldn't wait to call you. So i need you to make sure that this is what you want and it isn't because some one made you do it."
"No no one made me do this, i made the choice myself."
(I couldn't tell him that i did this to make my mom happy, to finally make her proud)

A few weeks later they arrived! We met them at the Boise airport. I was a nervous wreck. "Noy what are you doing? What is this? Ready or not this is it. There is no going back!"
"Hi Noy! This is for you." (He's holding a single red rose.)
"Thank you."

The next day we have our engagement for our friends. There are so many thoughts running through my head. Is this actually happening? Am I really going to get married and move away from my family? Who is this guy? I don't even know anything about this guy? How am i just suppose to marry him? I don't feel anything for him? Lord what am I doing? Help me!

our engagement. I was a nervous wreck but you can't tell. I'm very good at keeping my emotions to myself.

don't we look happy! I was a little nervous in this picture, didn't know if i had to hug him or something. Perfect engagement photo huh?

I know it sounds bad to be thinking these things before you are to be engaged. But would you blame me?
I know i did it probably for all the wrong reasons, but could you blame me for just wanting to make my mom happy. To make my parents proud? How many kids out there hate to see their parents sad or disappointed? I'm not saying i'm a great person but i wanted so bad to be the one to make them proud. I wanted so bad for that approval.

my friends who made it out to my engagement. I miss you guys so much. I couldn't have went through it with out you guys. The guy with the purple shirt is a friend, we use to like each other, i was surprised he came. I later found out he was sad to see me go. He had wanted to marry me or something like that, if i'm not forgetting.

Truth be told, i was afraid. I was afraid of going to school alone, waking up alone after being in a room with my sisters since i was born. I was afraid that i couldn't make it. I wanted a safety net. And it's bad to say, but i saw him as my safety net. I wanted to feel safe and i didn't want to have the life my mother had. I wanted some one to take care of me. Some one who will always be there for me, who will provide for me. Sounds a little self absorbed doesn't it? But it was the truth.

goofing off after our engagement. We went down to Shoshone Falls to take pictures.

at the airport saying good bye to my family and best friend in the world! This is the start of a new life for me....this day starts it all.  I only have two child hood friends and she is one of them. I love her and am so grateful for her support in my decision and in every thing that i've gone through so far.

I moved to Ohio the day after my engagement in Idaho, July 20th 1997. I didn't get to say 'bye' to my school friends nor my best friend. I only got to say good bye to Brandy only because she went to my engagement. I arrived in Ohio and it was a whole new different world for me. I felt kinda lost? Felt a bit like a needle in a haystack, just waiting for someone to find me and get me out. People were in and out coming by to say hi. I was a little, well very overwhelmed. I've never had to experience socializing with this many people. I was a little intimated. My first day was pretty overwhelming. My first night was a little nerve wrecking. So glad that he was a gentleman and understood. You see when we were younger, we weren't allowed to go to parties or anything like that. We were pretty much sheltered our whole lives, our parents were pretty strict. My wedding was my first party ever. So i had no idea what i was doing.
We got married on September 20th, 1997 in Ohio. 

our traditional ceremony. I promise by this time i was falling in love with my husband. So glad that he had already fallen' in love with me the day of our engagement.

It's been 13 years now. It hasn't been easy breezy for us. We've had our moments of tears, heart ache, arguments and laughter. We've accomplished so much as a couple and as individuals. We have two wonderful and beautiful children.
Through out the years I often wonder how life would have been like if i had said "no". Where would i be right now? Who would i be with? Or would i even had found love yet? It wasn't that i wasn't grateful. I am grateful for such a wonderful husband who loves me so much and does so much for me. But with the life i had, you can't stop but wonder some times of the ' what ifs'.
I fell love this stranger, some one i've never known before. How could i have fallen in love with this man i've never met before? I don't know where i could find that answer and i think i'll never find it. But that's okay because i don't need to know....now.

beautiful? I was looking at someone, not sure. And he's checking out his ring. Or maybe just wanting to take it out. He hates wearing jewelry.

 I've lived in the pass for so many of our married life I think it should be fitting that i let it go and live for the future. I don't want to think of the 'what ifs' anymore. Who cares about it. If it happens it happens.
I'm happy right now. I have a wonderful husband who cherish me and two amazing kids who keep me grounded.
You don't know how many times i wanted to end it all. How did i get here? Why did i do this to myself? What was i thinking? Did i just think that every thing would be easy? How naive was i? I was merely a child myself.....

 I've let my heart go and it's been hurt many times. But that is part of life right?
I have to say though, that no matter what it was, i'm glad I stuck to it. I made a commitment and i want to keep this. I don't want to be that person i'm afraid of becoming. 

I'm happy with how life has turned around to be. Through all our trails and heart ache trying to keep our family together, I think it has made us stronger as a couple and as a family. Without these trails we would not be where we are today. I am lucky that you turned out to be a wonderful man who respects and honor me. I tried my luck and it paid off.

in our bedroom. Those flower things behind us. They have to stay up for 3 days. And we can't make them fall. If it falls, that means whose ever falls, that person won't love or doesn't love the other. Something like that. And if you must know, mine fell the second day. I didn't mean to, kinda hard to sleep with this big thing on top of your head. His didn't even move a bit. What gives?

 So thank you mom for telling me your story, it has helped me to become a better person, a more understanding and devoted woman. It has made me realize that you don't have to fall in love in the beginning (although that would help) It's not about that at all. It's about falling in love with the man you've began to know. It's about taking your time and understanding and adoring this person you've grown to love. And that is a love that i will cherish.
Thank you to my husband that you saw my picture and wanted me. I know we've had our trails...we've gone through every obstacle out there. And although we've lost sight of things a few times, I'm glad we were able to come out of it. I'm grateful for this life you've given me. You made a promise to me when we first met that you would always take care of me and try your best to be do what you can. And you done that, way more than you know. I made a promise to you that i would try my best to be a good wife and do every thing i can to make you happy. And although I'm still working on the good wife thing, i think you would love me either way.

our first dance!

Mr. and Mrs. Lien Lovanh!

Got him!

He looks a little too happy.

Going in for it. I don't have the picture for it, but he went in head first and got the garter with his teeth. He is pretty silly!

 I'm so glad i gave it a chance. Maybe you were in the one in my dream. The one right behind me but i couldn't see you. But now i see you, clear as light. And i see that this is the life we should live, this is the love we should cherish. The is the life that we've made!....together.
So lets make a promise....that we will live this life.........together! Til death do us part!

Oh and thank you for such amazingly good looking kids too! And of course my puppy. And yes i know, you are working on the big house with our white picket fence! And don't worry, you can take your time. I'm enjoying this journey with you and our kids. No rush!

So glad i married you. You've made a happy wife. You are a wonderful man...I love you and i'm so glad that i get to cuddle with you every night! Happy 13th anniversary my love!

 

 I love you my handsome stranger! : ) 

Our life in memories. (i'll try to keep it short...if that's even possible) 

He surprised us to a trip to Vegas! But i was only 20 years old. I couldn't do anything. But he made up for it by taking me to Idaho to see my sister and best friend. He always amazes me! 

He's so sneaky! Mommy and Nilun sleeping! He was only about 1 month old! Born 5/16/98. Come to think of it, i'm not sure if this is Nilun or Naree. They kinda looked the same when they were small. I'm almost positive it's Nilun though.

Naree at the hospital. We had to stay for an extra 2 days because of her blood condition. But she is doing good. Born 1/2/01

Naree 1/2/01

2003

 

 

We're not a perfect family but we are a very happy family!