In Her Words...

I have no idea what stars aligned and led Jonathan to send me a request on Facebook all those years ago, but I bet he never expected what all came with the request, because I didn’t either!

When I first accepted his request it was very clear to see that he was stunningly handsome, but it was easy to see he was a father to a beautiful little girl as well. The idea of dating someone with a child was a new experience for me and lead me to be very reluctant to pursue him as a single 25 year old at the time lol, but just seeing the type of father he is, I knew he was a good man. I remember he posted a video of Leilani selling chocolate bars for school and she was just the cutest thing, and that’s when something switched in me. Being a daddy’s girl myself (shout out to Spanky), I was so drawn to Jonathan. Being a single dad and raising a daughter full time was (and still is) something really beautiful to be a witness to, and Jonathan does it with love and understanding.

Jonathan and I would talk for hours almost every night on FaceTime for months and my feelings for him continuously grew each time. When we finally got it together and decided to meet in person officially, I was a nervous wreck. I don’t really believe in “love at first sight” but the butterflies Jonathan gave me the moment I actually laid eyes on him, are the same butterflies he continues to give me now as my soon to be husband.

On our first date we went to Six Flags for Freightfest, and we stood in line for 2 hours talking, laughing, and flirting like teenagers. We ended up riding only one ride and Jonathan screamed like a girl the whole time lol. And well if you know you know, but the rest of the evening became our future.

We definitely have taken a non-traditional route in the story of our relationship but there is nothing I would change. The love we share is irreplaceable and the life that has become mine is the biggest blessing in this world. Our lives changed so quickly with a pregnancy, a pandemic, a move to a new city for me, becoming a mother figure before becoming a mother, new jobs, homeschooling, and me, Jonathan, and Leilani all trying to navigate ourselves around a new lifestyle!

Leilani has taught me so many things I needed to know before having a baby of my own and she doesn’t even know it yet. As a 9 year old girl she welcomed me into her life with mostly open arms lol. To know Leilani is to love her because I’ve never met anyone in my life with a soul and spirit as strong as hers. She has shown me so much love and so much patience as we both learned how to be what each other needed. Her resilience is inspiring and I can not wait to spend the rest of my life with her as well. Over the past few years we have made so many memories and shared every moment of life together basically, she may not biologically be mine, but that baby will never be known as anything other than my daughter to anyone that knows me. She is deserving of every ounce of love someone has to give and I will always give her my all.

And then comes the baby, Laya. She is the little missing puzzle piece the 3 of us needed to make our family! We all continue to learn new things from her and her sass daily. She is me, Jonathan, and Leilani combined!! So intelligent like her daddy, so head strong like her mommy, and crazy silly like her big sissy. From her delivery to now she continues to keep us on our toes.

These 2 girls are just at the top of the list of all of the beautiful things Jonathan has brought into my life. He also has given me a feeling of intimacy I never knew existed, he makes me feel safe and I have never felt more at home than I do when I am with him. He is a fierce protector of us and does everything he can possible to provide the best life for us. He has given me a new family that has welcomed me as I am and shown me so much love. I could go on and on about this man but I’ll save it for the vows.

I look forward to continuing our love story every single day and I can’t wait to share our special day with you all.

-Future Mrs. Turner.

In His Words...

The Build-Up:

It started with a Facebook friend request to a mutual friend. Little did I know this ‘mutual friend’ would become my best friend and eventually my wife.

From the moment I requested her, I noticed her humor. Her stories, posts, jokes, and comments were all hilarious. After my finest detective work, I found her Instagram. Of course, I added her.

At this point, I was still a spectator—liking and reacting to her stories, and making casual comments to gauge if she would ever reply. To my surprise— not really! A ‘Thanks’ every now and then would be her reply.

The DM:

Early February 2019: After a couple of months of light flirting on my part, she posted a picture. In my mind, I’m thinking, “You’ve got this, send the message.” I sent her a DM. She responded about 30 minutes to an hour later!

I saw it immediately, but I couldn’t look TOO desperate. I waited 20 or so minutes and messaged back. A short convo ensued. My mind told me, “You’re in!” I was (too) comfortable, so I made an offhand joke. She stopped replying. Damn, I lost her.

2nd Chance - Fast forward —> Early April 2019:

Another post. I’d been laying low, mainly from embarrassment and feeling stupid. Still, I sent her another DM. I led with an apology—I got ahead of myself. I wanted to show her who I ACTUALLY was.

We talked, joked, and reacted to posts often. Weeks passed, message after message, emoji after emoji, we became more familiar. She was liking my pictures at this point. We finally exchanged numbers.

Falling in Love - Early Fall 2019:

We began to talk almost daily, then daily, then all day and through the night. I’d finally found someone who would listen, even when I rambled about random things she knew nothing about! Weeks turned into months of talking over FaceTime. But still, we hadn’t met! I was in a confusing time in my life and wanted to protect what was good.

October 2019:

We finally decided to meet. We chose a date and time for our official first date—Six Flags! We rode exactly one ride, lol. I screamed like a lunatic. I was way more comfortable than I should have been—a good sign!

The best part was just riding around—that’s when she was most comfortable. Listening to her sing beautifully/horribly to music we both loved — that’s when I fell in love. The depth of comfort we had around each other was (and still is) irreplaceable. The fun we have together is like we’re children. It’s the most free I’d possibly ever felt.

Seeing her interact with Leilani was the second time I fell in love. Simply being present and allowing Leilani to be herself while also guiding her—sternly at times—was exactly what Lani needed, what we needed… and most importantly, exactly what I needed as a single dad just trying to figure it all out.

I think I made a good impression because there weren’t many weeks after that weekend that we weren’t together. That’s still the case now, and it will be for the rest of my life!