Andrew and Sarah Plett

Our Story

Updated February 7, 2008
by Sarah

Little did I know that joining an online forum would have such a drastic effect on my life. Perhaps I expected to make new friends, perhaps even a few close ones, but online friendships are always just that - online friendships. Right?

Little did I realize how the Lord often works in ways we least expect to bring about things we least expect when we least expect them.

~ ~ ~

On September 1, 2005, I heard about a new Christian forum for homeschool graduates called HomeschoolAlumni and joined. (Just to illustrate how new HSA was then, I was the 45th person to join and they now have over 3,000 members.)

On October 9, 2005, a young man in Oregon found out about HSA after reading a blogpost on YLCF and decided to join. His name was Andrew Plett. Little did I know I would fall in love and marry that same young man exactly two years later.

We didn't talk to each other at first, but we read each other's posts on the forum and liked what we read. My respect for Andrew only grew the longer I knew him.

Months passed. Still, we were barely what I would call friends; more like casual acquaintances, exchanging occasional friendly banter in a group atmosphere. Then something happened one evening in February that set in motion a whole new phase in our relationship.

Instant Messenging (IM).

While hanging around the "chat room" in HSA (LPW is not exactly your typical, stereotype chat room), I made the by-the-by statement that I wished someone would sign onto IM, me being in a talkative mood and IM being dead as tombs at that particular moment. I was taken by surprise (albeit pleasant surprise) when, of all people, Andrew offered to chat. We exchanged e-mail addresses and were promptly added to each other's IM friends lists. The chat that followed was pleasant, casual and somewhat brief… very brief compared to later conversations. I went away feeling that I had discovered a new friend. It was a good feeling.

More time passed. Winter melted into spring, spring blossomed into summer. IM conversations with Andrew had become more frequent and lengthier. He was fast becoming one of my closest friends. We had many common interests and goals, shared many similar ideas about life and just plain got along well. I liked him. I liked him a lot. I admired and respected him greatly, but our relationship was already clarified as "friends only" (or "brother/sister") so I fought to keep that always in mind and dispel thoughts of anything else.

Little did I know he was struggling with his feelings too.

In July, we both attended the HSA National Reunion at a camp in Mt. Vernon, Missouri. There's so much I could say about those four days, but the highlight of the trip was Andrew. The event was group oriented, so there was little time for private conversations, but it was easy to see Andrew was exactly the kind of person I had imagined him to be. (I discovered that his eyes twinkle when he smiles; a fact that is impossible to learn merely online.)

Parting was hard. Our small group of friends had grown close during the few short days and we were sad to go our separate ways. When we hugged goodbye, Andrew promised we would see each other again. I didn't know when or how, but I believed him.

I'm jumping over a few details when I skip down through the calendar to August 25 when Andrew wrote my parents, asking permission to court me. My parents gave their permission and blessing on our courtship. It was a happy time!

The weeks that followed were not always so carefree. There were lots of tears, prayers, sighs and searching of the Scriptures and we sorted through different conflicting issues and sought to resolve them. God proved amazingly faithful and worked things out to our good and His glory. Although it was a painful time, the struggles brought us closer to our Father and closer to each other like nothing else could have done. We clung to the hope that it was God who had brought us together, so it was God who would bring us through. And He did.

In mentioning the hard times, I would be remiss if I did not also mention the good times, for they far outweighed the hard. The seasons of joy were keen... the laughter, the smiles, the teasing, the phone calls, the text messages, the long chats, the sweet words, the tears of happiness... I guess it's just natural when you fall in love with your best friend.

May 12, 2007 started like a normal Saturday as far as I was concerned. Soon after I got up, my mom informed me that my brother and sister-in-law were coming for lunch (which was why she was fixing a larger-than-usual meal) and Dad was working. It was odd that Dad was working on a Saturday, but the most unusual thing was the fact that Andrew wasn’t online yet.

I was going about my morning activities and was in our basement putting away some things when I heard Dad arrive home. Shortly thereafter the phone rang and Dad called down that it was for me. I picked up the extension and was happy to hear Andrew’s voice on the line. I wandered upstairs to my room to talk to him, but Dad said he needed to use my computer and that I should go outside on the porch to talk. I obliged.

Andrew wasn’t very talkative for some reason. I wondered if something was wrong or thought perhaps he was very tired. All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a movement at the garage… Andrew. There he stood, so tall and handsome, holding his cell phone, looking at me. My heart stopped. I dropped the phone. I ran to him. I was so shocked and so happy. He was here! I was laughing and hugging him tightly, wondering if I was just dreaming all this.

A few minutes later he asked me to go for a walk and when we reached a lovely overlook on our farm, he knelt down and asked me to be his wife. Through my tears, I said yes and he pulled a lovely diamond ring out of his pocked and slipped it on my finger.

The summer of 2007 was spent in preparation for a wedding and I also spent three weeks in Oregon, visiting Andrew and his family. Planning the wedding was not something I particularly enjoyed, mainly because it became very stressful with different family members wanting different things done different ways. We wanted a very simple outdoor wedding, but it ballooned into a bit more trouble than we intended.

We were married on September 1, 2007 in my parents’ front yard under a large oak tree. It was a perfect day. White chairs were arranged in the shaded lawn for the guests and our six attendants stood up with us under the oak and cherry trees. My brother, Andrew’s sister, and Andrew’s brother provided piano and classical guitar music for the ceremony. The music floated down from speakers mounted in the trees. The thing I remember most is looking up into Andrew’s warm brown eyes and vowing to love, cherish and obey him as long as we both shall live. The words were so serious and meaningful, I cried.

After a weeklong honeymoon in an adorable cabin in the mountains, Andrew and I packed a moving truck with my things and headed west. The trip to Oregon took five days, but we had great time sightseeing and being together. It was like an extension of our honeymoon.

Now we’re happily settled in a cozy apartment in Salem, Oregon and have been married for five months. It’s hard to believe it has already been five months; it must be true that time flies when you’re having fun. Life is truly a delight when you’re married to God’s choice for you. We’ve never been happier.

The Engagement

May 12, 2007

Andrew P: I had told Sarah on my drive home the evening before that I was really tired, and so I might sleep in a little. On the last part of my drive, I had to stop and pick up this one shiny little circular object with a gem on it that was finally ready for me. Since this was the Friday before Mother's Day, I told her I was going to try to find something for mom downtown, When I called back a few minutes later (picking up a ring doesn't take long), I just told her I was too tired to deal with a bunch of people, and just decided to do my Mother's day shopping on Saturday. Once I got home, I packed and Mom and Dad drove me to the airport, where I got on the long flight to Kentucky...

Sarah G: It was just a normal Saturday as far as I was concerned. Soon after I got up, Mom informed me that Ryan and Jodi were coming for lunch (which was why she was fixing a larger-than-usual meal) and Dad was working. It was odd that Dad was working on a Saturday, but the most unusual thing was the fact that Andrew wasn’t online yet.

AP: Of course I wasn't online! I was sleeping in! (Or not...I can't sleep on a plane.)

SG: During the course of the morning, I checked “Who is online” on HSA probably 50 times, expecting each time I checked to see the name Andrew P at the top of the list. Strangely enough, he wasn’t there. He had said he was tired the night before, so maybe he was really sleeping in. (Not normal for Andrew!)

AP: I arrived in Kentucky, where Sarah's dad picked me up, and we had a good long talk on the drive to their place. As we got nearer, I got more nervous, absolutely unable to sit still. Sarah's dad kept asking whether I wanted to stop and see a garage sale, or help Ryan with dry-walling before we got to Sarah's. I politely declined. We pulled into their garage, and her dad went inside, and I called.

SG: I was going about my morning activities and was in our basement putting away some things when I heard Dad arrive home. Shortly thereafter the phone rang and Dad called down that it was for me. I picked up the extension and was happy to hear Andrew’s voice on the line. I wandered upstairs to my room to talk to him, but Dad said he needed to use my computer and that I should go outside on the porch to talk. He wasn’t very talkative for some reason. I wondered if something was wrong or thought perhaps he was very tired. I went outside and sat down on our front porch swing.

AP: I wasn't very talkative, being rather nervous...but I asked about how the weather was there, and what she had been doing that day, as I usually do. When she came out onto the porch into my view, my heart stopped. (As did my voice.)

SG: All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a movement at the garage…

AP: I started talking a little again, and started walking towards her...and then she saw me.

SG: Andrew. There he stood, so tall and handsome, holding his cell phone, looking at me. My heart stopped. I dropped the phone. I ran to him.

AP: She put down the phone instantly, ran towards me, and we hugged for a good long time.

SG: I was so shocked and so happy. He was here! I was laughing and hugging him tightly, wondering if I was just dreaming all this.

AP: And then I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk... And we came back to the house a few hours later with a ring on Sarah's finger.

SG: As you can see, I said yes. :)



Home Engagement Wedding Photos Guestbook	Our Story Updated February 7, 2008 by Sarah Little did I know that joining an online forum would have such a drastic effect on my life. Perhaps I expected to make new friends, perhaps even a few close ones, but online friendships are always just that - online friendships. Right? Little did I realize how the Lord often works in ways we least expect to bring about things we least expect when we least expect them. ~ ~ ~ On September 1, 2005, I heard about a new Christian forum for homeschool graduates called HomeschoolAlumni and joined. (Just to illustrate how new HSA was then, I was the 45th person to join and they now have over 3,000 members.) On October 9, 2005, a young man in Oregon found out about HSA after reading a blogpost on YLCF and decided to join. His name was Andrew Plett. Little did I know I would fall in love and marry that same young man exactly two years later. We didn't talk to each other at first, but we read each other's posts on the forum and liked what we read. My respect for Andrew only grew the longer I knew him. Months passed. Still, we were barely what I would call friends; more like casual acquaintances, exchanging occasional friendly banter in a group atmosphere. Then something happened one evening in February that set in motion a whole new phase in our relationship. Instant Messenging (IM). While hanging around the "chat room" in HSA (LPW is not exactly your typical, stereotype chat room), I made the by-the-by statement that I wished someone would sign onto IM, me being in a talkative mood and IM being dead as tombs at that particular moment. I was taken by surprise (albeit pleasant surprise) when, of all people, Andrew offered to chat. We exchanged e-mail addresses and were promptly added to each other's IM friends lists. The chat that followed was pleasant, casual and somewhat brief… very brief compared to later conversations. I went away feeling that I had discovered a new friend. It was a good feeling. More time passed. Winter melted into spring, spring blossomed into summer. IM conversations with Andrew had become more frequent and lengthier. He was fast becoming one of my closest friends. We had many common interests and goals, shared many similar ideas about life and just plain got along well. I liked him. I liked him a lot. I admired and respected him greatly, but our relationship was already clarified as "friends only" (or "brother/sister") so I fought to keep that always in mind and dispel thoughts of anything else. Little did I know he was struggling with his feelings too. In July, we both attended the HSA National Reunion at a camp in Mt. Vernon, Missouri. There's so much I could say about those four days, but the highlight of the trip was Andrew. The event was group oriented, so there was little time for private conversations, but it was easy to see Andrew was exactly the kind of person I had imagined him to be. (I discovered that his eyes twinkle when he smiles; a fact that is impossible to learn merely online.) Parting was hard. Our small group of friends had grown close during the few short days and we were sad to go our separate ways. When we hugged goodbye, Andrew promised we would see each other again. I didn't know when or how, but I believed him. I'm jumping over a few details when I skip down through the calendar to August 25 when Andrew wrote my parents, asking permission to court me. My parents gave their permission and blessing on our courtship. It was a happy time! The weeks that followed were not always so carefree. There were lots of tears, prayers, sighs and searching of the Scriptures and we sorted through different conflicting issues and sought to resolve them. God proved amazingly faithful and worked things out to our good and His glory. Although it was a painful time, the struggles brought us closer to our Father and closer to each other like nothing else could have done. We clung to the hope that it was God who had brought us together, so it was God who would bring us through. And He did. In mentioning the hard times, I would be remiss if I did not also mention the good times, for they far outweighed the hard. The seasons of joy were keen... the laughter, the smiles, the teasing, the phone calls, the text messages, the long chats, the sweet words, the tears of happiness... I guess it's just natural when you fall in love with your best friend. May 12, 2007 started like a normal Saturday as far as I was concerned. Soon after I got up, my mom informed me that my brother and sister-in-law were coming for lunch (which was why she was fixing a larger-than-usual meal) and Dad was working. It was odd that Dad was working on a Saturday, but the most unusual thing was the fact that Andrew wasn’t online yet. I was going about my morning activities and was in our basement putting away some things when I heard Dad arrive home. Shortly thereafter the phone rang and Dad called down that it was for me. I picked up the extension and was happy to hear Andrew’s voice on the line. I wandered upstairs to my room to talk to him, but Dad said he needed to use my computer and that I should go outside on the porch to talk. I obliged. Andrew wasn’t very talkative for some reason. I wondered if something was wrong or thought perhaps he was very tired. All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a movement at the garage… Andrew. There he stood, so tall and handsome, holding his cell phone, looking at me. My heart stopped. I dropped the phone. I ran to him. I was so shocked and so happy. He was here! I was laughing and hugging him tightly, wondering if I was just dreaming all this. A few minutes later he asked me to go for a walk and when we reached a lovely overlook on our farm, he knelt down and asked me to be his wife. Through my tears, I said yes and he pulled a lovely diamond ring out of his pocked and slipped it on my finger. The summer of 2007 was spent in preparation for a wedding and I also spent three weeks in Oregon, visiting Andrew and his family. Planning the wedding was not something I particularly enjoyed, mainly because it became very stressful with different family members wanting different things done different ways. We wanted a very simple outdoor wedding, but it ballooned into a bit more trouble than we intended. We were married on September 1, 2007 in my parents’ front yard under a large oak tree. It was a perfect day. White chairs were arranged in the shaded lawn for the guests and our six attendants stood up with us under the oak and cherry trees. My brother, Andrew’s sister, and Andrew’s brother provided piano and classical guitar music for the ceremony. The music floated down from speakers mounted in the trees. The thing I remember most is looking up into Andrew’s warm brown eyes and vowing to love, cherish and obey him as long as we both shall live. The words were so serious and meaningful, I cried. After a weeklong honeymoon in an adorable cabin in the mountains, Andrew and I packed a moving truck with my things and headed west. The trip to Oregon took five days, but we had great time sightseeing and being together. It was like an extension of our honeymoon. Now we’re happily settled in a cozy apartment in Salem, Oregon and have been married for five months. It’s hard to believe it has already been five months; it must be true that time flies when you’re having fun. Life is truly a delight when you’re married to God’s choice for you. We’ve never been happier. The Engagement May 12, 2007 Andrew P: I had told Sarah on my drive home the evening before that I was really tired, and so I might sleep in a little. On the last part of my drive, I had to stop and pick up this one shiny little circular object with a gem on it that was finally ready for me. Since this was the Friday before Mother's Day, I told her I was going to try to find something for mom downtown, When I called back a few minutes later (picking up a ring doesn't take long), I just told her I was too tired to deal with a bunch of people, and just decided to do my Mother's day shopping on Saturday. Once I got home, I packed and Mom and Dad drove me to the airport, where I got on the long flight to Kentucky... Sarah G: It was just a normal Saturday as far as I was concerned. Soon after I got up, Mom informed me that Ryan and Jodi were coming for lunch (which was why she was fixing a larger-than-usual meal) and Dad was working. It was odd that Dad was working on a Saturday, but the most unusual thing was the fact that Andrew wasn’t online yet. AP: Of course I wasn't online! I was sleeping in! (Or not...I can't sleep on a plane.) SG: During the course of the morning, I checked “Who is online” on HSA probably 50 times, expecting each time I checked to see the name Andrew P at the top of the list. Strangely enough, he wasn’t there. He had said he was tired the night before, so maybe he was really sleeping in. (Not normal for Andrew!) AP: I arrived in Kentucky, where Sarah's dad picked me up, and we had a good long talk on the drive to their place. As we got nearer, I got more nervous, absolutely unable to sit still. Sarah's dad kept asking whether I wanted to stop and see a garage sale, or help Ryan with dry-walling before we got to Sarah's. I politely declined. We pulled into their garage, and her dad went inside, and I called. SG: I was going about my morning activities and was in our basement putting away some things when I heard Dad arrive home. Shortly thereafter the phone rang and Dad called down that it was for me. I picked up the extension and was happy to hear Andrew’s voice on the line. I wandered upstairs to my room to talk to him, but Dad said he needed to use my computer and that I should go outside on the porch to talk. He wasn’t very talkative for some reason. I wondered if something was wrong or thought perhaps he was very tired. I went outside and sat down on our front porch swing. AP: I wasn't very talkative, being rather nervous...but I asked about how the weather was there, and what she had been doing that day, as I usually do. When she came out onto the porch into my view, my heart stopped. (As did my voice.) SG: All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a movement at the garage… AP: I started talking a little again, and started walking towards her...and then she saw me. SG: Andrew. There he stood, so tall and handsome, holding his cell phone, looking at me. My heart stopped. I dropped the phone. I ran to him. AP: She put down the phone instantly, ran towards me, and we hugged for a good long time. SG: I was so shocked and so happy. He was here! I was laughing and hugging him tightly, wondering if I was just dreaming all this. AP: And then I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk... And we came back to the house a few hours later with a ring on Sarah's finger. SG: As you can see, I said yes. :)