Latest / Just Us Sisters / Episode 5: How We Met Our Spouses - Part I

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Episode 5: How We Met Our Spouses - Part I · Just Us Sisters

• speaker-0: Welcome to the Just Us Sisters podcast. Life doesn't come with a manual, so we made a podcast. speaker-2: Thanks. speaker-1: Thank Welcome to Just West Sisters, How We Met Our Spouses. We have a few guests today, our husbands. We thought it would be fun to hear their side of the story as well on how I met my spouse and get to introduce them. So Susan, will you introduce your spouse? Yes. Mom, Alan. speaker-0: This is my husband Tom. We've been married 46 years. He's also known as Honey and Sugar speaker-1: or bug. And Cheryl? speaker-3: This is my husband of 26 years, John Visnik, and we call him Johnny. speaker-1: Donnie. Shelly. speaker-4: This is not the Andy of 28 years. speaker-1: I'm gonna call him Andy. And this is my husband of almost 36 years, Casey. So thank y'all all for joining us. I know this is gonna be a fun one. So let's get started. Susan, how did you first meet Tom and what was your first impression? I went to hear my... speaker-0: May give her testimony. She was the female Christian athlete of the year with the fellowship of Christian athletes. And it just so happened that that same day that she was giving her testimony, Tom was preaching at what was the name of the church? Oakland. speaker-5: kinda like sounded like a... FENO CEMETERY speaker-0: Yeah, our funeral home. But we ⁓ that's where I met him. I was sitting out in the audience and didn't hear a word he said. I was in the emergency. speaker-1: and amber. So that was your first impression. speaker-0: Yes, I was. was like, I wonder if Southwestern Seminary has a girls basketball team that I can go play on. speaker-1: You can transfer to. speaker-5: for long-going locks. speaker-0: Long, long, locks. was. speaker-1: What about you, Cheryl? speaker-3: I met Johnny on AOL.com and my first impression was this has got to be the smartest guy that I know, which you can just take that however you want. And he was also very adventurous. That's what I loved about him. speaker-1: Just like you. What about you, Shelly? speaker-4: So, on AOL, I had just moved back to the area and I was looking to meet people and did a search for Christian men in Austin and three came up. One was named Christian and he happened to be gay. And then there was Andy and one other man. And so. ⁓ We talked on the phone for six weeks before we met face to face. And so we pretty much knew almost everything about each other by the time we actually met face to face. speaker-1: And Casey and I, met on a blind date, some friends of ours, and I worked with one, I worked with Leslie. He grew up with Jeff and they thought that we would hit it off great and set us up on a date. So that's how we met. And I, my first impression was he was unlike any guy I'd ever met before. ⁓ speaker-0: Good. speaker-6: Very different. speaker-1: All good. All good. So now that we know how each of us met our spouses, did you like them right away or did it take some time? I mean, Susan, you already kind of answered that, but it was immediate. speaker-0: first sight for me. speaker-3: When I was looking for my man, I was looking for some male companionship. I kind of missed that. So at first I just enjoyed going to movies. He was a big biker. So I started riding bikes. He did rollerblading. So I started rollerblading. And the more that we hung out, the more I was like, I think I'm really liking this guy. But I knew he really wasn't into me like that. So I had to just kind of wait for the Lord to bring that around. speaker-1: Win them over. What about you Shelly? speaker-4: Like I said, we talked for so long and covered so many topics that by the time we finally met, I feel like we were already down the speaker-0: have. speaker-1: Okay, did you tell anyone about them? No return. There you go. Did you tell anybody about them right away or or even one of us sisters? speaker-0: Turn. ⁓ speaker-4: Well, there's a funny story that goes with that because Andy and I actually, when we finally met for the first time, I didn't tell anyone I was meeting him and we ended up going out on a date and then seeing each other for every day for the week that followed. And I decided to let Cheryl know, and we decided to pull a prank on her. And so when we met, we were meeting at a store in a local mall. And I told Andy, as soon as you see me walk up and just start giving me the biggest kiss. And Cheryl was under the impression this was the first time we were meeting and she was trying to be inconspicuous looking in this rearview mirror that was in the store. And so in walks Andy and he walks right up to me and starts kissing me. And Cheryl was like, Hey, what? speaker-3: I'm glad I didn't have a weapon. speaker-7: Ha Heh. speaker-1: What about you? Did you tell anybody about Tom? And kind of knew. I mean. speaker-8: and that's good. speaker-0: I told everyone and I mean, Cheryl lived in Waco. I was going to school there. She knew about him. My parents knew about him. My grandparents met him before anyone. So, speaker-1: Hey, and I lived with Shelly Shelly and I were college roommates so she knew immediately that I had met Casey. ⁓ speaker-4: In full disclosure, I had gone off to the weekend at Glorietta and my little sister went on a blind date while I was gone. And by the time I came back, she was head over heels for this guy. There was no stopping that train. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: You fell hard, Stacy. speaker-1: I did. I did. very hard. So let's get the husband's version of the beginning. Tom, what was your first impression of Susan? speaker-5: thought she was really cute. thought she, there was lunch after the service and I sat there and I talked to her and her roommate the whole time. Unbeknownst to her, I've been dating the girl that was sitting beside me, but I just talked to them and I didn't drop in that information. But anyway, I thought she was awesome. Yeah, I she was great. I thought she was really, really cute and really athletic and everything. I'm like, But I also thought her roommate was really cute. So when I called up, I just called to see if either one of them remembered me and her roommate answered and she didn't have a clue who I was. Susan remembered who I was. So I just got the luck of the draw. Yeah. So. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: Definitely. Definitely. speaker-1: What about you, Johnny? Cheryl said that it took you some time. speaker-7: Yes. Well, I was going through a trying time in my life and someone gave me the AOL disc and up comes Cheryl. So we talked on AOL for months before we went out on a date. And I was, all I wanted to do was go camping. I wanted to go ride my bicycle. I wanted to just go whatever it was. It was outside athletic type thing. And she liked all the same things I did. And that just blew me away and I was- speaker-1: You were hooked. Was it that you've got Mel? Ma'am. Situation. speaker-8: You've got speaker-7: Yeah, you got mail. speaker-1: Yeah, I remember that. Andy, what about you? speaker-8: Well, Shelley reached out to me after she saw my profile. It's my profile. did have some Christian content to it and whatnot. And I think that's part of why I mentioned that I was a Christian. so I think that's part of why I showed up in her search results. And so she contacted me and I'm in her profile. She just said like late 60s something when it said like born or year or something like that. It was a vague, because it like late 60s something. So I just kind of glanced over it and assumed this was a lady in her late 60s. Oh. I just think she was in her late 60s something. I was like, oh, she's doing the whole online, you know, this is like 1997. And so it's like she's doing the whole dial up internet thing. This is cool. So no big deal. really think much about it. And then we started talking. And she was kind of on the texting and stuff. And so she was talking about her. was coming back from Houston to take care of her grandmother. And, you know, she was in Leander. I was down in South Austin at the time. And I eventually, kind of hit it off enough as from my perspective still as just kind of a neat little acquaintance that I kind of, thought, well, this is really interesting. I want to look and see. where she is, finally got somehow a phone number, but somehow I was able to go and look and see through a search, okay, who's associated with that? And it was like some, just so happened that the previous holder of that phone number was Hispanic. So she's got a large family. She's coming back to take care of her elderly grandparents. She's in her late 60s. I was like, there's like a late 60s Hispanic lady. It's like, oh, this is kind of interesting. And then I actually talked to her on the phone. And it was like, she has no accent. Oh, this is interesting. And she didn't even have a Texas accent, at least to me. And so we talked and then we mentioned that and we just kind of had a big laugh. speaker-4: he asked me, you've probably seen a lot in your lifetime. What the speaker-1: sorry. speaker-8: It would be like two of rats and everything. And I was making some assumptions that I shouldn't ask them. That hasn't stopped, but still, we've made it through it. So that was kind of how we met and started talking. speaker-4: Casey Webb, what's your first impression? speaker-6: I was, she walked in and I, you know, I was, I was, I was all in from second or minute one, however you want to look at it. They didn't tell me, you know, that she was a little fireball. So they just said, Oh, you'll like her. She's cute. And I said, okay. I, know, I had anything better to do. I was 25. I was a different person back then, but she, we met and went and ate enchiladas and danced all over the place. And Oh man, it was, I was. I ready. was done knew I would I knew I could go with the relationship for a long time if you know if she wanted to so I was in as soon as I saw her. I was like, yeah, here we go. speaker-1: Yeah, we talked like five in the morning. speaker-6: We sat up, she sat on the back of my car till about 5.30 and then at 7.19 she called me and asked me if I want to go to church and I said, well, yeah, I want to go to church and there is pretty much history after that. speaker-1: Okay, let's go to the dating phase. What's a funny or awkward memory from the early days of dating? ⁓ God. speaker-0: I asked Tom on our first two days. So he kind of was slow in that area. So on my first day, I asked him to breakfast. And on my second day, while he was on the first day, I asked him to go to Oklahoma to see Baylor play Arkansas. And we were going to stay, a group of us were going up there to stay with my grandparents on their ranch. so... I asked him to go with me on this, on this day. And while we were there, we went horseback riding. All of us went horseback riding. We didn't have quite enough horses for everyone. So Tom and I rode the same horse and we were, you know, riding away and my roommate was in front of us and she wasn't much of a horseback rider. And all of a sudden she's on the horse and her saddle starts doing this and she just tightens her legs and stays with the saddle. as it's going down off the horse. I have a very weak bladder when I get to laughing. Very weak bladder. And I started laughing so hard that I peed in my pants. And I mean, so bad that pee was running down the horse. Well, I slid off the back of my horse and kind of walked backwards so Tom couldn't see me, the back of me, because it was soaked. And I told, First I checked on my roommate, said, are you okay? And she's, and I are laughing so hard. And then I go, okay, now that I know you're okay, y'all gotta help me. I just wet my pants. And they were like, well, of course we found out later. Tom knew that. I mean, we saw the stuff dripping off the horse, but that has stuck with me for a very long time. speaker-1: So. I imagine it has. And Tom still dated you! speaker-0: That was amazing. speaker-5: Yeah, that's... that's remarkable. speaker-0: That is remarkable. speaker-1: It really is. Cheryl, what about you? speaker-3: So I was so proud of Johnny and I wanted to show him off. So I asked him if he wanted to have some of me and my friends over and he said, yeah, bring them over. I'll cook dinner and then we'll play some games. So after dinner, we were playing, I think, Pictionary. so was Johnny's turn and I was thinking, okay, he's going to do a good job up there drawing. and he drew something that didn't look like whatever it was supposed to be. Anyway, we all got to laughing and he started laughing and then he let out a fart in front of everybody and he got so embarrassed. speaker-7: ⁓ I never forget that. speaker-3: ⁓ I thought he's my guy. That's my guy. speaker-1: That is definitely your guy. speaker-7: that she actually talked to me after that so I knew I was in good shape. speaker-1: Well, because you're her guy. speaker-0: If you only knew Johnny before speaker-3: My God. speaker-7: Yeah, I've learned a lot since then, but it's all been good. speaker-1: Hey, if that would have happened for Shelly, she never would have talked to you again. Ever. speaker-4: Well, speaker-3: Andy's still squeezing his butt cheeks so he doesn't bark in front of her. speaker-7: I speaker-1: Okay, Shelly, what about you? speaker-4: I guess it would have to be because Andy lived in South Austin. When he would come on the weekends to our parents' house, he would stay in the guest bedroom. And just so he wouldn't have to go actually had a rep going home one night and we decided it would be better if he just stayed. And so he was kind of almost raised an only child because his brother's so much older and he got up leisurely and went into the kitchen. And he said, what's for breakfast? And my mom and dad looked at him and said, ⁓ everyone's already eating. You snooze, you lose. And he is not familiar speaker-8: Never snooze nor loss. Again. speaker-1: Mark I imagine so because that is it. You snooze you lose. speaker-4: For sure in our family. speaker-1: Mine was our second date besides going to church on Sunday morning. That Sunday night we went fishing with that same couple, Jeff and Leslie. They had land and had a pond on it. And we were using chicken livers, I think. And I loved to fish. And so this was, I was so excited about this and it was getting dark and I wanted to sit down and I was wearing shorts because it was August and Casey told me, be careful, because the ants are probably out because of the chicken liver. And I told him, don't come out at night. And I got so eaten up by ants, I had to go to the hospital and on antibiotic or something from the doctor that I worked for to help me. ⁓ speaker-4: And it's in your pay. speaker-3: It's speaker-6: She had a big old catfish and then all of sudden she said, I knew what was going on and I, you know, I didn't want to be obnoxious first day or second date and say, Hey, get up. I try to say, Hey, don't be, you know, don't be down there. There's ants and we got blood on us and little, little, she's like, I tell you what, like ants don't come out at night. And it wasn't, but about 35 seconds later, she was, it was a, they had to put her on antibiotics. got bitten. So terrible. I guess I should have been more assertive, but I was, I like I didn't want to run her off telling her still end up. speaker-1: It was just the beginning of things that I think I know that I don't. speaker-3: I think it's a Ralph speech. speaker-1: Sure, ⁓ probably. So we were brought up like that. When when y'all introduce them to the families to our family, was there anything that you are nervous about or to the guys? Were you nervous about getting introduced to the family? speaker-0: mentioned in a previous episode that Cheryl almost caused me not to marry Tom and the reason is when we met him I don't know what we were had some people over at the at the apartment and Cheryl got up and started talking with her butt her butt cheeks speaker-1: We have. I ask him a question? speaker-0: You're a big fan of And I was like... speaker-8: Before Ace teams Ace, Ventura before Ace. speaker-5: with her butt and then she wanted to swap slugs. speaker-0: ⁓ yeah, she was always punchin' punchin' him. ⁓ speaker-5: Hit girls, so I just got beat up and then she wanted me to smell her farts and then. I thought I need to run like hell get away from these people as soon as possible. But then I, met I met Shelley and Stacy and I realized. There were regular so. speaker-3: Those two normal ones. speaker-0: It's just normal. speaker-8: Yeah. speaker-5: Later on, I found out that Cheryl was just not that weekend. speaker-3: Johnny tell the story of when he met my grandma's. speaker-7: Well, so I had never met any family quite like the Ralph's family at all. And I was only child. It was, was a new experience for me. so Cheryl calls me up one day and goes, Hey, I'm kind of near you. Can you meet me for lunch? And it's going to be at Louby's. I'm thinking, Louby's. Okay. So I, I get the Louby's and I walk in the door and I'm looking around. And there's Cheryl and there's these two elderly women with her. And I didn't know this, but I was being introduced to Gran and Granny and I had no prep work whatsoever ready for that one. speaker-0: don't think there is any John. speaker-1: don't think there is either, I'm telling you. speaker-3: After the interview, they put him through, I knew he could handle the rest of it. speaker-1: Probably right. What about you Shelly? speaker-8: So I've been introduced to the family and I had gone to her dad's retirement from Leander High School. And we had gotten into, we'd been spending as much time in presence as we had online and on the phone before we met. And Susan's youngest two, Samuel and Caitlin, who I think were maybe nine and seven, somewhere around that age at the time, took notice of that. That every time they came over, I was there too. And so eventually Samuel came over to me and said, I need to know what your intentions are with my aunt. He wanted to know if was I playing or was I going to was I going to stick around. speaker-1: Yeah, that's a good one. speaker-8: He was looking how crazy his aunt is. speaker-1: That is right. speaker-0: I think probably Tom was more concerned about meeting dad and talking to him about marrying me as we drove to Hawkins is where they lived at the time. He was asking me things about dad and I just started telling him, you know. speaker-5: the worst possible stories you could think of. speaker-0: And so I think by the time he got to Hawkins, was scared out of his wits because I think he was prepared for the worst. And we went in and how long was the conversation? speaker-5: It was quick. was like, is she going to finish school? Yeah. Do you have a job? ⁓ I'm getting one. Okay. Yeah. speaker-0: I'm working on it. speaker-5: I was expecting him to take me outside and play basketball with me and elbow me in the face. That's all I'd heard about. speaker-0: Yeah, one on one. Yeah. speaker-5: I think he was just, I think he was just talking. speaker-1: Mine was different because Casey had a child and as y'all are very aware of and it was the first time that one of us was bringing home somebody that had a child and so I was very, very nervous about bringing them home and introducing them. But everybody didn't just accept Casey but they accepted Brandon and Carrie as well, know, right in. speaker-0: He's tired. speaker-1: So I'm very blessed with that. Was that awkward to you? speaker-6: It wasn't awkward to me. I have never been. I haven't been there ever been scared of much in my life. So if she wanted me to meet her family, was I was all I'm all in and you know, she told me about her sisters. The sisters I think were more of a concern at the time than than Papaw. I mean, he's just a man, right? I mean, now I know he's more than just a man. But at the time, you know, when you're 25 or 26 years old, he didn't worry me. He's either going to say yes or no. I'm me. I am what I am. You know, I say what I say. I mean what I say and. I just told him I love your daughter. After a while, you know, I said, he asked me what's your plans? And I said, well, I want to marry your daughter and take care of her. And he said, he's kind of the same thing as Tom. Y'all in school? Yes, sir. She gonna finish? Yes, sir. You got a job? Yes, And I'm going to school. After that, me and Charlie have been at odds one time in our lives and it lasted about a night. And then the next morning we talked over coffee and gosh, he's been my second dad really for Stacey and been together 36 years and I do anything, anything. know, Papaw said, take out the trash or somebody down the street needs to be taken care of. It don't matter. I'll do anything for Papaw. And the sisters all turned out to be, you know, wonderful people. I'm, you know, I know I took some scrutiny at first. I won't call any names, there was, was, Shelly thought, I think Shelly thought I was half the devil for a while, but I take care Stacey pretty well. speaker-1: Shelly. speaker-6: our kiddos and our grandbabies and y'all's kids too. they ever, you know, if y'all ever needed me or they needed me, shoot, I'll do whatever I can. So, but it wasn't, I wasn't that awkward for me. I just, I'm just me. It's always been that way. speaker-1: Shelly was protected because she was my member of my second mother. very important. Yeah, come up to the end of phase one of how I met my spouse and we will pick this up in our next session. So stay tuned to hear part two of how we met our spouses and some more fun stories to go along with that. Until then, life's messy. speaker-2: . speaker-1: Meaningful and better when shared. Thanks for listening. Don't to subscribe. Bye. speaker-0: Get to like us! speaker-3: Share.