Anyways…they are now in the top 2 for the Race to the Altar on TV’s The Today Show! I once again need your help! Please please please vote for them. It only takes a second & a couple clicks of your mouse! Simply visit The Today’s Show website and you will see a little logo on the top of the page that says Race to the Altar, vote here. Click the link & wait for the top portion of the page to load & then you’ll see the 2 couples left. Melissa & Ryan are couple 1. Mark the little box under their name & then click vote. Another little box will pop up asking if you are sure you want to vote for them. It’s that simple! You can also text your vote by texting the number 1 to the number 46833.

Thank you

I need your help in keeping them there and keeping them moving forward, closer to winning! You can vote on the website once a week and you can also text your vote.

To vote on the website go here and wait a second for the top portion of the page to load. It will show the four remaining couples. Simply mark box #1 for Melissa & Ryan and then click the vote button! If you would like to text your vote you can do so by texting the number 1 to the number 46833.

Please help me keep them there by casting your vote today! If you would like to read why this is my favorite couple and why I’m so interested in having them win you can read my blog post here.

Thanks!!!!

It’s because they met the same way that Seth and I did – he was deployed in Iraq when Melissa was introduced to him, just like how I was introduced to Seth. And now that I’ve read more about them, I’m learning that there’s a lot more in common than just the fact that Seth and I were introduced the same way they were. It’s all pretty cool and I love the fact that Melissa grew up in Michigan. It’s funny how there are so many similarities.

The reason for today’s post is because I’d like to ask all of you to cast a vote for Melissa and Ryan

What are you voting for? Read below to find out.

Five finalist couples will compete in a series of fun, competitive challenges and it will be up to TODAY viewers to vote for the winning couple. The lucky couples will duke it out for the grand prize — the chance to win the hearts of viewers across the country and tie the knot on America’s #1 morning show. Following tradition, TODAY viewers will plan the winning finalists’ wedding by voting on TODAYShow.com for the couple’s rings, the wedding gown, the tux, the attendants’ attire, the cake, and the honeymoon. The winning couple’s nuptials will then be swiftly planned by viewers for a June 25th wedding event live on TODAY.

I would really LOVE to see Melissa and Ryan win so please cast your vote! It’s a quick process. Simply go to this link and cast your vote for Melissa & Ryan! I’m not sure if you can vote daily or if it’s a weekly thing. I’ll keep you posted and let you know the next time you can vote

They call me crazy:

I’ve had a couple people come out and tell me that I have fallen completely off my rocker and am downright crazy for having a relationship with Seth because (one) we’ve never met in person, (two) he’s in the Army and deployed in Iraq and (three) because it’s an ‘online’ thing.

I’m taking a step up on my soap box!

First let me say that I’m at the point in my life where I don’t care what other people think! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, just as I’m an ADULT and can make my own decisions especially regarding who I date!!!! Second, I did not meet Seth online in a chat room or something like that! We were introduced through a mutual friend. She knows Seth very well and his family also.

And the ones that haven’t came out and called me crazy just tell me they don’t know how I do it and that it’s gotta be so hard with no talking on the phone, no going on dates, worrying about whether he’s ok, the times of no communication and just all the not having ‘normal’ relationship things.

It is hard:

Yeah it is hard and I don’t expect people to understand why I do it, people don’t need to understand but if you want to know… I do it because he is special. I do it because I care about him. I do it because he has the qualities I’ve always looked for and never found in a man until now. I do it because he really truly is a genuine, down to earth, great guy that treats me how I deserve to be treated.

I had my doubts:

I have to say that I was totally skeptical when Tammy was telling me all about him and how nice he was, how good he was with her kids, etc. I’m pretty sure I probably rolled my eyes as she was saying all those things. I know that I laughed & thought to myself yep I’ve heard it all before and they all end up being jerks, everyone one of them.

My doubts quickly went away:

He isn’t a jerk…at all! Even when I’ve made dumb decisions and done things that have hurt him. He really is a good guy and sometimes I feel like I need to pinch myself to see if this is real. He makes me feel like I’m the most important person in the world. He cares about things that are going on in my life, even going through everything he’s going through over there he still cares about the day to day things in my life. He cares about what’s going on with Caleb and all the ‘normal’ relationship stuff regardless of the fact he’s a gazillion miles away.

So back to the reason of this post….The Today Show

I usually have my TV on every morning tuned into The Today Show. I laughed and got so excited today when I caught the Race to the Altar segment of the show. Wanna know why?

Because there is a couple on there (Melissa & Ryan) that met EXACTLY how Seth and I met! Ryan’s sister suggested to Melissa that she meet her brother, the only obstacle was that he was deployed in Iraq! Melissa and Ryan met 2 months after they began emailing while he was on R&R!

Here are some little excerpts from the website (that I linked to above on their names) and I love it because it all just hits home with me!

Melissa and Ryan started out as pen pals.

The only obstacle was that Ryan, a combat army engineer, was deployed in Iraq.

Ryan decided to take a chance and wrote Melissa an email. (ok so I’m the one that wrote the first email but hey I’m not complaining! And I’m glad that I had some friendly ‘pushing’ from Tams and Shannon)

They typed. They talked. (I have had some very deep conversations with Seth – deeper than conversations I’ve had with men I’ve dated ‘in person’!)

Two months later, Ryan met Melissa for the very first time while he was on mid tour. (Seth and I plan on meeting up for the first time when he’s on R&R this summer)

At the very first sight of him, Melissa was speechless for the 6″4 brown hair blue-eyed handsome hunk. (I was speechless when I saw one of Seth’s pictures…I can only imagine what it will be like finally seeing him face to face…that gives me butterflies just thinking about it!)

A few short weeks later, Ryan was deployed back to Iraq for another six months. Their only means of communication was through emails and photographs. Melissa has kept every email and has since made it into “their book,” a 2000 page book filled with words of love. (Yes I’ve kept all our emails, chats, etc! and yes if we get the opportunity to meet up this summer, he’ll be going back to Iraq for several more months!)

Yeah I’m so excited for them! And that just goes to show that I AM NOT CRAZY! People do this kind of stuff all the time & to see/hear about another woman that did the same exact thing as me just made me smile and get all warm & fuzzy feeling.

An online relationship is a lot more common now-a-days than people realize! And not only have I heard this story of Melissa & Ryan being in the same situation as Seth and I are, I’ve had a couple of my online friends share with me that they’ve been in a similar situation with a soldier!

So there ya have it – I’m not crazy but if you still choose to think I am so be it. I already stated that everyone is entitled to their opinion. And quite frankly I am happy and that’s all that matters!