The WEDDING!

So after a couple of days of being in Norway, we flew to Sweden to meet the rest of the Benito family, who had come straight to Stockholm from the USA.

The Stockholm, Sweden Temple:

And the Bride & Groom on that special day, May 20, 2006:

The Family,

And the most precious of them all!

In Norway before the wedding.

So, I didn't shave for about 1.5 months before I came to Norway on May 2, 2006.

I looked like this:

Kristine didn't really recognize me (which I understand), and there was still snow around, Kristine looked like this:

And three days later we looked like this:

It had gotten "warm" enough for shorts, and a t-shirt

One of our other favorite pictures on the island where Kristine's family lives,

FEB - MAR 2006 Kristine's Trip to USA

So at this point by the end of this trip, we will have dated a total of 8 weeks in person...Yep... 8 weeks together is what you read! Of course, we have been together just a couple of months shy of a year, but when you think about it:

• Both of us worked full time - Kristine a bit more as she was the manager for Carlings (clothing store) in Moss

• 7 hours of difference

 5pm USA = Midnight Norway
 5pm Norway = 10am USA

• Not exactly the easiest times to talk when working...
• For about a year, sleep deprivation prevailed! BUT... it worked, or better said, we did what it took to make it work :)

• Long Distance calls - eventually Kristine's parents acquired an IP telephone meaning free for Kristine to call, and free for Juan to receive on a land line

And probably the hardest:

• Being in a long distance relationship with the person you love the most in the whole entire world.

A short synopsis of Kristine's second trip to the USA:

Juan worked, while Kristine was at home with the family, that's sad.

Unfortunately Juan worked for Atlantic Service and Supply, an A/C unit installer, as well as siding installer for mobile homes, and he worked long hours.  So on one of the jobs Juan had to finish, Kristine came along.

On another occasion, we ate alligator meat...

let's see, what else...well, we were happy to see each other! 

And we looked into the apartment that we would be living in, soon, ONLY 3 more months until the wedding in Stockholm!