2016 Houston Gingerbread House Competition
It all started with “Hello, my name is Geno….”
Gene was on a job in Wichita, Kansas at the time. Angie and Gene got to know each other over the following months through messages and phone calls. Once his job assignment was over, Gene went to Oklahoma to spend time with his mom. As soon as he was back in Houston, they made plans to meet for lunch at Babin’s Seafood House in Katy. Angie and Gene immediately felt comfortable with each other and lunch led to lunch and a movie, which led to the infamous awkward movie theatre peck (that’s an in-person story for another time lol).
That weekend, Angie invited Gene to a formal Christmas party, but he had a previous engagement and was not available. Gene did offer to take Angie out the following weekend for a day of whatever she wanted to do to make up for it. He said “anything you want”. So, Angie gave him a long list of Christmas activities which included the Houston Gingerbread House Building Competition, a Holiday Market, 2 Christmas parties where he didn’t know anyone, and ended with cruising through the Heights and River Oaks looking at Christmas lights. Angie expected him to choose one or two activities from the list, but Gene accepted the entire list. He took it all in stride and somewhere near Taylor and White Oak, they knew. Gene set the bar high for himself that day and has not disappointed since.
Since that day, they have hardly left each other’s side. They travel together for work and for leisure. One of their goals is to visit all fifty states, of which they have been to twenty-five already! Between them they have six children and have welcomed three grandbabies since being together, making that four grandbabies in total. They look forward to spending time with their blended family whether that be for holidays, crawfish boils, floating down the river, or time boating on the lake. Motorcycle trips with Gene’s brothers and their wives have been particularly memorable as are the trips to Oklahoma to visit Gene’s family and friends.
One very special New Year’s Eve trip they took was to Estes Park, Colorado in 2019. They rang in 2020 at the Crystal Ball, explored the quaint town of Estes Park, toured the haunted Stanley Hotel were they stayed, and went sightseeing through Rocky Mountain National Park. On the first day of a new decade, among the majestic views of the Rocky Mountains, in the middle of a snow storm, as a car load of people drove by honking and cheering for them, Gene got down on one knee and proposed.
They decided on forever.
Since then, Angie and Gene have tackled completing numerous remodeling projects on a house Angie purchased as an investment, but both decided to make their home, the “Brenham Bungalow”. Gene simply needs to ask Angie to draw him a picture of her vision and together they make it happen. This past year they also faced their biggest personal challenge to date, but they leaned on God and each other as they navigated through it. Knowing that together, they can overcome anything (Ecclesiastes 4:12).
They have packed a lot of living in the seven years they have known each other, bringing us to this wedding date.
It’s about damn time!!