Our Beginning

John and I have been together since June 3, 1988. From the moment our eyes have met we knew we were destined to be together forever. Do you believe in Love at First Sight? I do, cause I have experienced it. After our first day together, I had called my Mother to say that I have just met the man I am going to spend the rest of my life with. My Mother, bless her, just commented, "well that is nice Honey". And now 19 years later, we are still together. Yes there has been some rocky roads, but we both know that no matter what circumstances come along for us, as long as we do it together we can make it through. My motto "God puts Us here On Earth to See One Another Through, Not to See Through One Another". Well people may get tired of me saying that, I do say it often everyday, but I tell you it works. It has you stopping and thinking, "Hmmm....that is so true", so therefore whatever the struggle was, it seems so much easier to handle after those words are thought out truly.



So a year after we had met, we got married on June 8, 1989. I had wanted to marry on our meeting day, but since we got married by the Justice of Peace, the time allotment didn't fit my ideal date. But it don't matter much, cause any date would of been just fine with me, so long as I was to marry John Steven VanTassel. To be forever known as a VanTassel. In case you don't know this, the VanTassel's are a long line of heritage with our American History. They were one on the first families to settle in the New England States...and were used as a name in the "Legend of the Sleepy Hollow". I have looked up the names several times, and there are thousands winthin the United States.....I have to say I was quite impressed.



After John and I married, we settled in St. Petersburg, FL. John had a daughter from his first marrriage, her name is Stephanie Lynn. She was 2 years old, going on 3 when I had met her. Cute as a button, and quiet, at least for a 2 year old's standard goes. One day after John and I have been together for a bit...she asked me "what should I call you? Your not my Mommy, but you act like my Mom." I just told her what would you like to call me? She pauses for a bit to think about it...."How about if I call you Ann?" I am like..."Perfect...that is my name afterall." So from than on, she has always called me Ann, but I have always considered myself her friend, who had happened to have fallen in love with her as her Mother. Stephanie too, was a person that I had loved at first sight. It must of been the connection with John, you know the saying "comes with the package", that is how people had referred to it as, I hated that line. Why... because, they were two separate beings, that had two separate significances to my life. Both were sent to me from God, and both are a special gift that I have received, and needed to have, in order to persue my LIFE, the way that God had intended it to be. I didn't totally understand that at that moment, but I did know that these two human beings that I Loved Temendously, were going to be in my life forever. My future that I was envisioning included them ,and they were going to be terribly important to me. And THAT they have been, all along.



So that was the beginning of our union. When we got married at the Clearwater Courthouse on June 8, 1989, Stephanie was right there in the middle, as John and I were saying our vows to be together forever til eternity. Even through the giggles from us, with the I Love Lucy Look-a-Like Lady prenouncing us, Mr. and Mrs. John VanTassel. I DO!!! And I would DO again...some day in Hawaii, on our 20th wedding anniversary. Maybe, that is only 2 years away....aaahhhh...!! Guess we better start saving, huh????


We lived in St. Pete for five years. During that time, we had our marriage blessed by the catholic church, St. Paul's, which was right across the street from us. We did this on June 3, 1990. I got the date that I had wanted, just had to wait it out. Like they say, "good things come to those who wait", and I got what I had asked for. Thank You my Lord.

I was a hairdresser at that time, and a student at SPJC (that is what they called it than), now it is St. Pete College. I was studying to be an interpreter for the deaf, than to become a teacher of the deaf and blind. Unfortunately that is not what ended up occurring, but 'it just was not meant to be'...another saying. For reasons that have been occurring to me, many years later...better late than never. But in returns of not finishing school, which only happened because of moving to a state where there were no colleges that taught these majors. I had learned a new trade, a trade that was certainly ideal for me. See God's working with me again, to get me in the right direction of what His plans are for me. Get to that later on, one thing at a time, else I will just jumble myself up, and you would not be able to understand what I am talking about, because you will than become jumbled yourself. So therefore, in 1993 we had our second daughter, Samantha Leigh.

In 1993, I was still going to school, but my studies were becoming very overbearing. A new baby, one that was extra-draining, since she wanted your undivided attention at all times of being awake. So getting any real studying done became a problem. By the time I was to lay her down for the night, after working a full shift at the salon, and John probably at work still, I would be too drained to get any work done on the books. I usually fell asleep, cause I was always tired. Samantha never slept through an entire night, still doesn't at 14 years old, and she entertained herself by hearing her vocal chords scream. So than I never slept either. Sure John would help, but you all know, babies want their Mommies...Daddies are great, but they just don't have the right 'pillows'. So not sleeping at night, going to work during the day, and classes both day and night, I caught up on sleeping during class. Where else would I be able to get any sleep but in my class where there is silence. Remember, I am learning sign language, therefore there was no talking aloud. But of course hand motion was required, or eyeballs in order to see the 'words' rather than hear them. So I was not totally there, therefore my grades showed it for a bit. My teachers were understanding, but not totally. So when John got a transfer with his job to South Carolina, I wasn't too terribly upset. Everything worked out.