Erin Walsh and Steve Patneaude thought that they were meeting for the first time when the couple went out on a blind date.
Erin had seen a photo of Steve when her friend was dating her college roommate.
“I thought, “Oh, he’s kind of cute,” Erin said.
The two talked on the phone and Erin fell for Steve. He was fun and easygoing. When they met for the date a month later, their eyes met and she was smitten.
“I just knew that I had laid my eyes on who I was going to marry,” Erin said. “I never believed in that kind of stuff before.”
What Erin and Steve found out about each other while they were talking is that they had been together earlier in life. They’d lived less than a block away from each other and both were in the same class at Seaview Elementary in Edmonds with the same teacher. Erin had the photos to prove it.
Six months after their first date Steve took Erin to the Edmonds waterfront. He wanted to read her a poem he had written for her. He began reciting the poem and ended it while on bent knee asking Erin to marry him. Steve went back to the car and gave Erin a printed, framed copy of the poem.
“It was a complete surprise,” Erin said.
Erin and Steve Patneaude of Snohomish celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary with a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The couple were married Aug. 27, 1994 in Seattle. They held their reception in Edmonds.
Steve and Erin later became parents to twin boys who were born three months premature. One of the boys suffered major health problems and endured surgeries to help him recover. Steve was Erin’s rock.
“It was such a horrible frightening time,” Erin said. “I never saw him break.”
The twins are now happy and healthy 9-year-olds.
A few years after the birth of their twins, Erin and Steve welcomed a daughter.
Erin is a stay-at-home mom. Steve works at Boeing and is completing his third master’s degree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston.
To celebrate their recent anniversary, Steve surprised Erin with a trip to Mexico. He arranged the vacation, and for the child care while they were gone, without Erin knowing. He sent Erin an e-mail. She thought it was his work travel itinerary.
“I glanced down and it said “A message from Steve,” Erin said. The message read: pack for warm weather. I have everything arranged. I love you.
“It was wonderful,” Erin said.
Steve and Erin love to spend time with their children and take a vacation every year. They lean on each other during tough times, one holding the other up. Erin describes Steve as very kind and devoted to his family.
“He is a wonderful, kind man and I count my blessings every day,” Erin said. “I’m one of the lucky ones. I’ve found a wonderful partner.”
For information on Love Story and Celebrations, please contact Christina Harper at 425-339-3491 or harper@heraldnet.com.
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