Our Story

Thao was born and raised in Orange County, CA; the middle child of 5 and the first of her siblings to be born in the U.S. Her parents fled Vietnam on her dad’s boat in 1979 in hopes for a free world and better future for their children. Thao’s certainly glad her parents made that risk. She’s blessed with a wonderful balanced education, well-paying job at a great company, and flourishing side career as a photographer. Most importantly, she would have never had the chance to meet Robert if her parents had stayed in Vietnam.

Thao first met (more like heard of) Robert when she was just a 12 year old through an old friend. His number was passed around and Thao being the brave one made her first phone call to him that summer before being shipped off to live with her aunt in South Carolina. Thao remembers Robert as being quiet and shy on the phone; only answering questions and not really talking. It’s obvious his witty and charming ways have yet to manifest. She only saw glimpses of him at church when he’d sit towards the front with his mom and grandmother. Once Thao moved to South Carolina the contacts with Robert ended.

During Thao’s time away from California she spent her 8th grade year in South Carolina and another 3 years in the deep south of Mississippi at a convent. In the middle of her junior year in high school she made the decision to leave the convent to come back to California. There she met Robert once again in Mr. Phaler’s Algebra 2 class they shared. Robert is now a lot taller with a growing mustache, a nice teal colored hatchback for a ride, but was still his shy self. Thao immediately felt something for him. She started sending Robert hints with holiday grams sent to his classes that always included her phone number. She also started sharing a locker with a friend that was located right around the corner from his. After a few months of unanswered advances, Thao got impatient and acquired his pager number which forced him to sign off the Internet (mainly AOL) from his 28k modem to call her back. She confronted him about ignoring her grams and the rest was history.

Robert was accidentally born in beautiful Monterey County, CA; the youngest of 4 siblings.  An accident his parents never regretted because he was 6 feet tall, had a great tan, and dimples that were deep as the Grand Canyon.  Oh wait, that was Mario “A.C. Slater” Lopez.  Robert grew up entirely in California having lived in Chula Vista, Marina, and Garden Grove where he currently resides.

Robert was a big time momma’s boy so he never had the guts to approach a girl.  He timidly made his way through elementary school, junior high, and most of high school before setting his eyes on this gorgeous brunette.  That brunette was the new girl–a mysterious girl that hardly anyone knew much of.  Her name was Thao, she walked across the quad in between classes trying to go unnoticed, oh… but she WASN’T!  Robert had the fine opportunity to share a class with the new girl, but he also tried his best to play hard-to-get when Thao tried to get to know him.  It almost became freaky and stalkerish how persistent she was, you’d almost expect her to be sitting in her car peeping out the tinted windows early morning before school.  But that was high school and she didn’t have a car.  In fact her grandpa would drive her home in a minivan.

Thao sent Robert a candy gram for Valentines Day their junior year in high school.  He thought to himself this had to be a joke. When you receive something like this on Valentines Day, from a girl, and she’s asking you to call her–you’ve got to question it. Robert had to take a look around the classroom to see if this was a set-up, you know, like an inside job.  Deep down he hoped it was true. It was.  They started talking on the phone and she would invite him over to talk while she would water the grass.  Robert being scared of Thao’s strict parents always passed on the offer.  Once he mustered up enough courage to come over, they would sit on the curb and talk for hours.  This became a routine. Before Thao would come out to talk, she would send a messenger, her youngest sister, to make sure the coast was clear.  Sometimes staying out front until 4 or 5 in the morning, getting locked out, and having to knock on the back door to have her intoxicated uncle let her in.  Then one day he popped the question (girlfriend question) and she said “no.”  Thinking to himself, why do women have to be so complex?  A few hours later he asked again and it was official on May 11, 1997 at 5:35am.

Together:

Thao and Robert went to junior and senior prom together; winning prom king and queen their senior year. They spent 2 years in junior college together before parting ways to attend different universities. Thao became a Trojan and Robert a proud Titan. During their 2 years together in college they also worked as cast members at the Disneyland Resort; even working in the same store on Main Street. Thao patiently waited for many, many years for Robert to pop the question. Finally, after almost 12 years of being together, Robert asked Thao to marry him and this time, did not say no first.

They’ve done some light traveling together throughout the U.S. to Seattle, New York, Dallas, New England, and all over California. International trips to Mexico and Vietnam are also under their belts. They hope to do more traveling together as husband and wife before settling down and having kids.

Miscellaneous Facts about Thao:

• loves: sleeping, weddings (that’s why I shoot them), reading, iced tea, strawberry lemonade, giving thoughtful gifts, making cards, brownies, spam (food, not junk mail), Gilmore Girls, 24, the Office, Smallvillle, Jeno’s pizza, country fried steak, minesweeper, my IS350, my condo, Robert.
• not so fond of: cold weather, insects, “21 questions” type of people, public speaking, sit-ups (love/hate since I need it for a 6-pack), being in an argument

Miscellaneous Facts about Robert:

• Likes: Entourage, 24, Man v Food, The Office, LAN parties, technology, video games, weight training, basketball, slow pitch softball, mountain bike riding, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Angels, pizza, bacon, pho, ramen, biscuits and gravy, sweetened raspberry flavored tea, the number 13, chatting with friends, music, life.
• Random Facts: Doesn’t have a favorite side of the bed, used to be left handed, first car was manual, shy, sits in a chair 12+ hours a day, wasn’t accidentally born.
• Dislikes: carbonated beverages, shrimp, having cold hands, naps, long walks on the beach or pavement for that matter.

Have we changed much?

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