Jerry and Heather met in college with Jerry laying eyes on Heather first at a fraternity picnic. He was admittedly hesitant to approach Heather because she seemed different from the other girls he had seen on campus. Heather, with a sweater draped around her shoulder, had no idea Jerry was digging both her and her classy style. They were later introduced by a mutual friend at a party at the International Ballroom. Upon meeting him, Heather was equally impressed by Jerry’s style and confidence. Dressed to impress in a suit, he walked up to her and said, “Hi, I am Jerry Boone!” They exchanged numbers and the rest was history.  Almost eighteen years later and a beautiful baby girl to boot, this couple’s bond is tighter than ever.

When did you know that you loved your spouse?

Jerry: “Right around the time my old man started getting sick she was always just there. I could have gotten help from friends but didn’t need to because she was just there. That’s when I knew, around that time.”

Heather: “I don’t know. It was just weird. We were always around each other so I can’t just say exactly when. Like he said, his dad was getting sick so we were coming to Houston a lot. My dad was also sick so we had that connection.” 

Jerry AND Heather (simultaneously finishing each other’s sentences): “We met in June of 2001 and talked all summer over the phone. She was in summer school and I was back home in Houston. When it was time to return back in the fall, on the first day of school I went back to her place and never left.”

What is your favorite quality about your spouse?

Jerry: “I like that she’s very much her own person. She’s her own leader. If she’s not ‘with it’ she’ll let you know she’s not ‘with it’. She’s very honest, loyal, smart and pretty. Where I am deficient she’s good. She’s also very family oriented. Like albums, records, gatherings, etc. and I really like that about her”

Heather: It’s definitely more than one.  Some people say I am opinionated and bossy. He’s always there to make me consider another way. I value his input and judgment on things. He’s a thinker. In a lot of ways he can be super impatient but when it comes to major decisions he takes his time and he’ll think it through and helps me to do the same. He’s also very supportive and ultra funny. We laugh a lot.”

What has been the most challenging aspect of  your marriage?

Jerry: “For me, it was school. When I had to go away to law school. Being away all that time and she being in a place she didn’t want to be, that was tough. That was the hardest! We literally had just gotten married too. Right after the wedding I had to be back to school to take finals. That sucked big time. If I could do that over again, it would have been done totally different.”

Heather: “I agree. I couldn’t be with him at school because we had just bought a home in Dallas. It didn’t matter though, I would have walked away from all of that to be with him.”

How has your spouse changed you for the better?

Jerry: “Heather thinks that I can do pretty much anything. She helps me focus on what needs to be done. I had been talking about going to law school for forever and a day. It wasn’t until she helped me with that that it happened. She’s supportive and loyal. I can honestly say I wouldn’t have gone to school and did all that stuff if I hadn’t met her.”

Heather: “His belief in me with various things like going back to school. When you meet somebody, especially as long as we’ve been together, you don’t stay the same. People change from haircuts to weight gain, weight loss, etc. But it doesn’t matter what my appearance is, he’s always very supportive of me. He always finds a way to make me feel pretty even if I don’t feel that way. He has cut my hair, permed it, glued down tracks, cut off my permed ends. He’s seen it all!”

What’s the best part about being married?

Jerry: “Stability. Somebody that has your back.”

Heather: “For me, just knowing that someone is going to be there. Its just good to know that you have somebody.”

BONUS: What advice would you give to younger couples about marriage?

“You are either going into a storm, in the eye of a storm, or coming out of a storm. Nothing is absolute. Things won’t always be good and even when its bad it won’t always be bad. Marriage is cyclical.”