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aloha! in case you were wondering, ohana means family. our ohana is made up of david, kim, april, rain, and kona the dog. welcome to our blog! we are san diego wedding photographers, but we put everything in here. san diego weddings, orange county weddings, hawaii weddings, destination weddings, road trips, and even friends with beach balls. come on in and share a little aloha. please leave comments as often as possible. we love hearing from our extended ohana. mahalo for stopping by!
if you'd like to contact us, here are all the deets:
our website: www.ohanaphotographers.com
email: david@ohanaphotographers.com
cell: 858-663-3283
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Monday, May 18, 2009

do you know what today is? it's our anniversary!


as kim and i celebrate our anniversary today (may 18th) i am reminded of the day we met. i don't think i've ever told that story online. we always love hearing how our couples met, so i think it only fair to share how kim and i met. i'll try to give the abridged version, but i do not know what that word means :)
(taking deep breath)
kim and i are both san diego natives that grew up within 10 miles of each other, but we had to travel 2560 miles away from home to meet.
i was on active duty for the Navy at the time and serving on Oahu (tough job but someone had to do it). it was a thursday and i had just finished a long day flying when my friend doug asked if i wanted to go to waikiki with him to celebrate his girlfriend's birthday. i didn't say yes right away. i NEVER went out partying during the week. i told him to ask me again before he left because i was already tired and i knew going out to waikiki with doug meant that we would be drinking until 4am, not getting any sleep, and having to go back to work at 6am (half-dead). as 9pm rolled around doug came knocking on my door. with a sigh, and the thoughts of knowing what punishment i was about to inflict upon myself, i told him i would go. afterall, i was his wingman, and a wingman never says no.
what doug failed to tell me was that his girlfriend worked in a bank and the party was being thrown by her co-workers at a club called studebakers in restaurant row. it was an awesome club, if you were 45 or older. we, being barely legal, stood out like ron burgundy's trousers when he was talking to veronica corningstone. and yes, people were impressed :)
i made the best of it. at least the dj was playing some cool 80's music. as the party went on i noticed one of "the co-workers" just sitting in a booth all by herself not talking with anyone and not having a very good time. doug and his girlfriend were out on the dancefloor, and everyone else seemed to be having fun in their own way. i felt bad for her, so i did what any self-respecting person would do, i asked her if she'd like to dance. i honestly don't know if she had ever been asked to dance before because she looked at me as if i were speaking german, so i asked again. her face lit up and out of the booth she sprang. we danced for probably about 20 minutes and that's when i saw this incredibly beautiful woman standing at a table next to the dancefloor staring at me. she had the kind of beauty that demands your attention. with every turn i peeked back to see if she was still there. she was. she didn't make a move or say a word. she just stood, looking at me. at some point after that, doug's girlfriend and the co-worker said they were tired and went to sit down. it was then that i walked over to where the beautiful stranger had been only to find an empty table. she was gone. my eyes quickly searched the room. a sea of faces surrounded me, but not the face i was in search of. how could i have been so stupid? i should have walked over to her the first moment i saw her. it was in the following moments that God taught me that there is a perfect place and a perfect time for everything and that it was not up to me to decide when, where, or how things would happen in my life. just as i started walking back to doug's booth i saw her again. i had a lifetime of bad pick-up lines at my disposal, but i found myself speechless in the face of her beauty. the only thing i could do was hold out my hand as if to ask her to dance. she grabbed my hand and followed me out onto the dancefloor. who knew that the best pick-up line was to say nothing at all? it was some time during that first dance that i collected my thoughts and asked her name. kim, she said, as i tried to keep myself from saying something stupid and ruining any chance i had to get to know her. funny thing is, i didn't. every word i said to her was just, right. for the rest of the night we did not leave each others side. we decided to leave studebakers and walk to another nearby club called the blue zebra. the music was infinitely better. all night long we danced and laughed and talked about the things we love. we were like old friends that had been apart for a lifetime and were finally getting back together. one thing i remember talking about was the totally random music that we both like (i.e. U2, nwa, white zombie, depeche mode, and the smiths). the world around me vanished when i was with her. her words were all i could hear. her face was all i could see. she was perfect in every way.
as 4am approached doug came up to us and said it was time to go back to base to get ready for work. i told doug that i could not leave. kim was the girl i had asked God to lead me to for my whole life. i was not leaving her for anything. doug knew that i had to stay, so he left me there and drove back to our base at barbers point. kim and i continued to talk and as the club closed we took a cab back to her hotel, the outrigger reef on the beach in waikiki. we went up to her room and proceeded to accidentally wake all her friends (patti, bryan, scott, & ed) that were on vacation with her, thus earning me a nickname that shall not be named. after waking everyone up we decided to let them get back to sleep so we headed back outside where we walked on the white sandy beach of hawaii from the outrigger reef on the beach all the way down to the statue of duke kahanamoku. we stayed up all night talking, swimming, evading hotel security, and... :)
it wasn't until the sun came up that reality hit me and made me realize i would be in deep doo doo if i didn't show up at morning muster. i called doug and he came all the way back from ewa beach to pick me up. as i waited for doug, i asked for kim's number and held her as we said a long good bye.
a little over a year after first meeting kim i got out of active duty and went home to san diego. i reconnected with kim and less than a year later we were married.
just when you thought this story couldn't get any more amazing, it does.
at the time when we met, i NEVER went to clubs during the week because i always had to fly early in the morning. this was the first time i had gone out to a club on a thursday night AND it was to a club that i had never been to or would have ever gone to on my own.
the reason kim came to studebakers the night we met was because she had come to oahu with some friends on vacation and they were wandering around lost, looking for an entirely different club. upon seeing studebakers kim, and her best friend patti, said they were tired of looking for the other club and decided to go in to studebakers. approximately 23 seconds after kim and patti walked in they realized the club was not very good, but as they turned to walk out patti saw him (dancing with the co-worker) and said "look at that cute guy," and then kim said to patti, "he's the one." (patti confirmed this story to me months later.) upon sayin those words kim ordered herself a long beach ice tea and stood next to the dancefloor staring at me while dream weaver played in her head.
that was all it took.
now, i'd like to have you believe that i just have that kind of skill on the dancefloor, or that my attire was so sophisticated that kim couldn't help but stare. in all honesty, i am not even close to being a backup dancer for britney, and i was not wearing assless chaps (that night), nor do i speak italian, spanish, australian or any other cool language that makes the ladies swoon. i'm just a simple man (kim would say a "very" simple man) that God or fate or destiny or whatever you believe in, put me in the right place at the right time to meet the right person. i spent my entire young adulthood searching for the woman i would marry and love for the rest of my life. i had no clue that when i wasn't looking for her at all she'd find me. thank God she did.
i have always believed in lifelong love. my grandparents taught me that. they were married for 73 years. after 73 years they still held hands, they still kissed, they still called each other honey, and they still loved each other as much as they did the day they were married. my grandma passed away last september. my grandpa is still with us fortunately. every time i see him i am reminded what true love is. his heart is lost without her and it hurts me to see him miss her so much. i feel blessed to have witnessed love like theirs. kim and i have a long way to go to reach 73 years but since the day we met i have chosen to let life lead the way and not try to force things. i know that God has a plan for us all. all we need to do is have patience and love every minute that we are granted on this beautiful world together. i do.
kim, i still do.




please excuse the crudity of these old photos. it's 2am and i have neither the time or will power to improve their quality :)
here's patti and kim on the trip when we met. looks like i showed up just in time.




tomfoolery aside, singapore is an awesome city to visit. obviously this is before i met kim and straightened up my act.




check the white vans. so fresh and so clean clean.




here's patti and kim the day after they met me. notice the smiles.




this is kim and i heading out on our first date after i got back to san diego. she's so HOT!!
















here's a couple from our engagement session. if you look closely you can see the world in my eyes :)







this was just moments after we were announced husband and wife.



















this is what happens whenever an article of kim's clothing is flung into a crowd of single men. our friend dave was the (lucky?) recipient of kim's garter. i couldn't tell if he was screaming for joy, or if he was sustaining bodily injury, so i hopped on top of the pile to check. i can't be totally sure, but amidst all the noise, i may have heard the faint sounds of bones cracking.







kim made sure everyone had a good time at our reception. everyone.




ymca, still works.




doug's take on the dollar dance.







this is where things got really fun. doug (and some dude in red boardshorts that we didn't even know) got into the caterer's cool whip supply.
the night was about to jump up a notch.







apparently i didn't have enough product in my hair. doug took care of that for me with a little cool whip.




good job crasher dude, and doug.




good job indeed




before the night was over, i had more drinks poured over my head than i could count, i was stripped of all clothing from the waist up, and i had cool whip in 4 of 6 orifices.
in other words, it was an awesome night.
kim and i both said we'd get married again just to have another reception. this reception was at marina village. it was so much fun that there were people coming over from other wedding receptions at marina village to party at ours.




with my rag-top down so my hair can blow :)
we closed our reception with everyone singing 40. everyone still standing was invited back to our hotel room so they would have a safe place to stay the night (and sober up) kim and i hopped in our rented chrysler sebring convertible and drove around pb and belmont park for a bit then went home to prepare for our honeymoon in oahu that was starting the next morning at 6am. no sleep til...north shore.




we were stoked that our photographer met us over on oahu to get some honeymoon photos for us.




this was our favorite honeymoon bar at the outrigger reef on the beach. where else can you go topless at a bar and nobody says anything?
back scrather!




when we got back home we suited up again and did a bridal session in balboa park.










when choosing an anniversary gift for your new bride, you may want to save this one for a few years. i had this sign flown around cabrillo national monument and the old point loma light house (where i asked kim to marry me) for our 1st anniversary. how do you top that?
seriously.
how do you top that?
i need some ideas for next year.




last time i was on navy reserve duty in oahu i gave kim a call and told her i was walking on the beach in waikiki. i then asked her to log on to the duke cam for a little surprise. here's what she saw.
through the magic of al gore's internet and my trusty mobile phone, i asked kim to marry me again. of course she said yes, so as soon as we get the time and funds together we are going to throw one rad reception (with a little ceremony). we'll keep you posted.




this was our gift last year from april.




april surprised us again this year with another awesome drawing. thank you april!





if that's not enough, here's a quick slideshow for ya





84 comments:

Cathy Crawley said...

Look at you to hot young things! It's so beautiful to hear how in love you are with your gorgeous wife Kimi, you are a catch Mr Baxter and Kimi is very lucky to have you. Enjoy your day together. xxx

.E. said...

Happy Anniversary.. what a seriously awesome story.. I love a good romance story and you guys definitely have one.. and these photos are awesome... and Kim.. I love your freckles.. its so nice to see people so in love and continue to to stay that way.. hope you had a great day ...

J. Castro Photography said...

You guys are soooo cute! Congrats again. God bless you both and the love you share. Happy Anniversary David and Kim!

Lisette Price Photography said...

Happy Anniversary! Wow what a wedding reception! It sure looks like you all know how to have FUN!!! :)

*Lissa* said...

Happy Anniversary!! I love your story! What a gorgeous couple you are! And seriously? You look like SO MUCH FUN!

nel said...

awwww...that's so sweet! Love at first sight! no wonder you're wedding photographers - you believe in true love. Hope you guys had an amazing anniversary yesterday!

Josh said...

Happy Anniversary! I just have one question for you guys...are your eyes spot colored in that engagement pic? If so, that is AWESOME!!!

Amy said...

You guys are just abso-tuddle-lutely AWESOME! (and you share the same anniversary as my big bro, double awesome)

Tira J said...

What a beautiful story! You two are an awesome testament to love and how it prevails over all! And all of the pictures for this post are priceless! Happy Anniversary you two!

Leslie Roark said...

You two are amazing! Happy Anniversary.. your love is inspiring!!!!!

Brandi said...

Happy Anniversary! You guys are so awesome you deserve your own TV show or at least a mini series. You're so stinking cute and SO California. :)

Amelia . Lyon said...

Wow!!! Congrats on a long happy marriage! This post was oh so entertaining! Thank you:)

Daniel Galang Photography said...

Happy Anniversary to the beauiful couple - you guys are amazing... You have quite the story to tell :-) Much love to you both! I hope Vaness and I can share rad pictures like that in out later years...

metrophoto said...

wow! i enjoyed every bit of that post =)

happy anniversary guys!

can I invite myself on the next one? hahaha =)

-oly

greta, smitten said...

augh! i missed two posts?! i'm slackin!!!! this is one of my fave posts everrrrrr!!! old pics are so fun and ya'll are a freaking ADORABLE couple, NOT just saying that either!! assuming those are doc martins you're sportin, i had the exact same pair... in fact, i think they're STILL in my closet 10 years later! :) happy (better late than never) anniversary baxters!!!!

cassandra-m said...

Thanks for sharing your story. I knew it was a special one. You guys have that "once in a lifetime love"...I know you will never forget that. Two beautiful people...two beautiful hearts! Happy Anniversary and many, many, many, many, many MORE. Wishing you & your family the best, always!

ayesha said...

Aww Happy Anniversary!! I really enjoyed look at the slideshow and how you have both grown in love together. I wish you both many many more years and happiness!

Studio222 Photography said...

"RAD" is the only word that comes to mind while viewing all those photos. LOL. YAY! I loved learning how you guys became OHANA. ;)

Wai Reyes Photography said...

Happy Anniversary, you guys! That was some rad party at your wedding; I love it! :) It must be party at your house every day... will you adopt me? LOL!

Pam said...

I can't believe you didn't have a wedding in hawaii! I guess honeymooning in hawaii is just as good. Ohana knows how to party! We love the Outrigger Reef, we stay there whenever we're in hawaii!
Congratulations you two!
I love April's pictures, muy talented family you have =)

Val McCormick Photography said...

Happy Anniversary to such an awesome couple! What a beautiful once upon a time and happily ever after! BTW my three year went nuts over April's drawing. We LOVED it!

Julie Cruz said...

LOVED the whole recap and pics! You guys rock!! :) HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOFO's!!! :)
XOXOXOXOXOXO!!!!

Candy said...

Happy Anniversary David and Kimi!! Wow, I just realized it's my 3rd anniversary of enjoying your anniversary post's!! I LOVE the way you love each other! <3

Anonymous said...

WOWEE! Great story...Happy Anniversary! Fabulous tribute to the two of you and to lasting marriages!!! YAY!

emily said...

happy anniversary guys!!!!

Christina Lee Photography said...

Happy Anniversary, what an amazing story and thanks for sharing.

Impressions by Nudrat Photography said...

Happy Anniversary guys! You are crazy hot, my god! Wishing you many, many years of happiness my friend...best...xxx

Jeanette said...

congratulations! Loved your story, always knew you two were very special, and those pics are so fun to look at, whoo!

Mel Watson said...

Happy Anniversary you sexy beasts!! Those wedding shots are crazy fun.... you guys were too cool for your own good back then. ;) Wishing you both lots of love and happiness together for at least 100 more years.

PS: the eyeball spot coloring is inspirational. You should implement it into your workflow.

lin - pet photographer said...

Wow. Just wow! I'm floored! Awesome post you to! I loved it. Thank you for sharing your story and happy anniversary!!

Adrienne Gunde said...

That story was amazing! Exciting, funny, romantic - all rolled into one! (And I admit to getting a little teary eyed at the end of it!) Congratulations and wishing you many more fantastic years to come!

pinky said...

Happy Anniversary! I love your story, got really teary eyed =) You are both beautiful, loved all the photos!! And hey I think I saw Ko Olina ;) Congratulations!

Bri said...

Happy Anniversary!!!
This is such a great post and tells an awesome story of your love :)

amber dawn said...

Hooray! Happy Anniversary! :)
You two are just so amazing! It's so great to learn more about your love each year! Good job, Mr. Baxter. ;) Kimi...way to train him! ha ha! You guys rock!

Marissa Feliciano said...

OK I admit it, I got teary-eyed towards the end of the story. I loved reading it and seeing all the photos! I feel like I just had a mind-meld and now have all of your memories! LOL! You are now fore-warned, I'm crashing your second wedding.

Unknown said...

RAD photos man I loved them!!!

Rachael Earl said...

So glad to finally know the story behind the crazy toga picture (which wasn't actually a toga after all!). What a great story-it reminds me slightly of how I met my husband! But I couldn't find anywhere how many years you guys have been married, so Happy __th Anniversary! (If it's in the slideshow, I couldn't get it to play...) Have an awesome day!

scejka said...

You guys so rock! This post was a trip...love all the old scans. Whenever the next wedding is, you'll have no shortage of photogs that will shoot for beer (and will be bringing cameras in rediwhip-proof housing)

Zak said...

All I can say is I have a huge smile from reading your story. :D Happy anniversary!

Wayne Toshikazu said...

Happy Anniversary, guys! Love love love the pics and walk down memory lane! :)

Regina White said...

You guys are so cute! Love the story! Wishin you two the best on this anniversary!

Patti said...

Ahhh, the wonderful memories of that totally awesome trip. I'm so happy you two found each other. It was truly meant to be! Love you both!!

Ginger Murray said...

SOme of these photos really crack me up:)
Kim was and is seriously freaking gorgeous. What in the world was she thinking gettin with a goof off like you;)

"Anniversary.... anniversary!"

Happy anniversary to you both!!! Definitely something to celebrate!!

melissa o said...

I think this may be my favorite post yet (and you guys have KILLER posts...so this is BIG)

MA5EN said...

You guys are the bestest! I'm so stoked to know you as photographers, but even more happy to have you guys as friends. You're both one of a kind. I'm so bummed I'm not in town to take you guys out to celebrate! I have so many incredible jokes about David from these images that I can't possibly fit them into one comment! Dammit!

See you guys soon.

Happy Anniversary! JACKPOT! ;)

Blair Van Bussel said...

Oh MY GOODNESS.... you guys are just too perfect together , and such a freakin hottie couple! Your story is the sweetest, and I just love that you shared it. As Sean and I are coming up on our big 1 year , I seriously cant wait to be in a place like you and Kimi one day! xoxo Love you both! and Happy anniversary!

kymberli q. said...

Those photos never get old!! You two are such a fantastic couple! Hope you two had a great day! We love you!!

C.J. Scott said...

Awwww...I love this post!!! Happy Anniversary! I hope you and Kim enjoyed your celebration :)

daniel said...

Congrats!

Tammi Nowack Photography said...

ha! What a fun post! :)

Happy anniversary!

Chris H said...

Totally loved this post. Just brought a smile to my face. Happy anniversary!

erica said...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! I love these pictures ;)

robin said...

Happy anniversary! Congratulations on all the good years--definitely go for double or nothing!

Onada - Fashion and Photography said...

hhahaha LOVE THE PHOTOS. Happy Anniversary to you both. you guys are awesome!

Heather said...

The pictures in your slideshow are AWESOME!! I think you guys had the funnest wedding ever! So when's the next one I want to plan for it :) A Hawaii wedding sounds like a plan!
Congratulations guys! Cheers to many more years of love to come!

Lynn Dao Photography said...

Happy anniversary you two! That looked like the most awesome wedding ever!!!

Melissa said...

Now that's the reception to be at!! Sweet pics guys, you looked like little kids!

erin kate said...

happy anniversary!!!

great story and even better pics!

my hubby and i got engaged at the cabrillo too!

Heather Cole said...

Happy Anniversary!!!!! WOOT WOOT!!!

Stephen Grant said...

BIG smile streching' across my face reading this post! Does it get any better than that?!? I think NOT! Congrats to a killer couple, and two solid hearts. Keep on truckin'!

Tiffany said...

Happy Anniversary to you both!! You are such very cool people! :)
Hope to meet up again sometime soon!

Staja Studios said...

CONGRATULATIONS YOU TWO!

What a great story, and nicely told David. I wish you both many more!

Staja Studios said...

CONGRATULATIONS YOU TWO!

What a great story, and nicely told David. I wish you both many more!

Steve said...

Hey congrats guys this is an awesome post and the pics are fantastic!

Alice Hu said...

What a great story...thank you for sharing!

Peggy said...

You two looked like Barbie and Ken dolls, young Barbie and Ken wow! Hot stuff! Loved the video of a peak into your lives! I agree with everyone else, next wedding in Hawaii and we're ALL invited ;)
Congrats you two hope you have many more to come!

Jen said...

Wow, David, absolutely BEAUTIFULLY told. Thank you for sharing your LOVE Story with us all, who follows you on your Blog. Breathtaking pictures....

Lorelei said...

oh wow Happy Anniversary to you guys! I loved your post from last year and this one was even better! Here's to many more happy's!!!

(and thanks for the kick arse encouragement on my new site, you guys are too cool for words :D )

Kara May said...

OMGOSH HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!! I've missed checking my friends blog since I moved, but I'm back in the game now and will check yours more regularly!
Love this post!! I feel like I know you guys. I grew up in Carlsbad Cali and my sister's wedding was very similar to yours (prob a similar year). You guys are a good looking couple. Congrats again and thanks for sharing this with us all. XOXOX

Christopher said...

I am not sure if someone could ask for abetter gift than that!

Erin Harvey said...

Thanks for the story and all the photos, love it!! You guys sure know how to have fun... I hope you guys make it to 73 years plus some. =)

Amy said...

Hope you guys had an awesome anniversary!!!

Cindy {orange turtle} said...

Best anniversary story. Ever. :) Wow thanks for sharing guys! And now you guys have 2 beautiful girls to celebrate with you! Life is...beautiful! Congratulations!

Erin Cady said...

Awww, that is such an amazing story! You guys are too cute! I hope you had a fabulous anniversary and I'm sure you have many more to come. Congrats!

Eric Foley said...

I can't get enough of those hoop earrings! Awesome ;)

Denise Karis said...

oh my goodness - I love hearing about how couples met - you both are so so so cute together - I love how she made sure everyone had fun at your wedding - so sweet!!! Happy anniversary!

Holli True said...

Can I just say that I absolutely LOVE how much you two express your love to each other. It is so refreshing, so pure, and just all around awesome!! :) Happy (belated) Anniversary!! Wishing you many, many more!

Unknown said...

Happy belated anniversary! What a beautiful love story that God has written for you two! :)

Excited about the many more chapters He will add to it!

d2oshots said...

Belated happy anniversary! That was a super nice love story! I got goose bumps all over. May you have many, many more years together! Stay happy!

amanda lynn photography said...

oh muh gosh. saw some of these on facebook but was moronic to the fact that it was your anniversary.

so.... happy happy anniversary to you both. :)

love these moments. olan mills made me giggle among some of the others. great stuff!

Will Parris said...

Awesome, awesome and more awesome! When you guys throw that reception - holy crap are we down for that (or anything else with you party people!)

Happy anniversary!!! Much aloha from the Parris Ohana :D

crissy farah said...

Happy Happy Belated Anniversary! I absolutely loved the trip down memory lane, God really does have a plan and you two are living proof! :)

Maya Laurent said...

These photos are classic!!! Happy anniversary!

jennifer said...

i love that story!! happy anniversary.