General Info
Names
Kara Leigh Aubert
Steven Andrew Loeppky
Birthdays
September 2nd, 1985
June 5th, 1984
Birthplace
Bellingham, Washington
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Email Addresses
kara @ loeppky.com
steven @ loeppky.com
Family Info
Parent Names
Jamey and Kodi
Dave and Sharon
Sibling Names and Ages
Kati (23) and B.I.L. Mike (21)
Mitch (13) and George (9)
Favorite Family Vacation
Maui - April 2001
Newfoundland - Dec. 2004
Music
Favorite Bands
1. U2
2. Jennifer Knapp
3. Coldplay
1. U2
2. Dave Matthews Band
3. Pink Floyd
Favorite Songs
1. Please
2. All I Want Is You
3. Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
1. Where The Streets Have No Name
2. Walk On
3. One Tree Hill
Note: all songs are by U2.
Movies
Favorite Movies
1. Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade
2. A League Of Their Own
3. The Chipmunk Adventure
1. Amistad
2. Braveheart
3. Return of the Jedi
Favorite Actor
Tom Hanks
Anthony Hopkins
Favorite Actress
Reese Witherspoon
Carrie Fischer
Favorite Movie Role to Play
Queen Amadala/Padmé
Chewbacca
Schooling
High School
Sehome High School
Bellingham, WA
2004 Graduate
Sehome High School
Bellingham, WA
2002 Graduate
Undergraduate Studies
University of Washington
Speech and Hearing
Sciences
Completion: 12/07
University of Washington
Computer Engineering
Completion: 6/06
Graduate Studies
Certainly. Location TBD.
Not planning on it.
Memories
Funniest of Each Other
When Steve was dancing to a song at my house and went to do a dance move, but at that moment tripped over his own feet and toppled over instantly.
Any of Kara’s facial expressions when I say something stupid.
Favorite Date
Operation D21, Christmas ‘05
Cliffhouse, Summer ‘05
Driving Between Seattle and Bellingham Pastimes
1. Taking photographs of each other.
2. Putting 500 U2 songs on shuffle and seeing who can guess each song name first.
3. Alternating words while singing U2 songs.
Travel
#1 Place to Visit in the US
New York City
Yosemite
#1 Place to Visit in Canada
Prince Edward Island
Newfoundland
#1 Place to Visit in the World
Ireland
Sub-Sahara Africa
Other Info
Favorite Color
Purple (could you guess?)
Blue with a touch of red in it
Favorite Food
Fajitas (Sharon style)
Sushi
Favorite Dessert
Chocolate
Candy-apple pie (Verna style)
Our Story
Lep and Kare first really met while serving on the street up in Vancouver, BC in August 2000. Lep thought Kare was cool, and was stoked to learn that she’d be at the same high school as him. Through being at the same high school and youth group, they got to spend some good time getting to know each other as friends. Common activities included high school sporting events, music concerts, movie nights, and snow days. Additional bonding occurred as opportunities to work with people on the street in Downtown Bellingham opened up.
Now during this year, Lep’s best friend, Mike Baker, linked up with Kara’s sister, Kati. When March came along, it was time to find a date for Junior Prom. Given the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing, Mike asked Kati. Since Kati would be graduating that year, Lep thought it would be cool to ask Kare to the dance so the sisters would have one more chance to boogie before Kati headed out. In addition, Kare was a great friend, so it was an obvious “win-win”.
What appeared to be a logical decision, turned out to be a very fateful move. The night of dinner and dancing fanned the flame that had been kindling during the year. When Lep got home from the dance and brushed his teeth, he couldn’t deny that his love for Kare was more than it would be for a regular friend of the female gender. Now, the following week, Kara and family were heading to Maui. While the Auberts were bathing on the beach, Lep was talking with a diverse portfolio of people about what he was thinking/feeling. The result of the conversations was clear: it was time for Lep to act and make his feelings known.
Far before the romantic interests in Kara were blooming, Lep had arranged (some would say self-invited) to go to Maui with Mike and his family, who were conveniently staying in the same condo complex as the Auberts! So a few days after the Auberts arrived, Lep and Mike were boogie-boarding alongside the Aubert girls. Awesome! Because Mike and Lep were so eager to see the ladies, the Auberts were having a hard time getting time alone as a family, thus they arranged for a day trip to the north side of the island where they conveniently didn’t have room for the two boys. While they initially pouted with their tails between their legs, they rebounded by taking on the mission of designing a world class scavenger hunt for the ladies.
After a days work of planning, writing, and shopping, it was go time when the Auberts returned. They were greeted by a rhyme/riddle on their doorstep directing them to the next clue. Each step in the scavenger hunt, yielded a gift for the ladies from Hawaii’s very own ABC Stores. While Kati and Kara were finding the clues accross the condo complex, Lep and Mike were tracking their progress and setting up the remaining clues. The second to last clue, really had two clues: one for Kati and one for Kara. Kati’s clue brought her to Mike, and Kara’s to Lep on the beach. Perfect!
On the beach, Lep emphasized the three reasons why he was (and is!) so attracted to Kare. The first reason was Kara’s great faith. She simply trusts that God will work and provide. The second was her personality that cares so intensely for people yet is also pleasant to be around. Thirdly was her immense beauty, head to toe. Kara had mutual feelings, and thus the relationship was on!
The following five years were filled with a lot of learning and a lot of fun. With Steve at UW for two years before Kare, plenty of time was spent on the phone, which has its advantages and disadvantages. And then there was also Steve gone for two months in Bosnia. Kara and Lep are very different people, but are united in their commitment to Christ. Despite the time apart, they both grew on their own, thus grew in their relationship.
Then in December 2005, after being at UW together for over a year, the wheels were turning in Lep’s head for engagement. With a ring picked out and purchased, it was time to scheme. Surprise and echoes from their Hawaiian start were the goals to make Kara feel special. Yes, a scavenger hunt around Bellingham would do very nicely. With the help of many friends and family, the proposal was a success. You can read (and see) more about it on the engagement page.
Since the proposal, Lep and Kare had an incredible time being a part of Mike and Kati’s wedding. It is certainly the highlight of their year so far. Watching Mike and Kati has also got them excited for their own. With college wrapping up for Lep, finding a place to live, and Lep starting work, things have been a little hectic. That said, marriage and wedding preparation are underway, and Kara and Steve are eager to be united in marriage on August 18th!
Why We’re Getting Married
There are really multiple answers to this question. At a basic level it has to do with the fact that we can and that we want to. Some might ask, “But why when you’re so young? Don’t you want more years of freedom?” While we certainly acknowledge that getting married means giving up the ability to make our own decisions all the time, we believe there is something very significant and beautiful in committing to put someone else before oneself for a lifetime. In addition, we believe marriage to each other is really just an extension of the way we’ve aimed to live life with God: doing what He wants even if that conflicts with our own desires. We suspect that marriage will drive home this “your life is not your own” principle, which we believe will only deepen our relationship with each other and with God.
Another factor is that we know we want to fully commit to each other. We’ve known this for quite some time now, and want to live in the commitment as compared to just desire it so the benefits of marriage can be had. In dealing with God, one will find many math equations that don’t appear to make sense. One has to do with marriage. He can transform 1 + 1 = 2 into 1 + 1 > 2. This is by no means an explicitly stated guarantee for all couples who get married. But we have a firm conviction that if we faithfully submit to Him and each other, then we’ll be blessed, and this accounts for the “=” becoming a “>”. This blessing is by no means guaranteed or restricted to happiness, health, kids, or wealth. We would desire to be blessed with things that last beyond this life on earth. So if by coming together and serving one another we can become more, then game on! We are all the more eager to get married.
An additional point though about how this “becoming more” is used should be clarified, which ties into our vision for our marriage. Like everything else from God, we are blessed so we can bless others. While we desire to make each other feel treasured, we want to go beyond ourselves. We know that God will bring many others into our path. We want to love these people. Creating a home that is welcoming to anyone at any point and having flexibility in our schedules are a couple of ways we plan to accomplish this goal. We know though that we have much to learn and figure out. We look very forward to the process! Thanks for helping be apart of it.
-Steve and Kara
