Love that lasts

Sometimes a love story begins with a letter, a long walk, or passing hellos. But what starts as a spark grows into something more—through distance and difficulty, through ordinary Tuesdays and extraordinary challenges, through the daily choice to show up for another person.

The distance between
Scobie and Alisa Carslake
Atsugi, Japan. 6,300 miles away from the Quad Cities, Scobie and Alisa met. Scobie was in the US Navy, stationed in Atsugi. Alisa was helping to run a summer camp for military kids through a University of Northern Iowa program. Neither expected this summer romance to last past August.

Alisa returned home and began writing letters. When Scobie got new orders in the states, she seized a brief overlap in their schedules and wrote a letter listing the top 10 reasons to visit Iowa. Scobie ‘fell for the trap’ and scheduled a quick trip that just happened to coincide with Alisa’s sister’s graduation where he met the entire family.

After another summer apart, Scobie visited again in the fall, and they decided to try a long distance relationship. Many hours on the phone followed (at 10 cents per minute), many trips scraped together during breaks. Two years after they first met, Scobie proposed on a California beach after a hot air balloon ride.

They married on Kauai on New Year’s Eve.

“I fell for the accent, but unfortunately that’s something I can no longer hear,” Alisa said, laughing. “But what’s so much more important is the way Scobie always takes care of everyone around him and has fun in everything he does. I love that we laugh together.”

They’ve been blessed with four children—two in college and two in high school.

Eleven years ago, the Carslakes made a significant choice. They downsized to a much smaller house on the river because they wanted to spend their summers boating. A sign in their home captures the philosophy: “Less house, more home.”

“It isn’t about what you have in life but who you have in your life,” Alisa said.

When Alisa returned to work full-time four years ago, they made another promise: travel more as a family and as a couple. They’ve taken trips across the United States and to Australia and Mexico. Scobie has gotten good at planning spontaneous couple trips.

The beginning of their relationship wasn’t easy because of distance, but they made each other a priority.

“We’ve always told our kids when choosing someone to spend their life with, not to focus on things like money that ultimately don’t matter,” Alisa said. “Be with someone you love to hang out with, who makes you comfortable, and puts a smile on your face every day.”

 

Trust through six decades
John and Judy Robinson
It was October 1962 when John and Judy had their first date. A few days later, John asked Judy to go for a walk. The two walked five miles, talking about everything. They credit a lot of their relationship to that walk.

“I think we knew,” Judy said. “It just settled in on us.”

John proposed on Christmas Day in a church parking lot.

Judy responded with, “I don’t know.”

“I was 20 years old. My dad had told me, ‘I believe if you get married when you’re young, you commit to each other for life.’ We talked it through and I accepted the ring.”

They married on December 24, 1965. The wedding day was dark and cold. They got a flat tire on the way home. Judy, in high heels and a hat, held a flashlight while John changed the tire in the blustery cold.

When they arrived at their Philadelphia apartment on Christmas Day, all Judy wanted was a hot bath. But John had left a surprise: a Christmas tree in the bathtub…now filled with pine tar.

“It took forever to get the pine tar off,” Judy said. “We had challenges along the way but they make life sweeter. It really goes back to that first walk. We knew what kind of life we wanted together.”

This past Christmas, the Robinsons renewed their vows in honor of their 60th wedding anniversary, surrounded by loved ones.

If they could tell newlyweds one thing about making it 60 years?

“Build trust,” John said. “That’s the foundation.”

“To love and trust each other,” Judy agrees. “I also think marriage is about understanding the other person comes first without sacrificing your own beliefs. We’ve always loved being with each other. It didn’t matter what we were doing.”

“Doing wallpaper wasn’t necessarily a joyous thing,” John joked.

“But we’ve done that together too,” Judy said.

 

Just next door
Matt and Meredith Mercer
Meredith doesn’t remember the first time she met Matt. There were hallway hellos over the years at Winding Hills Apartments in Davenport, a few short conversations. She realized he was special when she started hoping to bump into him. When friends asked if she was seeing anyone, she’d say no—but she did have this cute neighbor she was wondering about.

They were next-door neighbors for close to three years before ever interacting more than passing each other in the hall. Some memories involve laughing and debating what they heard in the ceiling. Was it really raccoons? They’ll never know.

“We found love in the last place I would’ve expected it, and that will always bring a smile to my face,” Matt said.

Meredith is a self-proclaimed introvert, but she can catch Matt off guard with her quick wit. Most mornings, Matt tries to write out three gratitudes, and more often than not, they’re a list of things Meredith has done for their family.

“Meredith has always been a very warm, family-focused, and selfless person. It was easy to see building a family together.”

Music has always played a role in their relationship. When they first started dating, Matt would send Meredith a song every morning.

“It could be argued he was less than impressed with my taste in music,” Meredith said, laughing. “But Poison is still great!”

“When I asked, ‘Who is your favorite band?’ and she responded with ‘Poison,’ I initially had concerns,” Matt joked. “I’m glad we could overcome them.”

The tradition carried over. They still send each other new songs from time to time that make them think of the other.