Congratulations to Xavier and Connie Garza - the winners of the Tribune’s annual Valentine’s Day Contest!
They received the Ultimate Mullen Date Package, courtesy of the Tribune.
•Two 1-hour massages by Rebecca Wingebach of Sandhills Horizon Massage ($140 value)
•$30 gift certificate to their choice of Chuckwagon ’n Jug or Red’s Cafe
•$30 gift certificate to Kwik Stop
•$10 gift certificate to Coffee To Go-Go
Here is their story: by Connie C. Garza
How often, or even likely, is it that a person meets their soulmate at the age of 9 years old? Well, that’s how it all began for Xavier and Connie Garza, back in the day when it was cool to collect baseball cards and safely ride your bike to the park. Little did they know that their shared classes in elementary and middle school days would lead to this match made in Heaven. They honestly believe that
They honestly believe that God knew what He was doing all along. There were some definite key components at work such as, a disheveled lawn, a park bench, a missed movie, a lucky nickel, RCIA and a vacation cruise.
Being acquaintances since elementary, Xavier and Connie had mutual friends through Facebook and had friended each other in 2014, both commenting on various posts. Fast forward to the summer of 2018. Connie had just bought a house in her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, and her lawn was in dire need of landscaping. Xavier began messaging Connie and ultimately agreed to come give her a quote. What should have been a 30-minute meet ing, turned into a three-hour visit as conversation came to both so easily. Two days later, they agreed to meet again as Xavier invited Connie to meet him for a snow cone. Not wanting to leave Bella home alone, Connie brought Bella along for a harmless little encounter that led to sitting on a park bench talking for three more hours. Before the evening ended, Xavier asked Connie on a first real date, without Bella of course. They agreed to see a movie and to have drinks afterwards.
When they arrived at the movies, they bought tickets and popcorn and proceeded to the proper theatre only to find out the movie was sold out and that they bought the last two tickets which were directly beneath the screen. To avoid being blinded, they agreed to leave the movie and head downtown for drinks. After two large gator punch bowls and jalapeño poppers at Razzoos, Connie pulled out a nickel and dared him to a game of heads or tails to help decide where they would be going after drinks. After spinning the nickel 21 times and always landing on “heads,” it was decided it was a lucky nickel and had to be a sign of good things to come until… Xavier decided to give it to a homeless woman on their walk through the Fort Worth Water Gardens. Go figure.
As time went on, Xavier made a 9-month commitment to participate in the RCIA program and join the Catholic Church with Connie as his sponsor. This time together brought their relationship to a deeper understanding of what a real relationship meant. As a reward for completing the program, Xavier and Connie booked a 5-day Carnival cruise to Cozumel, which his guy friends prewarned him not to do. They suggested that Connie might be a crazy woman and that he would have to stick it out until the trip was over. As luck would have it, they both survived the 5-day venture and booked another cruise for their honeymoon.
In July 2018, the two were married in Texas and between the two, now had five kids and four grandkids. Of all the kids, Bella was the last one who was school age therefore moved with Xavier and Connie to Seneca, Nebraska, that November.
Since then, it seems that all signs pointed to them being together all along. There is even a middle school yearbook that holds an underlying inscription from Xavier to Connie. And not to mention, one of the only three Garbage Pail Kid Cards that Connie has left that has Xavier’s name on it. Oh and if you are one of the only people who knows what a Garbage Pail Kid Card is, then you are one of the lucky ones.
Of course, as there are two sides to every story, this version was offered up by Connie. You will have to talk with Xavier, himself, if you want it from a guy’s perspective.