(Photo submitted by the Noems)
By Rachel McIntosh, Staff Writer -- mcintosh14@up.edu
Start with a shy college boy. Add a talkative college girl. Mix in a freshman humanities seminar and sprinkle a hard chemistry class on top. According to Josh and Stacey Noem, this is the perfect recipe for a match made in college.
"The first thing I noticed about Josh was that he never talked," Stacey said. "I couldn't believe someone could remain so silent for so long in a class. But he just walked up to me one day and introduced himself. I thought that was remarkably confident. I was intimidated, but he smelled really good."
The Noems were married the day after finals in 1998 at Sacred Heart chapel on the Notre Dame campus where they met. They have been together for 17 years and they have three kids: Oscar, 10, Simon-Peter, 5, and Lucy, 3. Though their love story is a cute one, there have been some challenges and funny stories mixed in.
"I took Stacey home to meet my parents, and she killed a deer," Josh said.
On their drive from Florida to South Dakota, Stacey was driving on unfamiliar roads at three in the morning.
"I cut off a semi on a bridge, and I hit a deer," Stacey said. "I killed an animal, and all Josh said to me was, ‘You killed Bambi's mother.'"
For most couples, working together in the same office would be out of the question. But Josh and Stacey seem to flourish sharing a job as assistant directors for faith formation in the Campus Ministries office.
"We identify with the challenges of work. It allows us to empathize with each other," Stacey said.
"We share insights and perspectives and that's what makes it easy," Josh said.
Josh and Stacey enjoy spending time together hiking outdoors and watching quirky documentaries such as "Spellbound" and hours of ESPN. In college they also bonded over their love of basketball as they played one-on-one in the mornings before class.
"Josh doesn't let me win, and that's good," Stacey said.
Their advice for young college students in love is patience.
"There is no timeline for a relationship; let it unfold in a timeline. Our relationships made us better people, and called us out on things," Stacey said.
A relationship should not be entered lightly. Josh and Stacey believe relationships are meant to build you up, rather than break you down.
"It is a danger sign if relationships stifle aspects of your personality. The relationship should encourage your personality to flourish, because there is no room for fear in
a relationship," Josh said.
- Rachel McIntosh
(Photo submitted by the Noems)
