Couple Feature: Sean and Katie Curry

At Sam Houston State University when Katie graduated with her Master's degree

REQUIRED QUESTIONS

Tell us about your first date.

Sean: Well, we technically had two. Our first real date was dinner at Los Cucos and then I took Katie to see “Monsters Inc.”. I was really nervous about taking her to a cartoon, but I figured I might as well get that out there right away to save us both time if it was a bad idea! We had a pre-date though where we met at a neutral location – the bookstore – and went to get lunch at the 59 Diner and then drove around for a bit and talked. I figured that way she could check to make sure I wasn’t a complete nut job before going out with me at night.

Katie: Sean is right. Our first real date was dinner at Los Cucos and Monsters Inc. It should be noted that I met him at the bookstore that time too, I think, as I hadn’t yet allowed him to know where I lived. A girl’s gotta be cautious these days. And since I had been on so few dates prior to meeting Sean, I wasn’t certain that I had been asked out on a date in the first place!

Our first trip to Cincinnati together. We were young and thin then.

Tell us something most people don’t know about you and your spouse.

Sean: Um… my hair has been many different colors including but not limited to: black, blonde, green, purple, and hot pink. Many people don’t know that Katie was an undercover, child operative in New Zealand. She tells people that she was there with the Houston’s Children’s Chorus but that was just the front.

Katie: This is so unfair-Sean’s answers are WAY funnier than mine. That’s what I get for letting him go first, I suppose. Okay, so most people don’t know that Sean actually attended a bilingual elementary and multi-lingual junior high and high schools. He learned both English and German growing up and eventually traveled to Germany in middle school. I think a lot of people also don’t realize that Sean is a voracious reader. He always has a book with him if he thinks there may be any down time. Most people don’t know that I am actually very shy. Yes, yes-I know you’re shaking your head right now, but it’s true! I really didn’t start coming out of my shell until my junior year in high school. Even now, I usually find it easier to speak to large groups of people than get to know someone new one-on-one. Finally, most people don’t know that I was diagnosed with depression about five years ago. While my episodes are fewer and farther between these days, I am still learning how to daily trust the Lord and believe what He says about me. Knowing the truth in God’s word has made a huge difference for me in combating the lies that seep into my mind during these times.

Sean's elementary school

What are your goals for the future, both as a couple and individually?

Sean: My goal for us is to continue to get better at looking to God for guidance and grow closer to Him. If we can do that, and encourage one another to do that I know we’ll automatically become better for each other as well.

Katie: I have lots of hopes and dreams for the future-I think I would enjoy writing reviews of children’s books and working from home; I think I would like to write a children’s book myself: I think I would like to be a mom; I would definitely like to audition for and perform in a Broadway musical. However, right now, I am completely content where I am, and know that any changes that come our way are from God’s hand and by His design.

What is the best gift you have ever given to your spouse? What is the best gift you’ve ever received from your spouse?

Sean: I have to say the best gift ever was probably our “Tile Floor”. Anyone who’s been to our house may have noticed a small wooden serving tray with lots of multi-colored pieces on it. Early on in our relationship, Katie and I talked about how building a relationship was much like laying a tile floor. You had to make sure you started in the right place – God – and then build out from there always making sure everything was square. Katie went out and bought all the pieces and created that small “Tile Floor” as her wedding gift to me. It starts with the tiles in the shape of a cross and then all the others have little things that she and I share written on them. It’s something I still look at and think about and really appreciate.

As for the “best” gift I ever got for her, it’s tough to say. I know it will most likely be something fairly small and inexpensive, but I’m not sure what it may be.

Katie: The best gifts I get from Sean are small, inexpensive, and often unexpected. One time I talked and talked and talked about these colored pens that I wanted so badly (I have a thing for school supplies-to the extent that I am no longer allowed in Office Max without a chaperone), and the next morning I walked out my front door to find that Sean had purchased the pens and strung them in front of my front door in a make-shift mobile. On our first Valentine’s Day, I walked out to my car only to find that it was covered in Monsters Inc. valentines (this was an especially big deal because Sean lived at 1960 and I-45 at the time, and I worked all the way out off of Barker Cypress, past 290). Just recently I had a horrible day at work and came home to find that I had won the Best Wife of 2008 award. Sean made a poster declaring all the reasons I won the award, and flanked the poster with two vases of fall flowers. He also bought me fresh fruit (because award winners always get a fruit basket), and later in the week I received the actual award (because they always come later)-a Pajama Gram (fuzzy, flannel pjs).

I’m not gonna lie-the serving tray with the “tile floor” is probably the best gift I’ve ever come up with!

What is your favorite Bible verse? Why?

Sean: ”Do your best, prepare for the worst – then trust God to bring victory.” Proverbs 21:31, Message Translation. It may be cheating since this is a fairly recent verse that I encountered when preparing a lesson, but it really stands out to me as a great “motto”. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in what we can do or didn’t do, should do or don’t want to and then try to figure everything else besides out all by ourselves. This simply reminds us to remember our place in the universe. We are responsible to make the most with what we have, but to ultimately leave the rest to God and His plan.

Katie: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:9-10.

“But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud and he answers me from His holy hill.” Psalm 3:3-4

The first verse reminds me to do the right thing, even when I don’t feel like it, and to extend grace and kindness to others in the same way it has been extended to me by the Lord. The second verse reminds me that the Lord protects me and that I can, and should, cry out to Him at all times. This verse is especially dear to me because I have experienced its truth first hand.

Katie shows her Baylor spirit in Banff, Canada.

YOU CHOOSE QUESTIONS

If you could be any animal, what would you be?

Sean: I’d be a horse with a sword on its head – that’s different than a unicorn, it’s way manlier.

Katie: Clearly, I am married to a comedian. Well, in high school my squad on drill team was the purple pandas, so maybe I would be a panda.

Besides your family, pets or Bible, what one item would you want with you if stranded on a deserted island?

Sean: A library is one item right? If it just happens to be full of books that’s ok (hah! I’ll bet everyone thought I’d pick a toy, well let’s face it: I’ll have enough to worry about an a deserted island without having Optimus Prime become my best friend and confidant).

Katie: And now he’s stealing my answers. Since on a good day my skin might go from white to off-white, I would probably need to bring a high SPF sunscreen. Being stranded would be bad enough without being burnt to a crisp.

If you were written about in the newspaper, on the front page, what would the head

line say?

Sean: LOCAL MAN BURIED ALIVE BENEATH AVALANCHE OF TOYS

Katie: WIFE PREDICTED TOY DISASTER; HUSBAND TURNED DEAF EAR TO WARNINGS

The scene of the crime, though I don't think the picture quite does justice to the collection

What is your best karaoke song?

Sean: Frank Sinatra’s “New York”

Katie: Respect by Aretha Franklin

What is your top area of expertise?

Sean: Anything having to do with the Holy Trinity: Star Wars, Transformers or GI Joe… and hobo lore. One can never be too prepared for the hobo uprising.

Katie: I am good at and enjoy proofreading. I know a good bit about children’s and young adult literature, and I am pretty good at getting students, even the most reluctant ones, to write and write well. I also have a vast vocabulary. And if you ever need someone to quote an episode of “Saved by the Bell” word for word-I’m your girl.

Sean, looking very pilot-like

QUESTIONS FROM THE CLASS

Sean - What are your favorite books? Katie - What are your favorite cartoon series? I would appreciate it if both of you used "chops" in your answer. (Submitted by Nick Cochran)

Sean: I’m glad to see you asked “books” plural as I doubt there is only one I could choose. I’ll start though with Robert Heinlein and “Tunnel In the Sky”. My mom gave it to me and it was the first real sci-fi book I read and I was hooked from that point on. Heinlein has a fairly vast catalogue of books as he had some real writing chops and I’ve read most of them; there are only a couple I wouldn’t recommend to someone. I’m a big sci-fi fan in general – no surprise there I’m sure – and I prefer the “golden age” authors like Heinlein, Asimov, Simak and Clement among others. Fortunately there is a new crop of writers who utilize a similar style and aren’t dead, who I’ve been reading as well.

Beyond that I’ve been on a Robert B Parker kick lately and I’m making my way through all his “Spenser” novels. They’re fun, quick reads that really hold your attention from start to finish. I’m a fan of the quick-witted detective/cop novel in general I suppose.

Of course, I’ve also read everything Stephen King has written.

Then there’s also non-fiction – be it ancient through modern world history, travel essays, sociological studies or astronomy and cosmology – I’m a fan of it all.

Basically, if you walk into Barnes & Noble you can point anywhere and I’ll find something I like in any section (except maybe Romance – mostly b/c I’m kind of embarrassed at all the books with my picture on the covers. I was young; I needed the money).

Katie: I suspect Nick asked this question because Sean is known for his affinity for Transformer and GI Joe cartoons, and I am known for having book-related chops. My favorite cartoons of all time were Tiny Toons and Animaniacs. They were the perfect mix of slap stick comedy combined with witty repartee. My sister and I still quote lines from Pinky and The Brain to one another:

“Pinky, are you pondering what I’m pondering?”

“I think so Brain, but me and Pippy Longstocking-what would the children look like?”

Now anytime you hear the word "chops", you'll probably think of this picture-Sean sporting the "mutton chops" style of facial hair

Besides Jesus, who in the Bible do you look to as a role model? Why? (Submitted by Nick Cochran)

Sean: I don’t know if role model is quite appropriate but I identify with Thomas and his “doubting” moniker. For so long I thought I was so clever and questioned everything and finally God opened my eyes and showed me how little I really know. The best part is that He still loves me. Jesus still died for me and he’s even willing to put up with my occasional questions that may come across as disbelief. He did that for Thomas and he does that for me.

Katie: My answer is similar to Sean’s in that I don’t so much look up to this person, but instead, find myself identifying with her. In Luke 10:38, Martha gets all caught up in preparing for Jesus and his disciples to come to her home, while her sister Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.” Martha complains to Jesus about how she was left to do all the work to which Jesus replies that Mary has actually chosen the better thing. I am a detail person and like to have a plan for most everything. And when it comes to social events, I get way too caught up in the preparation and making sure everything goes just right and miss out on the heart of the get together, which is investing in others lives and building relationships. My penchant for details often keeps me from sitting at the Lord’s feet and hearing what He has to say to me, because I’m too caught up in my own plans. So this story of Mary and Martha reminds me to be more like Mary, and to focus on the important things in life.

Describe what would be your perfect day together! (Submitted by Mike and Suzi Rogers)

Sean: We’re fortunate in that both of us are home-bodies at heart and so we get opportunities for wonderful days all the time. Just being able to get up on our own schedule and spend time walking, talking or even vegging on the couch laughing at one of our favorite shows. Ultimately, the perfect day involves being able to spend as much time together as we can.

Katie: A perfect day for me always begins by getting to sleep in and wake up without an alarm! We truly are home-bodies and are completely content to hang around the house being silly together. But I think my perfect day would involve a trip to the park to have a picnic. Then we’d relax on the blanket and read, or walk around and explore.

What is the best date or the best trip that y'all have ever been on together? (Submitted by Kim and Eric Moore)

Sean: Well, it’s a bit of a toss-up between Calgary and New York City. In Calgary I was waylaid by my allergies though so incredible scenery and fantastic driving roads aside, I might not have been the best companion. With that in mind I’ll pick NYC.

I had been there numerous times before, but Katie had never had the opportunity. It was fun to wander around and do the touristy things and just enjoy the atmosphere that really can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

We got to see a show, which we almost missed thanks to me mis-remembering the date of the performance, wandered around most of Central Park from the top to the bottom, ate at some great restaurants and enjoyed the majesty and magic of the New York Subway System.

Katie: Our two “big” trips since being married were to New York for our first anniversary, and to Calgary, Canada for our 3^rd. But we’ve also been to Cincinnati, Ohio, Indianapolis, Indiana and Cocoa Beach, Florida. I love traveling with Sean because he understands my need for a vacation that involves sleeping in. No matter how much there is to see, I always enjoy it more if I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn. Sean has a great “go-with-the-flow” attitude that makes him easy to vacation with. We make plans for what we want to see, but those plans are flexible and can include getting up late, or going back to the hotel for a nap if need be. I have favorite things about all of these vacations. The weather and scenery in Calgary was amazing; New York was just plain exhilarating-and just like it looks on TV! Cincy is always fun (except for the mandatory visit to Skyline Chili) because it is where Sean grew up, and he is always excited to show me his favorite places and tell me stories about them. Cocoa Beach was a great vacation because Sean was finally able to experience a traditional vacation with my side of the family. It may sound cheesy, but the bottom line is that Sean and I enjoy spending time together. That enjoyment is simply enhanced when we get to discover new sights together.

In front of a fountain in Indianapolis

In Canada, after hiking up a trail near Lake Louise

Sean has mad sandcastle building skills, as demonstrated here, on Cocoa Beach

When did you know Sean/Katie was THE ONE? (Submitted by April Landes)

Sean: I don’t know that there was a bolt of blue either so much, but I still was captivated pretty much right away. I think my friend and landlord at the time spotted it first and after only a couple of dates.

Katie: I’m not sure that I ever had a bolt of lightning type experience. I would say that the turning point though came after I broke up with Sean for a couple of days. I was feeling suffocated in the relationship-Sean was always around and seemed much more enthralled with me than I was with him, and I just needed some space to figure things out. It was during that time that I figured out how to ask for “me” time without worrying about hurting Sean’s feelings, and I figured out that I enjoyed my life much more with him in it.

Katie-How long have you been singing/in choir?


Sean - Have you ever been in choir? I know you sing (recall game night karaoke..hehe). (Submitted by Stephanie Cortez)

Sean: Outside of mandatory school performances, I’ve never sung in a choir. I do have a fairly musically inclined family. Back when my parents first started seeing each other and were married, they sang bluegrass and folks music in a band. My mom sings and played the mountain dulcimer, and my dad used to sing and play the guitar, harmonica, penny whistle and recorder. My mom’s dad also taught music and piano in an Ohio public school and played the pipe organ in an Episcopal church in Cincinnati. Whether I was hiding up in the choir loft while Grandpa played the organ, or hanging out in bars listening to my dad and his friends jam on Sunday afternoons – drinking orange juice don’t worry – I had a wide and varied musical exposure. All of that is to say that I was apparently far more interested in listening to everyone else sing and play music vs actually participating in it myself. Katie says I can carry a tune. Since I grew up as an only child, I spent a lot of time singing along in my room to my records: be it the HMS Pinafore recording or The Rocky Horror Picture Show Movie Soundtrack (that I would sneak away from my parents’ record collection) and everything in between on vinyl, I had a diverse catalog to mimic. Hence, I must have other people singing the melody nearby or at least music so I can find the melody myself. I can’t really pick out various parts and I can’t do harmonies because I wind up listening to the other people around me and lose my place. I tend to slide up and down the scale I know, b/c unless I’m really belting it out I don’t have much of a range. I think over all my specialty is sleazy-lounge-singer, and there don’t seem to be many choirs that call for that.

Katie: My mom says that I could match pitch as early as 18 months. She sang hymns to me when she would rock me to sleep and somewhere along the line, I just started singing along! I sang in children’s choir and youth choir growing up, and I also attended adult choir rehearsals with my parents-I sat in the sanctuary and did my homework while they rehearsed. I learned a lot of great church music during that time! Between 5^th grade and 7^th grade I sang in the Houston Children’s Chorus and got to do lots of cool things like travel to El Paso, Hawaii and New Zealand to sing. We also got to sing for a prayer breakfast for former president Bush. In high school I sang in choir for 2 years, but the choir director was pretty awful and hateful, so I did drill team instead. I sang in choir at Baylor and took voice lessons for a year. Right now I sing alto in the CFBC choir and I sing in a quartet through an organization called Sweet Adelines International. We sing four part barbershop harmony, and I sing the tenor part, which is like soprano. I have a fairly musical family-both my parents sing, my mom plays the piano and directed children’s choirs when I was little. My grandmommy is a former Sweet Adeline and currently sings in a chamber choir in Florida. My Aunt Dale sings as well, and has played handbells. I don’t know what I would do if singing was not a part of my life. On my worst day, singing has the power to lift me up and make me feel better.