I married my high school sweetheart in New Jersey and the military brought us to San Diego. I was a military wife for 10 years, then suddenly my husband called it quits. He said he didn't want to be married anymore. It was extremely shocking.

After the unexpected divorce and being left with two children (ages 2 and 4), I never thought I'd fall in love again. My heart was broken. Here I was, 33 years old with a child still in diapers, no family nearby to help, and working extra hard to pay the bills. At night when the kids were all tucked in, I decided to try online dating. I didn't expect much since my profile included the fact that I had kids. Friends had mentioned Match.com, but the guys I met there just wanted to date; they weren't serious about a long-term relationship. I also tried eHarmony -- I figured all those questions would lead me to my perfect match, but they let me down too. Then I said, what the heck, I'll try Yahoo! Personals.

After just a few days, I saw that Dave had peeked at my profile. I checked his profile and thought he was handsome. He had something special about the depth of his eyes. I saw someone so genuine and sincere. I thought, I gotta email this guy! To my surprise, he wrote back. We emailed for a week, then talked on the phone. We were both burned out on dating. I agreed to meet him for a date, on one condition -- that we refer to it as a "non-date."

We went to have a drink at sunset. It was like we were old friends catching up over the years. Then we went to Sunset Cliff and sat looking over the ocean and talked all through the sunset. We talked about families, careers, religion, our dreams for the future. I thought this guy's great, but I was so jaded from previous dates that I held back, I wanted to see more. (Dave later told me that he knew I was the one when he first saw me!)

From then on, Dave and I were together all the time. Within a month, he met my kids and the mutual response was amazing! He doesn't have any kids and always wanted some. We were having a wonderful time, but at the end of every date I wanted to take it slow. Dave didn't know what to think of that and he'd ask the women he worked with, "What does this girl want?" I knew we had something special, but my heart was still not whole after the past 1 1/2 years of trying to conquer my feelings from the divorce. I thought, if it's meant to be, he'll understand. He'll stick it out.

What was the turning point for me? Once I saw him with my kids, I knew it felt good and comfortable. He listened to them, he took their feelings into consideration. He was there for them, but he didn't overstep his boundaries -- I was still the parent. That wowed me. One day we were all together at an amusement park and I saw him turn into a little kid with my kids -- riding go-carts, eating candy -- and I just knew. I couldn't believe the good connection we had, and then on top of that he wants to be part of my family! It was a match made in heaven.

Dave was the first guy I met on Yahoo! Personals. We met in August 2007, and in June 2008 he proposed to me. It was a total surprise. He had already spoken to his mom and asked if he could have the family diamond ring. We were on a regular date, walking on the beach. We sat down on a rock and he told me how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, he couldn't wait. It was a mix of total shock and happiness for me. I knew I wanted to marry him, but I didn't know it would happen this fast. I said, "Yes!"

We are planning a May '09 wedding at Sunset Cliff, the same spot where we had our first "non-date." We're going to keep it small and the kids will be a big part of it. Dave said he's marrying the whole package!

1. For your first meeting, make sure you meet in a neutral environment and public place. Keep it brief, such as meeting for coffee rather than dinner.

2. Open your mind to what your ideal match is. I originally thought height was a big factor for me -- I wanted a guy who was at least X" tall. But in the end, it wasn't so important. Loosen up your requirements and you might meet the perfect mate.