Nathaniel and Kasha Himes have been together for 10 years and married for nine of them.
Who talked to who first? Nat: I talked to her first
Who said “I love you” first? Nat: Kasha did Kasha: Nat did
Did you go to the same school? Nat: I was raised in Amite Louisiana and Kasha was raised in Wichita.
Where do you go the most as a couple? Both: We do a lot of traveling.
Who is more social? Nat: Kasha is definitely higher on the board of being social. I enjoy laughing and talking; however, I would be just fine if she was the only person I talked with.
Kasha: Yes, I love engaging conversations. So funny because everywhere we go, Nat will say “honey please don’t stop and talk a long time because I know you will see someone you know”.
Who is the neat-freak? Nat: I remain disciplined in my surroundings and I would say I am the neat freak. Kasha: I dread him going downstairs because I do have items everywhere.
Who is the most stubborn? Nat: I am, however, I must add I am a gentleman and I just like things to go a certain way. I stand on what I feel and believe. Kasha: I would say my King Nat is.
Who wakes up earlier? Nat: We both wake up at the same time through the week, because I get up to see her off to work every morning, then I will lay back down since I am retired. Kasha: On the weekends we sleep in, don’t have to get dressed if we don’t want to and totally enjoy each other.
Where was your first date?
Kasha: One that I will never forget. Both of our birthdays are in September. Well his gift to himself, was to take ME to the Kem concert in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
What is your secret to making marriage work? Nat: Having a prayer partner, communicating, commitment, right, wrong or indifferent, meeting each other’s needs, and loving unconditionally. Kasha: I learned in this marriage I had to love myself in order to accept the love and respect Nat has for me. The secret we have, our love is genuine, what other’s see is really what we both give each other. His daily goal is to ensure I feel like a Queen and in return it’s my priority regardless of what’s going on around us.
How did you figure out the household chores? Nat: I feel like my wife works full-time and she should not have to come home from work and do anything but relax. After talking about it we decided the best thing was to hire someone to clean our home. I asked her to find who she would like and set it up, and that was just fine by her.
What have you learned to appreciate about your spouse? Nat: When I think of all the positive adjectives, I think of Kasha, most importantly she is a great, true friend. I appreciate the love and respect she has for her children and family; they are a very close family. Kasha: I appreciate his wisdom and knowledge. I have learned so much about politics since we’ve been together. I was ashamed to tell him, I never voted until I met him. I appreciate knowing what’s going on in the ever-changing world and how it will affect our children and grandchildren because we engage in those conversations.
What aspect of marriage were you most pleasantly surprised by? Nat: Her voice, I love to hear her sing. Her solid relationship with her three daughters, they are very close. Also, Kasha is a dare devil, every time we travel, she looks for a chance to zip line.
Kasha: Our strong connection because the difference in our age. I have to tell Nat all the time, I have to keep in mind the age difference because he does not look or act 78 years young. I encourage him to zip line with me (lol). I knew from the beginning just from conversation Nat was educated and intelligent. I knew he definitely was a great educator with an abundance of knowledge. Also, his dancing skills were fire!!!
What do you think is the most challenging part of being married?
Nat: I thought it would be our 27-year age difference, but if I had to suggest anything, it would be time. I am retired and Kasha works full-time outside of the home. Kasha: TRUST for me and also personality differences. I am a people person, Nat will engage but he likes to keep it to a limit. A challenge I had was believing everything he told me, as I had trust issues in previous relationships. Then comes Nat who, openly gave me real love, gave me what he had, and always followed through on his word,
What’s one thing that your spouse does that makes you feel glad you married years ago? Nat: The balance Kasha gives me. I understand emotions are sources of information and I had no doubt Kasha was the right lady for me. I had no intentions of marrying again but I have learned there is no one greater to be with than Kasha. Kasha: Consistency, consistency, consistency, again the truth and honor Nat displayed raised the bar for me. Nat placed those items in stone while dealing with all my flaws, he gave me courage and strength I never thought I had. Nat is the best and the last for me, it gets no better than this.
If you could have been given a key piece of advice before marrying, what would it have been?
Nat: Really know who you are dealing with and do not close your eyes on situations knowing they exist.
Kasha: Trust your gut feeling.