My MUCH BETTER Half

Renier and I just celebrated seven years of marriage, and it seems like we just said, “I do!”  Man, how time has just flown by in the blink of an eye!   I wanted to write this post to share a few things about my husband, Renier, because the Mrs. International pageant system celebrates and honors marriage, and since he is my MUCH better half, he deserves to get a GIANT shout out. 

My handsome husband on vacation in Cancun!

 

Here’s a little background on Renier.  He’s 34 years old and grew up in Randfontein, South Africa, which is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa.  He has a LOVELY family, with his parents, Piet and Nelia, and his siblings, Pierre and Nadia, in addition to lots of aunts, uncles and cousins.  Renier’s native language is Afrikaans, a dialect of Dutch and Flemish, and he only really began speaking English fluently less than 10 years ago.  Throughout his entire childhood, Renier was an avid rugby and cricket player, and he once dreamed of playing professional rugby.  However, he attended the University of Potchefstroom and studied photography and graphic design.  Shortly after he graduated, Renier’s life took an amazing turn and he was offered a position as a photographer on a Carnival Cruise Line ship!  He had never been on a plane before and his first plane ride was a flight across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida…can you imagine that?

Winning a milktart & boerewors eating contest!

Renier spent the next two years as a photographer and graphic designer on a few different ships, and eventually worked on a special project with Holland America Line, and ended up on the ms Maasdam.  This ship was based out of Boston and cruised from Boston to Montreal, as well as from Norfolk to the Caribbean, and a 35-day transatlantic cruise to over 15 European countries.

After running the Color Run 5K!

 

And this is where the “magic” happened.  On July 15, 2005, just one week after I boarded the ms Maasdam to work an assistant cruise director, we met and it was the beginning of our “Love Boat” story!  We met in the Officer’s Bar during a farewell celebration for my roommate, who was going back home to Canada.  It truly was love at first sight, and we spent the next five months cruising around the world (to over 30 different destinations) and falling more and more in love!

Renier enjoying some refreshment on a hot day!

At the Mrs. California International 2014 pageant!

 After both our Holland America contracts ended at the end of 2005, he went back home to South Africa and I came back home to Lakewood, California.  But, we spent the next year in a long-distance relationship with a “twist.”  He was able to transfer to a cruise ship, the Carnival Pride, that docked in Long Beach, CA (close to my hometown) every Sunday, so I got to see him every week, even if it meant only for a few hours, and then we had to say goodbye yet again.

 

Just another night out!

During his time on that ship, we got engaged and immediately started his Visa process so we could begin our life together in the United States!  We were told the Visa process could take up to a year, but we must have had some luck on our side, as it took less than six months from start to finish.  So, Renier moved to the United States on Christmas Day in 2006 with two suitcases and loads of dreams and aspirations!

Valentine's Day 2014

 

 We were married on the beach in Seal Beach, CA on May 19, 2007, and since then, Renier has been the “yin to my yang,” the “peanut butter to my jelly,” the” stamp to my letter,” and the list goes on and on.   He has supported me through some pretty rough times and I will never forget how he left everything he’s ever known back in South Africa to go on this life journey with me.

   

He is so amazingly talented and I am so lucky that this “Saffa” chose to spend his life with me.  So, whether I am Mrs. International 2014 or Mrs. Renier Van Der Westhuizen 2007-infinity, I will forever be grateful and fulfilled.  

Renier with his "second love" - golf!

**By the way, this turned out so much longer than I anticipated, but I hope you enjoyed reading our love story as much as I enjoyed reliving it!