When the burning glow of a campfire hit the glitter on Kimberly Nespa's eyes, Kevin Kennedy was awestruck.
They were at the Tucson Rough Riders annual Trail Dust Days Jeeping event at Catalina State Park, when she approached him with some concerns about a trail, since he's the president of the club.
He stopped dead in his tracks to listen to her speak, but admitted he has no idea what she said.
"She had this glitter eyeliner on that just sparkled at night and I was all 'sigh...anything you want," Kevin recalled.
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However, since Kimberly had a guy friend with her that night, Kevin backed down.
Later he'd find out that Kimberly was, in fact, single.
"The event ended and I'm like 'it's always fun to have a smile from a beautiful woman who has a Jeep, but I didn't know if she was attached or not, so I let it go," Kevin said. "But, then she contacted me about a trail, so I just thought 'let me say something else and she came back and said one of the right things you say when you're flirting and then we decided to go on a trail together and that was our first date."
That trail is no longer accessible to the public, so the couple considers it a special trail. Their trail.
"It's the trail for two," Kimberly said.
The trail was just the beginning of many adventures with and without their Jeeps.
A Jeep family portrait.
First impressions
Kimberly: I thought he was cute. He had all the right things that I really like in a guy physically. And, he's the president of the Tucson Rough Riders, so he was knowledgeable about the hobby I'm interested in so I thought that was sexy. He showed great leadership ability. I thought that was sexy.
Kevin: A very attractive woman. A woman that drives a Jeep is just yeah, a positive. There are not many women drivers and then all of a sudden one shows up. She's incredibly sexy and kind of took charge getting behind the wheel not knowing the trail and willing to come to an event without a group of people and being very independent is just something I'm intrigued by...A little different from the norm.
Kimberly Nespa's sense of adventure and love of Jeeps is part of what drew her and Kevin together.
Favorite quality
Kimberly: I really dig his confidence. I really love how confident he is in his own skin. He is just a powerhouse when it comes to the things he knows.
Kevin: I love that she is independent. She is a woman that knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go for it. And not falter because of it. Having a strong woman and partner is very important to me. And a woman who knows what she wants is, yeah. It makes me smile.
What's your sign?
Kimberly: Taurus. It fits. I'm strong and stubborn, passionate, loving and indefinitely loyal.
Kevin: Aries. I am a very typical Aries. I'm very headstrong. I believe in starting something and finishing it. My commitment is huge. I hate to be told I can't do something.
Kimberly: I'm stubborn and he's headstrong. He's like 'let me go after what I want and I will get there' and I'm more like 'woah! I'm not sure and you're not gonna convince me until I've decided that's the route I want to go.'
Kevin: I think the things we're stubborn and headstrong about compliment each other very much.
Kimberly: Things strong about us are qualities in a relationship like commitment, passion. Those are things that we both have in our signs and exhibit and it's pretty solid.
When they knew it was serious
Kimberly: I don't know if I can define a moment. It was over time. I have three kids from a previous marriage. I think with three kids you proceed with caution. But I kept waiting for him to disappoint me. I kept waiting for him not to be what I'm looking for and he consistently from day one has been so much of what I need in my life and what I was looking for. So, it was over time. His consistency to commitment and loyalty are big ones to me. He partakes in my children's lives and loves them as if they are his own. Qualities like that have come about over time and have never gone away. There's never been any inconsistency and I value that a lot.
Kevin: It as pretty early on that I knew. I don't have children of my own and knowing there are three amazing children is awesome. I've always wanted a family and an amazing woman that had qualities I could lean upon when needed, a Jeep, a sport and hobby that I'm incredibly passionate about...It's just something you don't take for granted at all. You cherish and build as best as possible.
Besides that, our hands fit and that's how I really knew. Our hands have to fit. Sometimes when you grab somebody's hands they don't fit...And they just came together and felt comfortable and you never had to readjust and I said 'I told you some people are just meant to be together like puzzle pieces.'
Kimberly: The hand thing was very important.
Quirky habits
Kimberly: He has a certain sense of humor that he finds funny and he laughs as if everybody got it. But, I don't always get it, but he laughs like it's the greatest joke in the whole world or the greatest piece of information. You are so funny when you do that.
Kevin: We can have a conversation and I think it's over and then four days later she's coming back talking about it. It'll take her a while to process it and then she comes back after a while with comments and I'll be lost after a day or a week and be like what are we talking about and she'll be like talking about it like we were just talking about it a minute ago. It'll take me a minute and I'm going isn't that last week we were talking about that?
Jeeps are people too
Kimberly: Her name is Peanut because she was the smallest in the group. I drove her stock (meaning no modifications) so she was small and she's yellow. She always reminded me of the Peanut M&M bag. She was the runt in the group. I was going over the same obstacles and she was the lowest one.
Kevin: Her name is Pebbles because she's a red Jeep and Pebbles in the Flintstones was a fiery redhead.
Kevin Kennedy takes on some rough terrain in his beloved Jeep, Pebbles.
