They say everything happens for a reason.
In Michelle Reed and Steve DeStefano’s case, this could not be a truer statement. When they first met at Sweetwater Marina and Riverdeck, they were both there by unplanned coincidence. Steve’s sister, Jenna, was having a rough night, so she dragged her brothers to the bar, and the rest is history.
“I had had a bad night,” Jenna said. “I forced my brothers to go to Sweetwater’s Bar with me. Stevie was talking about how hot she was, so I told him to grow some balls and go talk to her. He went up to her and we didn’t see them for hours after that.”
Michelle and Steve hit it off right away, and there was no slowing down from there. They both knew what they wanted, and they both enjoyed each other’s presence, so they decided to keep their relationship going.
“I don’t think either of us felt like we stood a chance with one another at first,” Steve said. “But it just kept working, every day. We laughed a lot together; we shared a lot together. She has a great smile and those dimples really just stuck out to me. From there, there was no reason for it to ever slow down.”
There was an instant spark between Michelle and Steve, and they are happy to have found each other. Steve is drawn to so many of Michelle’s personality traits, and he cares for her so much.
“She’s very passive, which I love about her,” Michelle’s father, Butch, said. “Michelle always has another way of saying or thinking about something. She has a mindset of, ‘if you study hard, you can be successful.’ She’s very confident, always positive and loves the simple things in life.”
Michelle’s personality rubs off on everyone around her, and it is one of the many things that makes her stick out. She is a fun-loving person, and people love being in the same room as Michelle.
“She is so funny being herself,” Jenna said. “She’s such a goof. She’s always mumbling, and the whole night she met Steve was so random and none of us were supposed to be there. But that’s how I know she was meant to be in our lives. I’m really excited for her to be my sis.”
Fate brought Steve and Michelle together, and that has led to them having two kids together, as well as getting engaged. The people who care most about them know that Steve and Michelle are right for each other, and they cannot wait to see them get married.
“I believe they see a great life together,” Butch, said. “They both want to be successful. They have a good support group – family, friends, coworkers – and they are good friends to each other. They work hard for a common goal and they have respect for one another.”
Steve and Michelle care a lot about each other, and they see eye to eye on a lot of things.
“I am proud of her in so many ways! I love the way she can handle anything that comes along,” Michelle’s mom, Sue, said. “She makes great decisions even under pressure, and she has a successful career.”
No matter what Steve and Michelle go through in life, they will always have each other. They will always be each other’s number one supporter, and people speak highly of how hard working and pursuing she is.
“She’s definitely caring, and she always tries to put others first before her,” Michelle’s sister, Nicole, said. “She worries a lot, but in being a nurse, that has helped her worry a little less because of the knowledge she has. She is selfless and wants to care for others.”
Being a nurse, Michelle can be her full self not just at home, but at work as well. She is a worrier, but that is not always a bad thing. She will always make sure she is giving her patients the proper care they need, and she will make sure she is thinking about them in every situation.
“I admire the fact that she is a full time nurse while still being able to take care of her two young children,” Michelle’s sister, Danielle, said. “She never lets life get the best of her, but continues to push through every day and continue to live the day to its fullest. She has a great personality and is a very strong willed woman.”
Michelle is a very invested individual. If she is truly interested in something, she will do the proper research and weigh her options, and this does not stop at the nurse’s station.
“I admire her resiliency; her ability to overcome and persevere,” Nicole said. “I think it’s incredible. She has faced a lot of things in life, and it’s just impressive to see her get through them.”
Life is not always light and breezy, but that does not stop Michelle from always putting up a good fight. She does not let life get the best of her, and she does not let life get the best of her family either.
“She means everything to me,” Danielle said. “She is my youngest sister, and not a day goes by that I do not want to talk to her. I would do anything for her, anytime day or night. I only want the best for her, always.”
Michelle is always there for her people, and she always wants what is best for them. She does not shy away from the truth, but she will always be in that person’s corner.
“I have two brothers, and she is the closest thing I have to a sister,” Jenna said. “She definitely changed my brother for the better, plus she gave me a niece and a nephew that I’m obsessed with.”
Before anything else, Michelle always puts her kids first. She has helped give Steve a different perspective on life, and that includes the way to raise kids. He knows he could not do nearly the things she does, and he really admires her dedication.
“Michelle is always doing what is best for her children,” Sue said. “She loves to play with them. She takes time out for them even on her busy schedule.”
First and foremost, Michelle is a loving mother who will take care of her children. Her children come first no matter what, and they help bring a smile to her face even after a long day at work.
“She is the mother of my kids, so I admire her maternal instincts and everything that comes with that,” Steve said. “When she had my kids, it was a whole other level of respect that I gained, being in that room and watching her ability to go through that.”
When he watched the birth of their children, Steve said he gained an enormous amount of respect and love for his wife that he did not know was possible. And what’s more? When their daughter, Giada, was born, Steve said that was the most beautiful his fiancée had ever looked, and she had a glow about her that made him melt.
“I also admire her sense of humor,” Steve said. “She is able to laugh at herself. That is a quality I think is hard to find in other people. If she does something stupid or funny, she is able to laugh about it, and I love that about her. She has been through a lot before I met her, and she always has a smile on her face and is always moving forward.”
Michelle is caring and also lighthearted. She does not worry about what others think about her, and she does everything with a smile on her face.
“She’s a great partner to my brother as she allows him to be who he is,” Jenna said. “They have such a great relationship. She’s also just such a great mom. She always puts her kids first.”
Michelle is a selfless individual who is willing to go to the ends of the earth for her fiancé and kids. She wants what is best for them at all times, and she makes a huge difference in their lives.
“I don’t know where I would be in my life if we never met,” Steve said. “I can’t imagine my life without her and the family that we made together. I am stronger, more motivated and constantly striving to be better because of her and for her. She makes me, me. She means everything to me.”
She is Steve’s companion and his number one supporter, and he could not imagine doing this life without Michelle. He loves her so much, and he cannot wait to marry her.
“I love you and am proud of the person you have become. I am excited about the future in store for you and Steve.” – Nicole
“I just want you to know how important, loved and respected you are. You deserve the best every single day.” – Steve