They met when both were undergraduate students at Illinois State University in 2003 and simply were friends for quite some time, ultimately losing contact for about two years.
Fate, both say, brought the two back together during the summer of 2005, when Candace Sims and her now-wife Chaunita Johnson-Sims ended up at the same party in Normal, Ill.
By January 2006, they were en route to being a loving, committed couple.
And in July 2011, the two were legally married in Iowa.
"We never had a true 'first date,' but every time we think back on it, we always say that our first date was when we met up in Borders Bookstore in Normal, where we went to Illinois State University," Sims said. "Love, communication and trust are three of the fundamentals that keep us together.
"Aside from being lifelong partners, we are lifelong friends, sorority sisters and soon-to-be parents of newborn twins. We have been together for every milestone of our lives. We hold true to the values that we hold about marriage. We also lean on our history as a couple to help us weather challenging times. I can truly say that I have the pleasure of being married to, and in love with, my very best friend."
Sims, 30, is a State Farm agent and owner of Sims State Farm Agency. Johnson-Sims, 33, is the office manager at Sims State Farm Agency. They live together in Shorewood, near Joliet.
The two are expecting twins in November, with Sims giving birth.
"The best part of our story is that it is just beginning," Johnson-Sims said. "We serve as encouragement to all couples that we meet. If you're willing to work hard and love your partner as you love yourself, then there is no limit to the amount of happiness that you can experience.
THE STATS
Hobbies
Candace: Traveling and listening to music.
Chaunita: Reading, going to the movies, traveling, and playing Candy Crush
Favorite professional sports team( s )
Candace: Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat
Chaunita: Chicago Bulls
Favorite movies
Candace: The Color Purple and Titanic
Chaunita: The Color Purple and The Wizard of Oz
Favorite TV shows
Candace: 19 Kids & Counting, 6 Little McGhees
Chaunita: Pretty Little Liars and Scandal
Little-known fact
Candace: "I am very outgoing, but I have a shy alter-ego sometimes."
Chaunita: "I enjoy listening to others and offering assistance in working through challenges in their lives; I really should have been a therapist."