By: Kevin Jones
It is said, things come in three’s; wise men, stooges and little pigs for example. Steven and Cyndi visited AP on a Discovery tour looking for their forever home. The first house they looked at was nice, but straw wasn’t for them. The second home, again nice, but sticks weren’t their style. But the third house, a sturdy brick home, it was the one for them!
They had heard of Albemarle Plantation through friends James and Jennifer Kivett, residents of AP. It seems their imaginations didn’t fully grasp the complete scope of what the Kivett’s tried to convey about AP prior to their visit. Cyndi told me “as we toured the grounds, for the first 90 minutes our jaws just hung open.” The surroundings were stunning. The golf course, the huge marina, and the overall natural beauty was a bit overwhelming, but in a very good way. One of the important bits of criteria for Steven and Cyndi was a location with a sense of community. Our residents certainly passed the test. They said, “Everyone here seemed to give so freely, and that was huge.” Steven and Cyndi relocated from Virginia Beach and moved into their new home, in the Waverly neighborhood, December 2022.
Steven grew up in Kentucky and had always wanted to be a firefighter. After school, he joined the Navy and served as a submariner in the position of Fire Control Technician. Upon hearing that, I thought he was in charge of fire safety onboard the boat… WRONG! He was the guy that when the boat captain said “Fire!” he pushed the button. After his service he fulfilled his dream; and is currently a firefighter and paramedic at Fort Story in Virginia Beach.
Cyndi was born in Atlanta, but her family moved around a bit. She grew up mostly in Tennessee and Iowa and eventually, after getting out on her own, ended up in Chicago. Now I have also heard it said, absence makes the heart grow fonder. After being introduced by mutual friends, Cyndi and Steven maintained a long distance relationship. He was in Virginia Beach and she had her career in Chicago as a general manager for JP Morgan Chase. What to do? In December 2020 she decided to retire, move to Virginia Beach and is now in business for herself. Cyndi is a team trainer for private companies, a certified life coach and has started her own line of personal and home care products.
Finally together, Steven and Cyndi got married. They celebrated their one year anniversary this past May here at AP. I’m told “the stars that night had just a little extra sparkle.”
They hope to get involved more here at AP as time goes on but Cyndi already volunteers for CERT and hopes to join the pottery club. Steven has discovered the golf course and plays as often as his schedule allows. Their combined family includes four children, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention their furry friend, who is a loving Shipoo dog named Bailey.
You can usually catch Cyndi and Steven at the farmers market, but if you miss them there and see them around, say hello, give ’em a wave and welcome them to AP!