CROWN POINT | An instant attraction, a holiday parade and a 30-year romance may sound like the ingredients for Hollywood's latest romantic comedy, but for a Crown Point couple who met three decades ago today, that love story is simply their life story.

It was the Fourth of July 1979 and a 32-year-old Paul Keller was sitting on the back of the last float of Crown Point's parade, his feet dangling over the side, as four women in the car behind the float flirted, brandishing signs that said things such as "You're cute" and "Are you attached?"

The four women were on their way to Lake County Fairgrounds to go off-roading and invited Keller to come along. He jumped off the back of the float and into their Jeep.

When a mud puddle soaked one of the women, Keller went back with the 21-year-old to her apartment so she could change clothes.

"Immediately, it was her looks and personality," Keller said. "Then we discovered we had more in common."

Keller said as he walked around her apartment he could tell by her decorating that the woman had taste, but paused when he saw the dining room table.

"When I saw the dining room table, I knew we were going to get married," said Keller. "I just got a vibe that (the table) was going to be around."

"Now we can't ever get rid of it," said the once puddle-soaked girl, Dana Keller, 51.

While most Americans celebrate on July Fourth, the day, and the Crown Point parade, have a special significance for the couple. Even when they moved from Crown Point, they would return to the city to watch the parade.

"It doesn't seem like the holiday if we don't see it," said Dana Keller, who acknowledges it is easy to watch since it marches past their Main Street home. "Sometimes when it passes we'll smile and catch each other's eye across the yard."

In the years since they met, the two have missed the parade together only twice, once for a wedding and once when Paul, now 61, was out of town with their son and their daughter was out of town on a different trip, leaving Dana alone.

"It was strange," Dana said. "I don't ever want to do that again."

This year at least, she doesn't have to worry about that as the couple will host their annual party that not only celebrates America's birthday, but also the day they met.

"It is special," Dana said. "It makes me think about how many years we've been together."