Nine Years!!

Nine years ago today, with weather EXACTLY like we have today, I was getting ready to marry the man of my dreams.

Some of you may not know the story of "us".

We met in January 2001 in the college & career class at our church. After class that night a group of us went for a bite to eat. I thought he was cute (though his look couldn't really be defined as 'cute' at the time if you knew Jon then) and he apparently thought I was pretty hot stuff. After that, we didn't see each other for another 10 months.

In December 2001 we hung out a few times at our (now) closest friend Tim's house through a mutual girlfriend of mine. After a few times, she let Jon know I was interested and that was his green light!!

He called me on Christmas Eve 2001 and asked if I wanted to grab a bite to eat. We met at Denny's on Rt 30. I remember sitting there and just basically laying out all the rules of our relationship. It felt so relaxed and amazing. I felt like we just KNEW that we would be together forever.

The next day he invited me to go see a movie with Tim & his parents (Wayne & Rebecca Smuck). We saw Kate & Leopold. I thought it was a terribly boring movie -- though honestly I couldn't tell you a single thing about it. All I could think about was this guy sitting next to me who was interested in ME. Could it be for real???

The next day he called again and we went to the Olive Garden for lunch. That lunch would change our lives. Nothing specific happened, but we sat there and we talked about our dreams, our plans for our future...and then we started talking about what we would name our children and how many we wanted to have. Jon had Nevaeh's name picked out before he ever met me :) I love that...and I think about it every time I say her name.

From that day for the next 5 days we were inseparable except when he went home to sleep, which was only for a few short hours.

On New Years Day 2002, Jonathan & I went with my parents to Mary Jane's (diner) and Jonathan asked my parents' blessing to marry me. I think they were both extremely skeptical, but supportive. My dad said "You're not giving her back once you marry her." Jon said "Don't worry, I would NEVER give her back."

A few short days later Jon flew back to Kansas for his next semester of college. Thank goodness for cell phones with unlimited calling time!!! We talked every free minute we had. HOURS. I should pull up those old cell bills and see how many hours we talked.

Then, in February I was able to fly out to see him. I stayed in the female dorms with a friend of his.

On February 28, 2002, while in Kansas, we went on a double date with Jon's friends Nathan & Melissa to, of course, the Olive Garden. Then we went to see the movie John Q. I was all emotional. We left there and Jon had been working at the church as a custodian, and he had to lock up a few rooms after an event (so I thought). We walked through the church together, he checked doors and made sure lights were off. Then he had to go to the bathroom. He made me believe his food wasn't agreeing with him. He was in that bathroom a REALLY long time and there were lots of flushes :)

Then we went in the front entrance to the sanctuary, which was pitch black. Next thing you know, a spotlight shines on the altar and Pachelbel's Canon started playing. We walked to the altar where the box with my ring was, and he proposed.

Come to find out when he was in the bathroom he was putting on a mic and doing a sound check (thus all the flushes) with Nathan who was up in the sound booth. I have the proposal on video thanks to him!

Of course I said yes.

We were married on November 16, 2002, just 11 months after our first date.

So if you missed that timeline =

1/2001 - meet for the first time
12/24/2001 - first date
1/1/2002 - ask parents' permission
2/28/2002 - formal proposal
11/16/2002 - got hitched!

We had a wonderful first year of just us.

In October of 2003 we found out we were pregnant, and on December 10, 2003, found out we were having twins!!

February 7, 2004, is when life took a bit of a different turn, when Jon started having back pain and abdominal pain. From that point life has been nothing like we planned. There have been a lot of tears. There have been a lot of fights. There have been times when I wanted to quit (Jon has NEVER faltered in his commitment to me) because I thought walking away would be easier.

Through 9 years we have moved 8 times before finally moving in our OWN brand new home (which was a journey all its own). We lived on our own in 3 apartments, with Jon's parents twice, and with my parents once while our home was being built. I hope to grow old and die in this house after the journey that was!!!

We have three amazingly smart & beautiful children (who mostly favor their daddy's side of the family). Some days we pray for one more ... most days we can't imagine one more!!!  God has a plan :)

We get to spend a lot of time together given our situation. Some days that's really, really annoying. I mean, it's only human to go crazy being around the same person 24/7, right?! But when I allow myself to step back and thank God for my blessings the way I should, I realize that I truly am VERY blessed to have the time that I do with my husband. Some wives get very little time with their spouses, some have spouses who could care less to spend time with them, and there are those whose spouses are overseas fighting for our freedom.

I am thankful for my husband and the last nine years we have been married.

So to you Jonathan, I say

Happy Anniversary, My Love.