6 Years and Counting…

Over the weekend, my sweet hubby and I celebrated 6 years of marriage together. 6 years. Wow! We have now been together for a decade since we dated for 4 years before we got married. I thought, we’d take a short trip down memory lane…

We started dating in July of 2002. We were both summer camp counselors at the YMCA in Tampa. I, in gymnastics camp. He, in sports camp. It was a summer romance like no other. Sparks were flying and we seemed to spend every waking moment together. I’ll never forget when he came into work one day – at lunch with all the kids around – with a faux engagement ring made of black electrical tape with an aluminum foil diamond in the center. You see, I turned him down initially when he asked me out. So, he turned on the charm and eventually won me over! :)

Summer 2002 – wow, we were YOUNG!!

After that summer, we spent a year apart with me going to UNF in Jacksonville and him at UF here in Gainesville. We had pretty much talked about the long term and even eventually getting married after only a few months of dating. So, after that year apart, I transferred to UF, into their elementary education program.

The summer after graduation, I went home to Tampa to work as a youth intern for the church I grew up attending and Dave went to South Carolina to work as summer camp director for Camp Thunderbird, a YMCA affiliated summer camp. Two weeks in to him being gone, I went over to his parents house to have breakfast with them. Upon arriving, there was a note on the front door from Dave (who was supposed to be in South Carolina!). It said to enter and follow the rose petals. I followed them around the house – stopping to read a few notes he had left along the way. The petals finally led me upstairs to a beautiful picture of “I love you” written in sand, along with another very sweet note. At the end of the note, he told me to go back downstairs. As I started the stair decline, Dave was standing at the bottom of the stairs, guitar in hand, singing “Grow Old with You.” It’s pretty much the theme song to the movie, The Wedding Singer, in case you haven’t heard it before.

I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad
Carry you around when your arthritis is bad
Oh all I wanna do is grow old with you
I'll get your medicine when your tummy aches
Build you a fire if the furnace breaks
Oh it could be so nice, growing old with you
I'll miss you
Kiss you
Give you my coat when you are cold
Need you
Feed you
Even let ya hold the remote control
So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink
Put you to bed when you've had too much to drink
I could be the man who grows old with you
I wanna grow old with you

It was one of the sweetest moments. He sang as I descended the stairs and when I finally got to the bottom, he pulled a ring out of his pocket and asked me to marry him. Of course, I said YES! I’ll never forget what a beautiful engagement that was.

After that summer, Dave started his first year in Medical School and I started my Masters degree in Elementary Education. In January of my Masters year, I got hired on as a full time teacher at P.K. Yonge and on March 11, 2006 we got married.

 

We bought a small two bedroom condo (which we still live in today) and started out our married life. I worked as a teacher for 4 years to support us as Dave finished Medical School. The spring before he began his Residency in Pediatrics, we found out we were pregnant. We decided that I’d finish out the school year, then stay home with our new little bundle since Dave would be starting a paid Residency.

In December of 2009, Cori Belle was born. She brought more love into our family than we ever had imagined possible. I still get teary eyed just thinking about that moment. What joy that day brought to both of us!

 

Life as a family of three was beautiful. Dave continued on in his Residency and I was at home with our little girl. When Cori turned 6 months, I decided to take a new venture and became a Jewelry Lady with Premier Designs Jewelry. It gave me something fun to do and helped tremendously with our finances. I am still a Jewelry Lady today and I LOVE my job!

When Cori turned 9 months, we got pregnant again. 9 months later, on July 1, 2011, Finley Grace was born. I never thought I could love another baby like I did Cori Belle, but I sure did. It’s a love that surpasses all understanding!

 

We became a family of 4 and I am so in love with all three members of my sweet family!

 

Cori Belle is now 27 months old and Finley Grace is 8 months old. Dave is finishing his Residency in June, and our family moves to Birmingham so he can start a Pediatric ER Fellowship in July. There is so much in store for our sweet little family. I cannot thank God enough for his provisions and blessings in our life. It’s been an amazing 6 years together.

Dave,

I am more in love with you today than ever before. It’s amazing how love can grow like that. I am so thankful for you. Your love for the Lord encourages me like no other and I am proud to call you my husband and the father of our two beautiful girls. I LOVE you!

Dani