Today, I'm linking up with the Tennessee Blogger's Group!
I have been thinking a lot this week about things that I would change if I could go back in time. I'm not necessarily saying I have regrets, but I do have certain times in my life that I wish things would have turned out differently. So, when Laura mentioned that today's topic was what we would say to your former self 10 years ago, I just had to share. So, here goes:
1. Enjoy life as you are living it, and quit wishing for what is next. Pretty soon, all the things that you were wishing for will have come and gone, and you will be left with longing to go back and enjoy it all a little bit more.
2. You are stronger than you think you are. Life is going to throw some curveballs your way, but you will survive. Heck, you will come out stronger than you even were before.
3. Loss never gets easier. It hurts every. single. time.
4. Don't borrow money. Ever. If you can't afford it, don't buy it.
5. Girls can be mean. Even the girls that you love and adore can say and do hurtful things. But, you know what, you can say and do hurtful things, too. Forget the petty stuff and just focus on loving each other.
6. Be the first to say you're sorry. And mean it when you say it. Don't play the victim--forgive and move on.
7. Take time to make some really good friends. Spend time cultivating the friendship. As you get older, it's a lot harder to make friends.
8. Do not cut your hair short and dye it blond and bright red. Just don't. EVER.
9. You will, in fact, meet your Prince Charming, and he will sweep you off your feet. Be patient--all your dreams will come true, I promise.
10. Call your mom, every day.
11. Be careful who you give your heart to. Some people won't be careful with it.
12. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else.
13. The Geo blows up--you won't have to have it forever. :)
14. You will be offered a job in Canada, and you will actually get to fly there to interview! Awesome experience. Don't say no because of your boyfriend--make the decision for yourself.
15. Don't be so hard on yourself.
Happy Friday, everyone!
Friday, September 13, 2013
Monday, July 15, 2013
Marriage
Marriage is HARD!
I know I am not the only one who thinks that marriage is work, and I know I am not the only one who thinks marriage is hard. I have been married for almost 4 years now, and I often tell David that it feels like 40. Have a loved every minute of it? Honestly, no. But I have cherished every single second because I know that I am living out God's Plan with the one He chose for me. That doesn't mean that our life together is all sunshine and roses. We argue. We yell. We act like little kids and stop talking. But, we also love each other fiercely.
I am very blessed to have parents who have been married for almost 38 years. As a child, I remember seeing many of my friends' parents divorcing, and I remember being scared my parents would, too. I would hear them argue--and I just knew the next day they would tell me. But they didn't give up on each other or our family. I was able to learn from them what love really is--love is forgiveness and understanding. Love is knowing that you aren't going to give up on each other. I may not always like my husband, but I always love him. Love is a decision, and not just a feeling.
I am reading a book about love and marriage right now. I'm not going to say what book it is yet since I am not finished with it. BUT, in the book it lists reasons why God created marriage. I never really thought about why marriage is so important, other than knowing that's what God wants us to do. I learned, though, that God created marriage:
- to eliminate our loneliness.
- to multiply our effectiveness.
- to establish families.
- to raise children.
- for us to enjoy life.
- to bless us with relational intimacy.
Marriage is designed to show us our need to grow and deal with our own issues and self-centeredness through the help of a lifelong partner. I am so thankful for my life-long partner and is willingness to help make me a better person. Through our marriage, I have become much more selfish in my thoughts and actions. Am I still selfish--YES! Oh goodness, yes. But, I am also much more focused on trying to love others before myself.
I have decided that I am going to write more on here about life as a wife and mom--the lessons I'm learning, things I'm reading, what I'm experiencing--and less about our mundane happenings. I really want to be able to share some of the other side of our life. I don't want to sit hear and make it sound like David and I are perfect. We are so far from it. (Seriously, if there were cameras in our house, you all would definitely see just how far from perfect we are.) I hope that someone reading what I write can be blessed--and bless their marriage in return.
Until next time....
Friday, June 21, 2013
17.5 months
I truly cannot believe that our baby girl is almost 18 months old. A year and a half has passed by since I first heard her scream and first saw her face. In some ways, I have felt every single one of those days--but, at the same time, it feels like time has just flown by. She literally has grown right before our eyes.
I have not been as good at updating her monthly stats like I was for Grayson. I think, with 2, things move more quickly and life becomes much more busy. It makes time for anything other than taking care of the kids sparse. Anyway, I wanted to be sure to document some of what is going on in the world of Finnley at this age. She is so fun!!
So, at 17.5 months, Finnley:
Finnley is absolutely our pride and joy. Raising a girl is so completely different from a boy--she is much more set in her ways, not as laid back, and wants to sitting in someone's lap or having them hold her all day every day. She is our princess and our diva, and I can't imagine our life without her. I worry sometimes because she is at the age where she gets so frustrated with communicating with us that she spends more time crying than laughing. But, those moments where she is cuddled up in my lap, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and pointing out all the animals--well, that makes everything worth it.
I have not been as good at updating her monthly stats like I was for Grayson. I think, with 2, things move more quickly and life becomes much more busy. It makes time for anything other than taking care of the kids sparse. Anyway, I wanted to be sure to document some of what is going on in the world of Finnley at this age. She is so fun!!
So, at 17.5 months, Finnley:
- is so full of energy! One of her favorite things to do is run around the house as fast as she can and scream at the top of her lungs. She will yell and yell and laugh and laugh and run and run in circles. It is exhausting just watching her. But she loves it, and Grayson just loves to chase her. :)
- loves her Bubby (Grayson). She will do anything and everything that he does with reckless abandon. It's almost like she thinks, "Bubby did it, so it must be safe!" She chases him around, takes his toys and runs in the opposite directon, will tackle him from behind, and will whack him across the head if he makes her mad. I remember, when we first found out we were having a girl, I dreamt of the times these two rugrats would play together. Watching them become best friends has been so fun (although frustrating at times), and I know how blessed we are that they will grow up so close!!
- has to have a pen and a piece of paper with her most of the day. She loves to color and write--and I remember that I used to be the same way when I was a little girl. I was always playing office or waitress--Finn is definitely doing the same thing!
- is a great sleeper! We had a couple rough nights after she had her surgery, but we are back on track to sleeping through the night--just like she has since 6 weeks old! She usually goes to bed around 7:00pm and is up by 6:30am every morning. Some nights, we put her to bed a little earlier, especially if she didn't nap well. She will take one 2 hour nap at school every weekday and usually takes two 2 hour naps on Saturdays and Sundays.
- LOVES water. She hates hates hates to have her hair washed, but she absolutely loves to splash in the water. We took her to the pool for the first time this season and she just about had a fit because she was so excited. Last summer, she was too little to really enjoy the times we went, but I can tell that this summer is a whole other story. And, she's not afraid to get her head under water--which is much different that Grayson was at her age. I think it's safe to say we have a water baby on our hands!! :)
- is a true Daddy's girl. The instant she hears her Daddy's voice, Finnley will run to give David a huge hug...and she just laughs and laughs at him. She totally has her daddy wrapped around her little finger already, and that's the way it should be. :)
- is Little Miss Independent. She definitely gets this from her Mama. She wants to do everything on her own, by herself, with absolutely no help from anyone. I love this about her. Believe me, there are times when I just want to scream because she insists on being such a little diva, but I hope that this quality is something that sticks with her forever.
- is addicted to her foo-foo and her blanket. She has to have both things with her at all times or she will scream bloody murder. I think I should start referring to her as Linus.
- is quite the eater!! She eats everything that we do, and she isn't picky at all. She also insists on having a spoon and a fork with every meal (hello, Miss Independent!). Again, she's like her Mama--big girl can eat!! :)
- is talking more and more, but still not a big chatter box. She is starting to say more words each day, so I hoping she will be a full-blown talker soon. Some of her favorite words are: plane, Bubby, dog, Daddy, Mama (only when she's mad), bath, duck, shoe, baby, hi, bye bye, and ball. She babbles all the time, even though I can't always understand what she says. I swear the other day she said, "I'll be right back" just like her brother does. :)
- is a social butterfly. She will wave and say hi to everyone she passes, even if they are in the car driving next to us. And she is so nosey!! It will take her hours to eat at a restaurant because she spends all her time turned around in her chair watching everyone else eat! I call her Nosey Rosey, and that's just because it's the truth. :)
- wears size 2T-3T shirts, 18 month to 24 month shorts, and wears a size 5 diaper. I told you she was a big girl! She drinks only from a sippy cup and will drink 2% milk with breakfast only. (We had to cut back because she was gaining too much weight too quickly!)
- loves to play with trucks and books...which is a good thing, because we have a house full of both!
Finnley is absolutely our pride and joy. Raising a girl is so completely different from a boy--she is much more set in her ways, not as laid back, and wants to sitting in someone's lap or having them hold her all day every day. She is our princess and our diva, and I can't imagine our life without her. I worry sometimes because she is at the age where she gets so frustrated with communicating with us that she spends more time crying than laughing. But, those moments where she is cuddled up in my lap, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and pointing out all the animals--well, that makes everything worth it.
We love you, sweet Finnley Elizabeth! You are our angel on Earth!! :)
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
To Cordi:
My dear Cordiloo,
I think it finally hit me tonight when we got back from our walk that you're gone. I went to the back door to feed you, expecting to see you, with your head cocked to one side and looking at me as if you were saying, "Come on and feed me, Mom!" But, tonight, you weren't there. Your bowl was there, your bed was there....but you weren't there. I keep thinking that I see you in the backyard, but when I look a little closer, it's not you. It's a shadow, or a leaf blowing...it's not you.
I remember the day when I first met you five years ago. You did not like me one bit. You had been David's girl for so long, and you did not want me moving in on your territory. Sooner than later, though, you were cuddling with me on the floor and we became best buddies. You became my fiercest protector, especially on those nights when David worked. I always felt safe because I knew you could scare away anyone that might want to come in the house. You barked at every little sound and you would pace the floor until you were certain whatever strange noise you heard was gone.
One of your favorite things to do was run around in the backyard, chasing Bailey or golf balls, or a random bike rider that you happened to catch a glimpse of through the fence. And every time Baily dug out from under the fence, you were the first to let us know. You would come to the back door and stand and stare until one of us came over to investigate. Sometimes, though, you wouldn't come tell us--you would chase her and try to get her to come back...like the time you and Bailey decided to investigate our new neighborhood while Daddy and I were in the hospital preparing to welcome Finnley to our family. You were so full of life. Oh, and you loved watching Tennessee football with us--mostly because Smokey was your boyfriend. :)
In the 14 years you lived on Earth, you had many adventures. You loved your Daddy unconditionally, and was his side-kick through everything he experienced. He told me the story of the day he met you: he knew you were his because you pooped at his feet. :) I will never be able to fully comprehend the bond the two of you shared, but I know that you held (and still hold) a giant piece of his heart.
It has been so hard watching you age and even harder knowing what was coming. You lost weight so quickly, ran less and less, and just seemed so pitiful. But, Cordi, you were so strong. So strong until you last day with us. You were determined to keep that puppy spirit in you. Making the drive to the vet yesterday was the longest and most painful drive I've ever made. You were so brave. You walked into the little exam room, and even the doctor mentioned the twinkle you still had in your eye. Yet, you curled up on the blankets, ate some treats, and started to fall asleep. I had to run out of the room because I couldn't stand to even think about what was coming.
We held you in our arms until your chest stopped rising and falling. It was so peaceful and so painful at the same time. I will never forget those moments.
I know you are in Heaven, running and barking, just like you used to do in our backyard. I know you are healthy and so happy--but we still miss you terribly.
I think it finally hit me tonight when we got back from our walk that you're gone. I went to the back door to feed you, expecting to see you, with your head cocked to one side and looking at me as if you were saying, "Come on and feed me, Mom!" But, tonight, you weren't there. Your bowl was there, your bed was there....but you weren't there. I keep thinking that I see you in the backyard, but when I look a little closer, it's not you. It's a shadow, or a leaf blowing...it's not you.
One of your favorite things to do was run around in the backyard, chasing Bailey or golf balls, or a random bike rider that you happened to catch a glimpse of through the fence. And every time Baily dug out from under the fence, you were the first to let us know. You would come to the back door and stand and stare until one of us came over to investigate. Sometimes, though, you wouldn't come tell us--you would chase her and try to get her to come back...like the time you and Bailey decided to investigate our new neighborhood while Daddy and I were in the hospital preparing to welcome Finnley to our family. You were so full of life. Oh, and you loved watching Tennessee football with us--mostly because Smokey was your boyfriend. :)
In the 14 years you lived on Earth, you had many adventures. You loved your Daddy unconditionally, and was his side-kick through everything he experienced. He told me the story of the day he met you: he knew you were his because you pooped at his feet. :) I will never be able to fully comprehend the bond the two of you shared, but I know that you held (and still hold) a giant piece of his heart.
It has been so hard watching you age and even harder knowing what was coming. You lost weight so quickly, ran less and less, and just seemed so pitiful. But, Cordi, you were so strong. So strong until you last day with us. You were determined to keep that puppy spirit in you. Making the drive to the vet yesterday was the longest and most painful drive I've ever made. You were so brave. You walked into the little exam room, and even the doctor mentioned the twinkle you still had in your eye. Yet, you curled up on the blankets, ate some treats, and started to fall asleep. I had to run out of the room because I couldn't stand to even think about what was coming.
We held you in our arms until your chest stopped rising and falling. It was so peaceful and so painful at the same time. I will never forget those moments.
I know you are in Heaven, running and barking, just like you used to do in our backyard. I know you are healthy and so happy--but we still miss you terribly.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Take me out to the ballgame!
A few weeks ago, we had a day date with Grayson. We kept him home from school for the day so that we could take him to a Redbirds game!
He has been asking for a couple weeks to have sometime with Mommy and Daddy, and we couldn't think of a better way to spend a gorgeous afternoon!!
It was a 11:05am start, and the weather was perfect. Grayson was super excited.
So, we said waved to Rocky the Redbird and then walked around the park to the playground. Along the way, Grayson stopped to say hi to the players in the bullpin and gave one of them a high five. :)
We ate some ice cream before we left (you have to have Dippin' Dots when you're at the ballpark!).
The rest of the afternoon was spent walking around downtown and taking a ride on the trolley. It was a super fun (and tiring) day!!
We are going back to the ballpark this weekend so Grayson can see the fireworks! He is so excited! :)
He has been asking for a couple weeks to have sometime with Mommy and Daddy, and we couldn't think of a better way to spend a gorgeous afternoon!!
It was a 11:05am start, and the weather was perfect. Grayson was super excited.
We were able to get great seats from a friend of David's, so Grayson was able to talk to the Redhots (the dance team) and even got a game ball!!
He ate popcorn and a hot dog. By the 4th inning, though, he was ready to walk around a bit.So, we said waved to Rocky the Redbird and then walked around the park to the playground. Along the way, Grayson stopped to say hi to the players in the bullpin and gave one of them a high five. :)
The rest of the afternoon was spent walking around downtown and taking a ride on the trolley. It was a super fun (and tiring) day!!
We are going back to the ballpark this weekend so Grayson can see the fireworks! He is so excited! :)
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Life goes on....
Sometimes I feel like the world is spinning so fast around me and I just have to hang on. That's the way it has seemed lately anyway.
There is always something going on. Always.
And usually it's not great. Lately? It's been sickness. With 2 kids in daycare, they bring something home almost every week. That's the most frustrating thing about daycare: that other parents send their kids to school sick and then my kids get sick. So, for the first 2 weeks of May, we have all been dealing with strep throat.
It started with Grayson, then David, and finally me. I have been praying praying praying that Finnley doesn't catch it. She is getting her adenoids out and ear tubes put in on Thursday of this week and she won't be able to have it done if she's sick.
I am not looking forward to the surgery, but I am definitely looking forward to the results--she is constantly snotty and feeling icky. I know that the surgery is going to help a ton with that.
I thought I was going to be able to fight strep off, but woke up Saturday feeling like death. Unfortunately, our doctor (who is supposed to be open 7 days a week) was closed, so I had to wait until Sunday (Mother's Day!) to go. She gave me a shot and some meds and told me to rest.
Sunday night, after I took my meds, I started itching from head to toe and got hives on the palms of my hands. Guess I'm allergic to that medicine! UGH.
I am still not 100% today but am feeling better than I have been.
I have a meeting today that I am dreading--so I didn't have a choice but to head to work.
On top of being sick, my tooth is STILL not fixed. For the first 27 years of my life, I never had a cavity. Then, I got one. ONE. So I went to the dentist and she did a root canal.
A few weeks ago, the same tooth started aching. And it was enough of an ache that it was bothersome. I went to our new dentist . He gave me a round of antibiotics to take for the infection, and he referred me to an endodontist to have a 2nd root canal on that same tooth. 3 weeks and 2 visits later, I had a 2nd root canal done on the same tooth. That was 10 days ago, and I cannot drink anything cold without being in excruciating pain. I went back to the dentist yesterday. I am so ready for him to just pull the darn thing. He didn't. Instead, he said he didn't know what was wrong with it and put me on ANOTHER round of antibiotics. (If you are keeping count, that is 2 rounds of antibiotics for my tooth and 1for strep throat all in a month.) I go back in 2 weeks to see if these antibiotics do anything. FUN.
David's schedule is gearing up to be insane. They are short 2 managers at his job, so everyone else is is trying to jump in and cover shifts for each other.The poor guy has to work almost 12 days in a row with only 2 non-consecutive days off...and when you work midnights, that's very difficult. I am hoping that he can get over all this sickness funk and doesn't get more sick from the lack of rest he will be getting. And I know the kids miss him when they are home during the day and he is sleeping. I know I do, too. :(
I guess that's really all. I will try to write a post soon about our trip to our town's spring carnival a few weeks ago--and our trip to Gatlinburg for my birthday. We actually have had some fun the last couple weeks despite all the crap! :)
As always, thanks for checking in on us. We love you all!
There is always something going on. Always.
And usually it's not great. Lately? It's been sickness. With 2 kids in daycare, they bring something home almost every week. That's the most frustrating thing about daycare: that other parents send their kids to school sick and then my kids get sick. So, for the first 2 weeks of May, we have all been dealing with strep throat.
It started with Grayson, then David, and finally me. I have been praying praying praying that Finnley doesn't catch it. She is getting her adenoids out and ear tubes put in on Thursday of this week and she won't be able to have it done if she's sick.
I am not looking forward to the surgery, but I am definitely looking forward to the results--she is constantly snotty and feeling icky. I know that the surgery is going to help a ton with that.
I thought I was going to be able to fight strep off, but woke up Saturday feeling like death. Unfortunately, our doctor (who is supposed to be open 7 days a week) was closed, so I had to wait until Sunday (Mother's Day!) to go. She gave me a shot and some meds and told me to rest.
Sunday night, after I took my meds, I started itching from head to toe and got hives on the palms of my hands. Guess I'm allergic to that medicine! UGH.
I am still not 100% today but am feeling better than I have been.
I have a meeting today that I am dreading--so I didn't have a choice but to head to work.
On top of being sick, my tooth is STILL not fixed. For the first 27 years of my life, I never had a cavity. Then, I got one. ONE. So I went to the dentist and she did a root canal.
A few weeks ago, the same tooth started aching. And it was enough of an ache that it was bothersome. I went to our new dentist . He gave me a round of antibiotics to take for the infection, and he referred me to an endodontist to have a 2nd root canal on that same tooth. 3 weeks and 2 visits later, I had a 2nd root canal done on the same tooth. That was 10 days ago, and I cannot drink anything cold without being in excruciating pain. I went back to the dentist yesterday. I am so ready for him to just pull the darn thing. He didn't. Instead, he said he didn't know what was wrong with it and put me on ANOTHER round of antibiotics. (If you are keeping count, that is 2 rounds of antibiotics for my tooth and 1for strep throat all in a month.) I go back in 2 weeks to see if these antibiotics do anything. FUN.
David's schedule is gearing up to be insane. They are short 2 managers at his job, so everyone else is is trying to jump in and cover shifts for each other.The poor guy has to work almost 12 days in a row with only 2 non-consecutive days off...and when you work midnights, that's very difficult. I am hoping that he can get over all this sickness funk and doesn't get more sick from the lack of rest he will be getting. And I know the kids miss him when they are home during the day and he is sleeping. I know I do, too. :(
I guess that's really all. I will try to write a post soon about our trip to our town's spring carnival a few weeks ago--and our trip to Gatlinburg for my birthday. We actually have had some fun the last couple weeks despite all the crap! :)
As always, thanks for checking in on us. We love you all!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Our Love Story
As some of you may have seen on Facebook, today is the anniversary of the day that David and I first met. I have long looke at April 19, 2008 as the day that my life completely changed...and in many ways, it was the day my life started. And, today has gotten me thinking: I have never shared our love story on here. In fact, I am not sure anyone besides my family and a few friends truly know the whole story. So, I decided to share it here today. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed living it. :)
Long before I even had heard of David Bledsoe, I moved to Memphis to finish my Master's Degree in Psychology at the University of Memphis. I remember on the very first day of classes, as I was walking through the hallways trying to find where I was supposed to be, I came across a flyer with the picture of the sweetest little boy I had ever seen. It was a flyer requesting assistance with teaching this little boy who happened to have Autism. Since I had just moved and I was looking for a job, I tore off one of the little phone numbers and looked forward to calling the mother that afternoon. I had been working with children with Autism for several years, and was very excited to continue that work in a new city. Thankfully that mother hired me, and soon, over the next several months and thanks to lots of word of mouth, more families hired me to work with their children. I became very close to several of these families, and especially close to one particular family, the Allens. I worked with their son, Peyton, but soon found myself spending more and more time with them. They became a huge part of my lives.
One day, a few weeks after I had broken up with my boyfriend, the dad (Bubba) mentioned to me that he had a co-worker who he thought I should meet. He was very specific in telling me that he wasn't setting me up with the guy, and he didn't even really want us to date--but he thought we would be good friends since we went to many of the same places/bars. He gave me David's phone number, and I didn't really think much of it.
I don't really remember what I specifically said, but I sent David a text message a few days later. I knew that he liked Tennessee football, so I'm sure it was something about the most recent game, or my love for Ohio State football, or something silly. And, that was it. We texted back and forth a few times, but no real communication. This went on for about a year. We would send a random text here and there. (One time, I had gone on a trip to Ohio with my mom and niece, and I had texted David, teasing him about the Vols losing and the Buckeyes winning. I hadn't learned his sense of humor yet, so when he told me that he was walking naked around Kroger and people were looking at him funny, I actually fell out of bed laughing--I wasn't sure if it was true or not!)
Through all this time, David dated other girls and I dated other guys. Neither of us really thought much of the other--it was just one of those kind of crazy situations where we would always somehow keep in touch. (I can see now that this was a TOTAL GOD THING--God knew all along what He was doing.) We saw each others' pictures, and I thought he was so handsome. Unfortunately, the picture he saw of me at the time evidentally wasn't a very good one of me (he says now it didn't even look like me) because he didn't think I was pretty. :)
At one point in March of 2008, David got tired of texting and actually called me. It was the first time I had heard his voice! I didn't even know who was calling me at first--he souned like a country hillbilly. (I remember picturing him wearing a cowboy hat and boots..HA!) We talked for a few minutes, and that was that. Then, I few weeks later, I made a phone call that would start it all. I'm not proud of what I did, but I am so thankful that I did what I did. :)
I had gone out with some friends on a Friday night and had a little too much to drink--my inhibitions were definitey lowered. Anyway, knowing David worked nights and would be awake at 2:00 in the morning, I decided to call him to tell him good night. He didn't answer, so I left him a message. The next morning when I realized what I had done, I was mortified. mor.ti.fied. So, I called him again (!!!) to apologize. Again he didn't answer, so, again, I left him a message (and prayed that I didn't make a complete fool of myself).
He called me back that afternoon when I was at work at the Allen's house. They were having a cookout at a friend's house that afternoon that I was going to be attending. I sat on the steps of their house and talked to David for several minutes. He was sooooo nice about the whole thing. He even laughed and teased me a bit. During the conversation, I mentioned the cookout and asked him if he wanted to come. He said he would think about it and let me know. So, off to the party we went...my heart fluttering the whole time. I checked my phone almost every second that night...waiting for his text. Then, when I had almost given up hope, he texted that he was on his way. :)
From that night on, we have either talked or been together every single day. A week after we first met, he came to my 26th birthday party, and that's the night that I truly knew he was the man I was going to marry.
Here are some pictures from our life together:
Long before I even had heard of David Bledsoe, I moved to Memphis to finish my Master's Degree in Psychology at the University of Memphis. I remember on the very first day of classes, as I was walking through the hallways trying to find where I was supposed to be, I came across a flyer with the picture of the sweetest little boy I had ever seen. It was a flyer requesting assistance with teaching this little boy who happened to have Autism. Since I had just moved and I was looking for a job, I tore off one of the little phone numbers and looked forward to calling the mother that afternoon. I had been working with children with Autism for several years, and was very excited to continue that work in a new city. Thankfully that mother hired me, and soon, over the next several months and thanks to lots of word of mouth, more families hired me to work with their children. I became very close to several of these families, and especially close to one particular family, the Allens. I worked with their son, Peyton, but soon found myself spending more and more time with them. They became a huge part of my lives.
One day, a few weeks after I had broken up with my boyfriend, the dad (Bubba) mentioned to me that he had a co-worker who he thought I should meet. He was very specific in telling me that he wasn't setting me up with the guy, and he didn't even really want us to date--but he thought we would be good friends since we went to many of the same places/bars. He gave me David's phone number, and I didn't really think much of it.
I don't really remember what I specifically said, but I sent David a text message a few days later. I knew that he liked Tennessee football, so I'm sure it was something about the most recent game, or my love for Ohio State football, or something silly. And, that was it. We texted back and forth a few times, but no real communication. This went on for about a year. We would send a random text here and there. (One time, I had gone on a trip to Ohio with my mom and niece, and I had texted David, teasing him about the Vols losing and the Buckeyes winning. I hadn't learned his sense of humor yet, so when he told me that he was walking naked around Kroger and people were looking at him funny, I actually fell out of bed laughing--I wasn't sure if it was true or not!)
Through all this time, David dated other girls and I dated other guys. Neither of us really thought much of the other--it was just one of those kind of crazy situations where we would always somehow keep in touch. (I can see now that this was a TOTAL GOD THING--God knew all along what He was doing.) We saw each others' pictures, and I thought he was so handsome. Unfortunately, the picture he saw of me at the time evidentally wasn't a very good one of me (he says now it didn't even look like me) because he didn't think I was pretty. :)
At one point in March of 2008, David got tired of texting and actually called me. It was the first time I had heard his voice! I didn't even know who was calling me at first--he souned like a country hillbilly. (I remember picturing him wearing a cowboy hat and boots..HA!) We talked for a few minutes, and that was that. Then, I few weeks later, I made a phone call that would start it all. I'm not proud of what I did, but I am so thankful that I did what I did. :)
I had gone out with some friends on a Friday night and had a little too much to drink--my inhibitions were definitey lowered. Anyway, knowing David worked nights and would be awake at 2:00 in the morning, I decided to call him to tell him good night. He didn't answer, so I left him a message. The next morning when I realized what I had done, I was mortified. mor.ti.fied. So, I called him again (!!!) to apologize. Again he didn't answer, so, again, I left him a message (and prayed that I didn't make a complete fool of myself).
He called me back that afternoon when I was at work at the Allen's house. They were having a cookout at a friend's house that afternoon that I was going to be attending. I sat on the steps of their house and talked to David for several minutes. He was sooooo nice about the whole thing. He even laughed and teased me a bit. During the conversation, I mentioned the cookout and asked him if he wanted to come. He said he would think about it and let me know. So, off to the party we went...my heart fluttering the whole time. I checked my phone almost every second that night...waiting for his text. Then, when I had almost given up hope, he texted that he was on his way. :)
From that night on, we have either talked or been together every single day. A week after we first met, he came to my 26th birthday party, and that's the night that I truly knew he was the man I was going to marry.
Here are some pictures from our life together:
When I look back at the last 5 years, I can't help but be so incredibly thankful for every day I have had with David. He is the most kind, loving, caring, hilarious, and giving man I have ever met. Every day, David pushes me to be a better person, and he expects that I be the best person I can be. I am so proud of David and the father that he is to our kids, and the friend he is to so many. Through all the ups and downs of our life together, David has been steadfast. He has never left my side, even when I was the hardest to be with. :) I wish I could fully express into words how much I love him!!
Thank you for reading our love story!! :) We love you all!