4 Years

Four years ago today I married the man of my dreams. We've been through a lot since then- job changes, 3 apartments, 1 house, a move from DC to TN, two baby losses, financial hardship. We've also seen a lot of good too- God's constant provision, Jeremy's job with the Redskins, my job at IHS, travel, the birth of our precious baby boy. When I stood at the altar on April 29, 2006, I'm glad I didn't know what the next 4 years would hold. I'm so thankful that God gave us a solid rock foundation for our marriage and allowed us to be consumed in our love for one another. It is what has held us together these past four years. For old times' sake, let's take a walk down memory lane..... and I'll give you a little history of our relationship....

Jeremy and I met at Liberty University in the Fall of 2000. (I was a freshman; he was a junior) We were introduced by mutual friends after a football game one night. A football game that Jeremy got kicked out of because he was throwing marshmallows at a cop. Yeah, he's come a long way since then! Or at least I like to think he has :) We were instantly attracted to one another... he was quiet and mysterious... and had a way about him that was so intriguing to me. We started officially dating a few weeks later.
This picture was taken in November 2000 at Jeremy's house in Maryland:


I would like to mention that when I met Jeremy he said that he would never drink coffee or have a cell phone. If you know Jeremy today, I hope you find this as humorous as I still do!! Ha ha.

I left Liberty between my freshman and sophomore year and enrolled at Belmont University back in Nashville. This started the long distance relationship that we had for the next 3 years. Jeremy finished school and then started a series of internships in the NFL that took him all over the country. This is us at a Houston Rockets game (when he lived in Houston):


In May 2004, I graduated from Belmont and by this point we were reallllly sick of the long-distance thing.... so we decided to move to DC on a hope and a prayer that things would work out in regards to jobs, school, etc. I was accepted to graduate school and immediately got a job as an in-home autism therapist. A few months after moving north, Jeremy was hired by the Washington Redskins. This chapter in our lives was absolutely wonderful. We were discovering each other in news ways and having a blast living in the "big city".
Here we are at my Belmont graduation:



And here's us after a big snow in DC. So fun!


For Christmas 2004, Jeremy surprised me with train tickets to NYC and tickets to see "The Lion King" on Broadway. New York City is probably our favorite place on Earth, so I was obviously ecstatic! We took our little trip in January 2005 and that weekend was, without a doubt, one of the best of my life. Our engagement night started with a candlelit dinner. When dessert was brought to our table, I heard "At Last" (by Etta James) start playing ... and I knew something was up. My dessert came with a letter written in calligraphy on parchment paper. By the time I finished reading it, I looked up and he was down on one knee. I am so glad I said YES! The entire restaurant erupted in applause and we were in tears. When we arrived at the theater, he surprised me yet again with seats in a private box! Our night concluded with a trip to Serendipity :) I was over-the-moon excited... and still smile thinking back on that night. Here we are right before dinner:


We were engaged for 15 months before getting married. That gave me ample time to plan the wedding of my dreams. Every detail was chosen with exact precision. I'm a girl who knows what I like and won't settle for anything less. April 29th was magical. I felt like a princess who had finally been granted her prince.

We honeymooned on Kiawah Island (outside of Charleston) and stayed at a hotel perfectly named, The Sanctuary.

I know I tend to be a little long-winded at times, but thanks for reading. God really has blessed us and I am so thankful for His goodness.

Jeremy, you are my life and every time I think I couldn't love you anymore.. God reveals to me a deeper love for you that I didn't know existed. We are a team and I'm in this for life. Thank you for loving me WAY more than I deserve. I love you..........to infinity and beyond :)