How do you number the days!?

On this day, June 18, six years ago I had the great opportunity of joining in marriage with my best friend of already nearly five years at the time. That now brings us to a total of nearly 11 years together since we started dating back in High School. However... there is also the time spent "going out" from back in elementary school (5th/6th grade)... and how do you factor that in!

In our years spent together we have had the opportunity to enjoy and endure many great things. How simple things were back in High School and the many movies in the park, long conversations on the tail gate of my truck, all the way through the long distance of college years and on into the real Army life. Marriage paired with the Army brings about another marriage in and of itself... a joint marriage to the Army. The Army is Cole's career and the provider for our family... and I can either choose to join in the marriage to it and life a happier, fuller life... or fight against it and bring termoil into our marriage as well. This has brought it's own challenges and rewards that not all marriages face and I am so glad that despite deployments and time apart we have weathered it well!

When we wed six years ago we had a plan... oh boy oh boy were we planners! I'm pretty sure God can count on us for a good laugh! Our five years wait for a family quickly went out the window when we saw the impact of deployment and how precious life is first hand... and along came Sierra Grace. Our timeline wasn't involved in her arrival but God had things worked out.... as well as with our future! We have made five moves in a five year period and met many wonderful people, families, and enjoyed great laughter and sorrow with them. We do not know what the longer term holds for our family right now, but we do know that God is at work in our lives and he is blessing us here where we are at!

I cannot say wether we have changed all that much over the years. We often wonder where the time went, why we were so worried about life back then (ha ha) and are we living in a dream... because surely that little one in there is not truly entrusted to us! Are we really old enough to handle the responsibility! Some say we still look the same as we did back then... but I'm sure if you looked closely you would notice the gray hairs popping up and the added wrinkles setting in! However... I cannot think of a person I would rather grow old with! I'm so glad that we are doing it together!

Hope you enjoy a little journey down memory lane with us... I sure enjoyed looking back through pictures... too bad I don't have any from elementary school!

Building our bridge together in HS
Prom Night

West Point Ball

Ice Skating at Rockefellar Center

Last WP Ball... Graduation Time!

The BIG event...

Saying our Goodbyes for Deployment I

Saying Hello after Deployment I

Hail and Farewell in TX

Regimental Ball in TX, Brave Riffles

Family Day on the Range (with a little pnut on board... didn't know it yet)

8 months prego and saying goodbye for Deployment II

R & R and becoming a family! Brings tears to my eyes!

Cole's Cpt. Career Course Graduation

Current day Family... minus Bongo!