Our Story: Part 5

Part 1 --->  here
Part 2 ---> here
Part 3 ---> here
Part 4 ---> here

So, we got engaged in March and set the date for August 7th
(speaking of which, check out this post from our most recent Anniversary).

Our engagement flew by with lots of wedding planning, baby planning, and life planning. 

We saw each other every single day and evening. 

We did marriage counseling. 

We found our first apartment. 

It wasn't always easy, but it was the way it was suppose to be. 

We each grew in our own ways and we grew in our relationship. 

Then, we got married. And really, it was a beautiful day. 

Promising, in front of friends and family, 

in front of God that'd we love each other forever. 

The first three months of being married went by quickly.
We fell more in love and didn't take a single moment for granted.
We had many late nights of watching LOST and just being together.
We moved from our super tiny apartment (thanks to it flooding) to a bigger one.
Then, our first baby arrived and we were changed once again.

^^^ Braden. Gosh, so little! ^^^

Really, these glimpses into our story is just the beginning. 

Our story it really never ends. 

There have been good times and hard times.

There have been ups and downs.

There's been more babies...

^^^ A little bitty Mavey ^^^

It really will never end. 

There will always be more our life, our love to share. 

Hope you've enjoyed getting to hear a bit about how we came to be! 

Our Story: Part 4

It's been a while since I shared a part of our story!
Today seemed like a good idea to continue.

You can read Part 1 ---> here.
Part 2 ----> here.
Part 3 ---> here.

I fought James hard for a few months.
I know it seems, to him, like I fought forever.
Truthfully, it seemed that way to me as well.
It's hard to fight what is right, what is suppose to be.
It's also hard to let go of a broken heart and fear, but I did it and it was right.

We dated. We hung out at my house. We went out.
I met his parents. He met my friends.
We talked about God. We fell in love.

And then I was pregnant.
We were in shock. I freaked out. I cried. I shook. I went shopping.
James was by my side constantly.
Making sure I was okay. Comforting me.
Tell me I was going to be okay. Talking about marriage. Loving me.

I thought he was crazy, but we talked and talked about it.
I was scared of the unknown, of being a mom, of the unknown future.
I was scared of what people would think. Terrified actually.
But I was sure I loved him and wanted to be with him forever.
So, we told our parents and we got engaged.

To some, I'm sure we seemed crazy. 

There wasn't support from everyone,

but there was the support from those who mattered. 

We had each other and that was what was important... 

along with the baby growing inside that would turn us into parents!

More, next week! 

Our Story: Part 3

Part 1---> here
Part 2 ---> here

_____________________________________________________________________

The last our story post I left you with the story of our first "date",
which we said wasn't a date whatsoever.
I rushed off quickly from our first time together because my heart was scared.
As I left I recall thinking that was the end of that.
I didn't want to get close to a guy, I didn't want to be in a relationship.
Why would I let things continue?
Well, truthfully it didn't feel like my heart or James was giving me much of a choice.

James and I talked soon after that and hung out a ton.
Lots of times after he got off work,
he'd come over to my parents house and we'd hang out.
Often we went on walks around my neighborhood, just talking, for hours.
I shared a lot with him about my life and my heart.
Mostly I talked about college and how much of a struggle it was for me.
I confided in him that I was in a bad relationship in college
and how I was still a mess from it.
At times, even today, I think I shared too much of that, too quickly.
He listened well and was really understanding.

James was not hesitant at all to let me know that he wanted to date me.
He has never been the hesitant type at all, when it comes to us.
He's bold and he knows what he wants.
He isn't afraid to share that.
Truthfully, this scared me.
I'm sure when he told me this my eyes popped out of my head in fear!
I know the words, "You're crazy!" also popped out of my mouth!
I put up walls quickly with him.
I told him multiply times that I wasn't going to date him.
I told him we could only be friends.
I even told him I was going to move three hours away.
Still he was persistent. Still here was there listening and waiting.

One thing I always wanted to make sure of when it came to having a relationship,
was that the guy had a strong relationship with Christ.
Right away, even before we started talking he knew I was a Christian.
I made that obvious then and even after we started hanging out.
However, when we hung out that was a topic I tried to stay away from.
I would talk about Jesus,
but not too much because I felt like that was an intimate thing.
I didn't want to talk about Jesus or read the Bible with James because that,
in my eyes, meant we were getting too close.
That was exactly what I wanted to avoid.

I tried to avoid so much at this point in our relationship because I was still hurt.
I remember right before graduating from college,
telling a friend, I was done with guys.
There were none out there that could be trusted. They were all evil.
It makes me sad that I thought that because it's not true.
That's how hurt and broken I was though.

Even though I threw up wall after wall, James still wanted to be with me.
Even after I told him I was a mess and couldn't be his friend.
Even after I told him over and over I was never going to date him.
Even after I told him he was crazy.
Even after we kissed and I turned to him, looked into his eyes and said,
"You know we still can't be together, right?"

.....More next week!

Our Story: Part 2

I'm sharing the story of how James and I began.
You can read part 1----> here
_____________________________________________________________

We walked up the movie counter and purchased our tickets to Surrogate
(He paid by the way, which made me wonder if we were out on a date).
As we sat waiting for the movie to start we found it easy to talk.
Honestly, I don't recall everything,
but that it was easy to open up to him and I wasn't fearful.
We talked a lot about our families.
His parents had 10 kids. He was the youngest.
His parents were also strong Catholics.
I had 1 sister and a half brother.
My parents we're divorced, but my mom and step-dad Catholic, too.
I was so intrigued by the thought of 10 children. It blew my mind really.
We talked and talked, sharing our lives with one another until the movie came on.
We watched for about 20 minutes
and then decided we couldn't handle this horrible movie any longer.
First time I ever walked out of a movie (but not my last ;)

He asked then if I'd like to get something to eat.
I said yes even though I was nervous
and when I'm nervous, eating doesn't really happen.
We went to Old Chicago and sat in a booth in the back of the restaurant.
We decided to share a pizza, which for me meant, I'll take two bites and be done.

We made small talk as we ate pizza
I believe this was the first time James said this was not a date.
I remember slightly smiling because it felt like such an awkward thing to actually hear that out loud.

As we left the restaurant James asked if I wanted to go on an airplane ride.
Did I mention he had gotten his pilot license not long before we met?
I said yes because I was enjoying my time with him and how fun?
As we drove I remember talking about college some
and the bad relationship I had been in,
which would be talked about a lot more over time..
We, actually really, I should say James talked a lot about how this wasn't a date.
He said it was just too people hanging out and getting to know one another.
I caught myself smiling a lot and chuckling on the inside
because I wasn't sure if he was trying to convince me or himself.

We got to the airport and into the airplane.
I watched him check the airplane and fill it with gas.
I remember thinking in that moment,
"I'm in trouble, I could totally fall in love with this guy."
We had a really great time together,
but when he dropped me off at my car later, I rushed away.
I was scared of what I was feeling and what I knew I could feel.

I will share more about that next week!

Our Story: Part 1

I'm hesitant to write the words, hesitant to share how we came to be.
I'm afraid of judgement even though I know God is the only one who has the right.
So, I'll write regardless of how I feel and rely on His truth.

I was still away at college when James and I met.
We didn't meet in a normal way even though it was online,
it still wasn't normal in that way.
We met through Facebook. We had some friends in common.
We lived in the same town, went to the same junior high,
but don't ever remember meeting.
We joke about this sometimes...
Saying that God probably made it that way for a reason.
He wouldn't have liked me because I was too emotional.
And I wouldn't have liked him because he would have annoyed me. Ha ;)

Now, let me tell you...
That normally I don't accept friend requests from people I don't know,
Much less a GUY I don't know, but James had started off talking to me about God.
He had read I had written about God and it has resonated in him.
Definitely different than a lot of guys I had known.

I still had a month or so left of college when we started talking.
During that time we talked a lot on Facebook.
He mentioned that we should get together sometime and go to the movies.
He made sure to clarify it would be just as friends.
I really should ask him about that.
I'm not sure if he actually meant that...
Or was telling me that because he didn't want me thinking he was crazy
(which I have told him a time or two ;).

^^^ Our first picture together in 2009. Just babies^^^

I hadn't been home from college that long when we decided to get together.
I was so nervous. I wasn't sure if it was a date. I had never met this person before.
Not to mention at the end of college I promised myself I was done with guys.
To say I was terrified of getting hurt by the opposite sex was an understatement.
But I wasn't so nervous that it felt like I shouldn't meet him.
I didn't really think he was crazy or anything.

So, I drove to the movie theater and sat outside waiting for him.
I was so nervous I was shaking, but then I saw him walking towards me.
I got up and started walking towards him
(this is the part of the story where he always tells me I had a glow around me -ha)
and as I got closer I caught myself thinking,
"He's really good looking, way more good looking than Facebook implies." :)

We introduced ourselves, shook hands, and went on our first non-date.
Come back next week to read more about that night...
Which includes awkward conversations and an airplane ride.