Showing posts with label Jon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jon. Show all posts

Monday, July 15, 2013

Celebrating Anniversary Week (The College Years and Engagement)

     Jon and I went to different colleges, he was at Oakland University, and I went to to the best school known to man, Central Michigan University. Being apart was so good and so needed. We had no intention of ever getting back together.

     We both loved college. InterVarsity was a huge part of both of our college experiences. We both grew a ton spiritually during college. We learned who we were apart from each other, and were able to start being the people God had created us to be. Our paths crossed a little bit in college. Because we were both a part of InterVarsity, we would see each other at conferences, and when we would be at home at church, but that's it. I thought we we were done forever.

     We don't have very many "college age" pictures together, because we were not together for most of college, but because it's fun to go back in the past, I will bring some out of the vault:)

Jon: In the red:) Guys from college.



   And some of me from college.....
Me and my college roommate...spring break trip to Florida. Also fun fact....this is the trip where I met my future brother in law (didn't know it at the time). 

Krista and Kristin!!! My very best friend!!! We spent LOTS of time together in college....... awww.... miss you 1/5. 

Part of my InterVarsity chapter...


Back Together 
   Basically because Facebook was invented, Jon and I got back together. You know, basically. That an AOL instant messenger. Remember that, friends? We started chatting online....I spent tons of time online in college. I worked the front desk of my dorm, and sometimes it was overnight hours, leaving me nothing to do but look at the computer in front of me.... We started sending messages back and forth.  

  One weekend, Jon decided to come to Mt. Pleasant , we would go out and catch up and go from there. And that was all folks. Once we saw each other again, it was like we were the same people, but totally different. We both had grown up, we matured, we spent time a part, and yet what attracted us to each other from the beginning was still there. And I was hooked on that man. 

Circa 2004: Jon and I with a bunch of mutal friends from church 

This picture cracks me up!!!  We took my baby sister and his little brother go carting, putt putt golfing and to the batting cages.. 



The Engagement  
     Remember my best friend Krista? Yah, she was conspiring with Jon on the proposal.....and my roommate (Tiffany pictured above) also had to be in on it...... 

     It was a yucky Sunday. I had stayed up the late the night before. Krista and I went to church on Sunday morning. We were supposed to get all dressed up and go out for a girls night that evening. I tried to get out of it. I so just wanted to have a night at home by myself in my apartment. I was so tired. And had so much homework to get done.  And seriously....a Sunday night....lets just plan for something the next week.  

    Somehow Krista convinced me that it was a good idea to go out. She told me to get ready and she called and said she would be by in a minute. There was a knock on my apartment door. I opened it, totally expected it to be Krista, and it was Jon, dressed in a suit, with flowers. I was shocked. He lives two hours away. It was Sunday night, he had class and work early on Monday morning. What was he doing here? 
  
    "Ready? We have reservations" he said, like I was expecting him. Alrighty....perfect. We went to a classy place for dinner. He had convinced me that this was not a proposal dinner, but simply an act to prove that he can indeed surprise me. I ordered lobster. The one and only time I have ever had lobster in my life:)  

    We went back to my apartment. When we walked in, there were flowers all over the place, candles going, and music playing. What in the world? How did he do that? Who had keys to my apartment??? While we were at dinner, Krista came and decorated:))) We were dancing to the cd he made for me. Our song came on....he sung it to me, dropped down to one knee and proposed. 

     To this day, he will not let me live this down. I told him "No," After all, he did convince me that this was not the proposal day, so he obviously was not really asking me to be his wife. Except he was. And I didn't believe him. I did say "yes" later:)  

    I got so excited that I knocked some candles  over. Luckily no fire, just lots of melted wax all over my carpet. Oops.    

   We were engaged for 9 months, about 6 months too long. It was a crazy hard time for us. To this day, I will encourage anyone I know that is engaged to not have a long engagement. I'll save my sob story for another post. I gave my ring back for a few days and I didn't think we would make it to the wedding.  Being engaged was soooo overrated. So glad we are past that:))  

Next up: WEDDING!!!!  Stay tuned. 

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Celebrating Anniversary Week -- High School Years Edition



I know, the quality of picture is insanely bad......but, hopefully you can see it:) 

         This week, Jon and I are celebrating seven years of marriage. I am excited to share some of our story with you....and the subsequent pictures that go along with the story.

       My grandma says that our story started in 1992 when Jon was in third grade. My grandma was Jon's third grade teacher, and she swears to this day, that she talked with Jon's parents about marrying me when he was in her class. I don't remember that AT ALL. I don't remember meeting Jon until I was in 6th grade. Our families went to the same church, and we grew up in youth group together.

        Sometime during my freshman year in high school, Jon and I were interested in each other. My parents had a no dating rule until I was 16, and truthfully, I was grateful for that. I didn't really know what dating meant....I didn't know what to do. I would be out of town for my 16th birthday, so a few days before Jon showed up at my house with a birthday card. It was simple. And sweet. And still, we weren't dating. We started dating a month after my birthday.
 
        High school was rough. We were very interested in each other, and loved spending time together, but as teens, we were on again, and off again...a lot. I don't know how many times we broke up, and got back together.  We both had our own demons and struggles. This played a pretty huge role in our relationship. When I graduated high school, we broke up "for good." Actually, it was the day of my graduation open house. Good memory, huh? It was also the day Jon gave me my graduation gift: a beautiful tennis bracelet, that took me 2 seconds to lose.

       I'll get more into the college years in my next post, but breaking up after I graduated was absolutely needed. We both had some serious things we needed to work on, and we really were not loving each other well.

     

Jon and I went to two different high schools and were a year apart. Because of this, we went to A LOT of dances. My parents were so glad that I could wear those expensive dresses twice:)

- 5 homecomings
-4 proms
-3 Winterfests

Next up: College Edition

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Proof {That HE DID IT!}

We left very early in the morning to make sure that we could get to the race location in time for Jon to register....both of my boys are looking a little tire. Jon had too much caffeine the night before, and Caleb was asleep until we parked the car......

Racing for Bethany, seeing that Caleb was a Bethany baby, Jon had a friend who works for Bethany and invited him and Saturday was a good of time as any to run his first 5k....

Crossing the bridge....past the halfway point. RUN BABY RUN!

There he is.......almost to the finish line.......

HE DID IT!!!!!

Caleb was proud of his daddy, proud, but also sleepy

Way to go honey on running your first 5k....first of MANY!

Friday, March 5, 2010

A night with daddy

"Help! I need a bottle quick!"

"Someone tell daddy that he needs to shave. His face is scratchy."
"Dad, this is so embarrassing! All this smoochin'!"

"Caleb, watch closely what I do. And then you do it. That's right, open your mouth wide."

"Good job! Way to follow directions!"


"I just LOVE Firday nights with Dad!"


Monday, February 15, 2010

Now that there is a baby in the house....

-I need to work on my photography skills to take some great photos of the little guy

-I am cleaning more than ever

-I do more loads of laundry and dishes on a regular basis than ever before

-I am constantly clipping coupons and finding ways to save money on diapers and formula

-I know why mothers drink coffee

-I desperately need to get myself onto a schedule. Caleb is on a great one....now, about me.

-One of the greatest sights is the two men in my life asleep on the couch together

-I feel like all is right...we have our boy

-I recognize the faithfulness of God

-I fall in love with Caleb more and more each day

-I fall in love with my husband more and more each day as I see him as a daddy


Saturday, February 13, 2010

My Valentine...

- is my first love

-is my high school sweet heart

-is my best friend

-knows me and still loves me

-is the person who makes me laugh and makes me the happiest, and also the person that I can get frustrated with the quickest

-is an amazing father

-is a great provider and has an amazing work ethic

-is growing to be more and more like Jesus each and ever day

-sometime has road rage

-is the messiest man alive

-allows me to be myself. I am so comfortable with who I am when I with him

-puts up with my crazy family

-encourages me to pursue deep friendships with girlfriends

-lets me sleep in and take naps

-is learning to get really great gifts!

-plays the guitar, soccer and wants to be a runner

-was in a band in high school...I still think it is secretly his dream

-rejects Christian culture and thinks critically about what a Christ follower should look like

-not only lets me watch my guilty pleasure tv shows, but watches them with me

-hates talking on the phone, but will call me several times a day to tell me that he is thinking of me, and that he loves me

-is a child magnet

-likes his shirts folded a certain way

-looks at me in "that way"

-prays with me and for me

-is a man that I can trust with my whole heart

-is a servant

-is an amazing cook

-changes poopy diapers, makes bottles, snuggles with Caleb and gets up early with our boy to let me sleep in

-understands my need from some introverted space

-is the man that I would marry all over again