On December 2nd, Matt and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. In a way, it feels like it's been forever, but other days I find it hard to believe 10 years has passed so quickly. We have grown up so much since that day we said "I do" at the young ages of 19 (two weeks from 20!) and 22. We had a lot of growing up to do, and although I sometimes think we were crazy for getting married that young, I wouldn't change a thing.
In (late) celebration of our milestone anniversary, I thought I would take a walk down memory lane:
September 1999 - Just one month into my freshmen year of college at ULM, I meet Matt. I was working at Sound Shop in the mall in Monroe and Matt came in with another guy that I had met at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry on campus. It was right before lunch and when I went on my lunch break, they called me over to sit with them in the food court. I don't remember the conversation and truthfully didn't really pay much attention to Matt at the time, other than just having a polite conversation. The next week or so, I saw Matt again at a concert at LA Tech and we talked through most of it. (He tells me that I made him miss the band/group that he was there to see! I don't remember who was playing!) A day or so later, Matt tracked down my dorm room number and called and asked me out...a semi- group date to see his friends in a band play in Ruston at the Railroad Park. From there, we just started spending more and more time together--talking until the wee hours of the night (until I wised up and decided if I was going to make it to my 8 am classes AND actually be awake in them then I needed to start being back in bed at a decent hour!). Funny thing...just a week or so before meeting Matt, I asked my friend's boyfriend if he had any single friends he could hook me up with. His reply, "I've got a friend who's bald." Me: "Umm, no, I prefer to date guys with hair!" Guess who his bald friend was?
Christmas Night, 1999 - Only three months after we had started dating, Matt and I decided that we wanted to get married. It may sound a little "quick," but we just knew we were meant to be together!
Summer 2000 - I went to Colorado as a summer missionary with the Louisiana Baptist Convention and Matt got a job at Chili's waiting tables. The plan: to get married over Christmas break that year. Being my typical Type-A personality, I gave instructions to Matt before I left: pay off my engagement ring (which I hadn't received yet...remember we were poor college folks) and have a certain amount of money in savings (it was a few thousand, I don't remember the exact amount). I told Matt if the money wasn't there, then we would have to wait until May 2001 to get married. Matt, determined to marry me over Christmas break, had all his finances in order and even had more in savings then I had asked for!
August 7, 2000 - I flew into the Shreveport airport scared to death that Matt was going to officially propose to me at the gate. (These were the days where they let you go all the way to the gate to retrieve your friends and family.) Maybe some people would think that was romantic or cute, but I just didn't want such a public proposal! Thankfully, Matt didn't and my family and his all went to eat dinner at Olive Garden. Matt was going to come back to my parents' house in Arcadia with me that night, so we had to stop off at his parents' house to get his bag. While Matt went to the bathroom, his dad asked to see my ring and I thought he was talking about another ring that I had on, so I showed it to him. He said, "This isn't it. Where's your engagement ring?" And, I said, "What do you mean? Matt just told me in the car that it wasn't ready yet." My future father-in-law, having already said too much, then says, "Yes, it is. I picked it up. I thought he was going to propose to you tonight." And, that is how I found out what was yet to come. I didn't say anything to Matt and after we got to my parents' house, he asked me to go "look at the stars" with him outside. I, knowing what was about to happen, decided to play hard-to-get and told him I was tired and I wanted to stay inside and it was hot out there, blah, blah, blah. After doing my best to annoy him, I finally went outside where he eventually proposed to me...and I can't remember a word he said (and he can't either!). I know it was along the lines of loving me and wanting to spend the rest of his life with me and the usual proposal stuff. I could tell he was super nervous and I was just so excited to be back in Louisiana with him and taking a step closer to marrying him. (In case you are wondering, I said, "Yes.")
December 2, 2000 - Wedding Day! I believe most of you who read this blog were there! We took a short honeymoon to Cedar Grove Inn in Vicksburg before returning back for finals. (Yes, we were a little crazy. My GPA that semester? A sad 2.6. Apparently, planning a wedding during a semester and then getting married the weekend before finals doesn't help your GPA much. By the way, the reason we got married on December 2nd is because the church we attended was booked the entire month and the Baptist Children's Home Chapel where we got married was only available on that date.) I have a fairly good memory from that day and remember pretty much everything. Most notable in my mind--because I'm a girl and I tend to focus on the details: I remember my hairdresser DID NOT do my hair like I wanted him to (and like he had done for my bridal pictures); I remember having leg cramps and two of my bridesmaids picking me up a banana on the way to the church; I remember my bridesmaids all gathering around me and praying before the ceremony started (one of the sweetest things!); I remember being SO nervous before I walked down the aisle that my hands were shaking and my older brother (who NEVER shows affection) holding them and telling me I was going to be fine; I remember not being nervous, though, once I got up there next to Matt and thinking it went by SO fast; I remember (and we always talk about this) losing my wedding band...I had gloves on and I took them off, forgetting to take my ring off first, and then panicked when I realized what I had done. The ring ended up being in the folds of my dress! I also remember getting too close to a car as I was walking into the reception and getting the bottom of my dress dirty. My photographer, who had photographed a gazillion weddings and pretty much seen it all, saved the day by beating my dress (with me in it) with a dish towel to get the dirt off. Aside from the details, though, the absolute best memory is just the love and elation I felt toward Matt that day! One of the best days ever!
Spring 2001 - Matt and I settled into a daily routine, enjoying the "honeymoon phase," although that semester was tough on Matt as he did his student teaching preparing to graduate while still waiting tables at Chili's.
May 2001 - Matt graduates with his bachelor's degree and due to a horrible student teaching experience decides he doesn't want to teach. He starts looking into the youth ministry.
June 2001 - We move to Englewood, FL, which is on the beach below Tampa...19 hours away from home for Matt to take a position as a Youth Minister. At first it was going well, but things started going south in August and we were both miserable. I may or may not have pitched a few crying fits and on one occasion sat in the closet crying. The honeymoon definitely felt over!
September 2001 - We moved back to Louisiana and lived with my parents for a month and Matt's parents for two months while Matt looked for a teaching job. (Definitely a low point in our marriage...having to move back in with your parents less than a year after getting married.)
Spring 2002 - Matt landed a job in DeSoto Parish teaching English and I enrolled in LSUS. We moved into an apartment in Shreveport and I was never so thrilled to see my belongings after they had been in storage for three months! At the end of the school year, though, Matt learned that there were going to be budget cuts in the parish and he wouldn't have a job the next year, so Matt started looking for a job yet again. This time, though, we were hoping to get back to the Monroe area, and I was hoping to get back to ULM to finish my degree.
August 2002 - Matt got a job teaching in Delhi, so we packed up and moved into a rental house in the town I was born in. (Coincidentally, our rental was across the street from my cousin.) Before school even started, though, Matt was asked to teach at the alternative school in Archibald instead (below Rayville) and then he was asked to move to Rayville High School after Christmas. We really wanted to be back in Monroe, though, so we decided to move back there.
January 2003 - We moved to a townhouse in West Monroe, which allowed me to be closer to ULM for my on-campus internship and group projects. (This was my senior year.)
Summer 2003 - I landed an internship at Howard Books, which I have to say changed my life career-wise, as I had a full-time job there before I graduated at the end of the summer. Before I got that internship, I still wasn't sure where I wanted to work and what exactly I wanted to do within the field of public relations. Matt started back to school that summer to get his masters degree in English and for the first and only time, we took a class together--Spanish 102--and spent the entire summer talking in Spanish to each other (mostly...our vocabulary was limited). I graduated in August and was THRILLED to be done with school and to start my career in the publishing industry.
Winter 2004 - Although I started out as copyeditor at Howard, which wasn't a PR position, I knew the company would eventually be expanding the publicity and marketing (because it was pretty nonexistent) and it did. A marketing vp was hired in January and I was named Publicist. I was on cloud nine! We decided it was time to officially settle down and buy a house. We closed on our little starter home in February 2004 and Matt immediately starting asking for a dog. I figured a dog would be a good test to see if he was ready for children, so I gave in and Zoe--a bouncy, little furball puppy--came to live with us in March.
August 2004 - Matt graduates with his masters degree in a record one year time (usually takes people 2 years) and took a job as an English Instructor at ULM. For the first time ever, we were a dual income family...and we were ready to start a family. We started trying that month...not realizing that it would be over a year before we were expecting.
Summer 2005 - After spending 9 months trying to conceive (and constantly visiting the doctor), Matt had the opportunity to work for a Christian magazine that summer, traveling to various music festivals and working their booth there. I knew it was a great opportunity for him and I also felt like we needed to take a break from the fertility issues, so he headed off for about 8 weeks that summer. (I saw him in Colorado when I went there for the Christian Bookselling Association's annual trade show--he was there working a booth too--and then he had a week break and came home in the middle of the traveling and I also flew to Illinois and spent a long weekend with him at the Cornerstone Festival.)
October 2005 - I switched doctors and the new one immediately diagnosed me with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. He did a little exploratory surgery to make sure everything looked good and that my fallopian tubes weren't blocked and then put me on a combination of Clomid (fertility drug) and Metformin (used for insulin resistance).
December 2, 2005 - Our fifth anniversary! We returned to Cedar Grove Inn where we went for our honeymoon to celebrate!
December 23, 2005 - We get a positive pregnancy test. Matt doesn't believe it because the line is faint, so I go and buy a test that has the words on it. Of course, it says "Pregnant." While I was at Walgreens buying the test (and knowing I was right about the faint line!), I buy three ornaments that say "Grandchild's first Christmas" and decide I'll wrap them and give them to our parents and Matt's grandma to announce our pregnancy.
April 2006 - We find out it's a girl! I'm having second thoughts on the name we have had picked out since we got married (Juliette) and want to name her Audrie. Matt stands firm and says he likes Juliette because it's "fanciful and elegant." He wins me over and now I'm so glad we named her Juliette.
August 24, 2006 - Juliette Geniece comes to rock our world on a rainy day at 12:20 pm, weighing 6 lbs., 15 oz. Matt, who has never held a newborn before, morphs into someone I've never seen and walks out of the operating room (I had to have a c-section) with her like he's been holding newborns all his life!
We spent the next year in baby bliss (mostly...once we get through those first sleepless nights) and fall more in love with our little angel every day.
June 2007 - While giving Juliette a bath, Matt slips two discs in his back and basically becomes an old man overnight...complete with a cane.
August 2007 - Juliette turns 1 and we celebrate with a big dog-themed birthday party. (Dogs were her favorite at that time.)
October 2007 - Matt has back surgery in Plano, TX, and within a week is back to his old self!
March 2008 - I work on my first New York Times bestseller and accompany the authors to the Today Show and Oprah!
July 2008 - DisneyWorld! I had to go to Orlando for a trade show and since I was already going, we decided that Matt and Juliette would tag along to and we would spend a few days at Disney after the trade show. Juliette was not quite 23 months old, but she loved it...especially all the costumed characters--she had to hug every one of them. Although, she doesn't remember it, we took pictures and put them in a little picture album that she has in her bedroom and looks at all the time. I can't wait until we can take her back now that she is older!
August 2008 - Matt changes jobs and starts teaching at Mangham High School. That December, he switches over to a new program at the Alternative School in Archibald. He decides this will be the last year (5th time!) to apply for doctorate school and we are hopeful that this will be the year that he gets accepted somewhere!
November 2008 - We take a cruise over Thanksgiving to celebrate our 8th anniversary.
April 2009 - I lose my job at Howard Books. (Read my 2009 Year in Review if you need the details.) Matt gets acceptance letters to not one, not even two, but FOUR schools. Only one, UL, offers him funding (tuition paid and graduate assistantship with monthly stipend), so the job loss couldn't have come at a better time.
July 2009 - We move to Lafayette and experience culture shock that we still haven't adapted to.
August 2009 - Juliette starts preschool at the UL Lab School just after turning 3. (I get her potty trained roughly a month before that...we were cutting it close!)
October 2009 - We finally sell our house in West Monroe! I get stopped for speeding on the way up there for the closing. I only remember this because it's the only time I've ever cried my way out of a ticket and because Juliette was with me and constantly talks about it...even a year and a half later. (That kid has a great memory!)
November 2009 - I get a job...finally!! I'm the new Sales & Marketing Director for UL Press and I'm in awe of how awesome God is and happy to be back in publishing.
July 2010 - We move into the family housing apartments on UL's campus and can't be thankful enough for cheap housing and more money in our pockets!
December 2010 - We celebrate our 10th anniversary with a trip to a bed and breakfast in Jefferson, TX and over dinner in an Italian restaurant talk about where we think we'll be in 10 years...
