Seven Years

This is where Danny and I were seven years ago.

I loved our wedding. Looking back, I realize how special and perfect and amazing our wedding really was. Our courtship was so fast, that planning our wedding was an extremely rushed situation. Just to prove that point, here's a synopsis of our brief pre-marital relationship:

March 2002 - We met at the Barbara Worth Resort bar. Ayron introduced us, since she knew Danny through the local Young Farmers & Ranchers group. She mentioned how I needed a date for the BUHS prom that I was chaperoning in only a few weeks. I had just broken off an engagement and was not looking for anything in the way of a relationship. I was applying to law school. I was eager to leave the Valley. But my plans were not God's plan.

A few days later, I showed up on Danny's doorstep, and in front of his two roommates, asked him to to go to the prom with me. Why did I do this? Well, Danny gave a great first impression. He was kind and sweet, and soft spoken. He was handsome and smart. I didn't have even an inkling of a romantic attachment, I figured he was harmless and nice, and would be a low pressure date for the prom. He said he'd go with me, but I couldn't tell if he was doing it to help me out, or if he liked me, and truthfully, I didn't really care.

Five days after this he asked me to go camping with some friends. Enter Luke and Elizabeth Hamby. Friends we have to this day. Friends who were watching out for their friend Danny. Friends who I knew were scoping me out. Friends who Danny and I treasure to this day. We camped in the desert, and by we, I mean, the Hambys, my sister Ayron and I, and Danny. We sang songs around the campfire, climbed sand hills, and talked late into the night. Danny and I had zero interaction, and I figured we were all just friends getting to know each other.

One week later I was shocked when Danny called me to go on a date to the Casa del Zorro in Borrego. I dressed up in my little black dress, Danny donned the suit and tie. We barely knew each other and drove that long drive searching for things to say. We ate a very formal dinner and headed for home. It was late and I was tired, exhausted from the pressure of the first date. As we drove into his home town, he suggested a walk in the desert. I remember thinking, "I am in heels, a short black dress, and need to go to bed, but...why not?" So we did. We drove to a scenic spot, parked, took off our shoes and hiked to the top of a dune. We marveled at the stars and I waited for something.....but no. It really was just a hike in the desert. He dropped me off at the house I was sharing with Ayron, and I practically ran through the door.

Ayron had waited up to hear all about the date. So I described in detail all of the awkward moments and the painful silences. I told her how I knew there was nothing there. I assured her that he couldn't like me. She said little until the last part about the drive to the desert. After my description she said, "Wait, you were almost back home, and he turned around and took you back out to the desert? And you walked up a hill? And you looked at the stars?"

She gave me the look. "He likes you." I put on an incredulous glare. She continued, "Danny would not do that if he didn't like you." So I gave her my most insightful, thoughtful comment, "Whatever," and went to bed.

I couldn't believe that anything was there, but Ayron promised he'd call the next day, and he did. And he called every day from then on, and here we are seven years later, and not a day has gone by that I haven't talked to this man. We fell in love and the rest is history.

September 2002 - Danny proposes to me on a boat on Finney Lake.

March 2003 - We are married at First Christian Church.

A wonderful moment.

There's nothing more romantic than this shot.

And then we partied, laughed, and danced.

Then a year and nine months went swiftly by and....

Emma was born only a few days before Thanksgiving 2004. In this photo, we are still majorly riding on the fumes of adrenaline.

I love this picture because we are totally exhausted and in shock; the adrenaline kick has been over for weeks now. Baby E is one month old, we are brand new parents and are like, "What the heck did we do?!" That first one really breaks you in! But Danny, ever my ballast, was immediately the most gentle, sweet, sure father with baby E.

Another year and a half flew by and...

here we are on Easter Sunday 2006.

No, I didn't eat the whole ham, that's Cubby in my belly, and I will give birth only seven days later.

And here enters our adorable, sweet, red-head; the most even-tempered baby of the lot. Danny was such a champ in the hospital with me. He cheered me on and comforted me through three deliveries of our children. Those moments brought us to a new level of love and devotion.

And then after a year or so we entered a sort of golden period in our marriage and family. The girls were no longer little babies, we could travel, we were healthy and active. We socialized and had new experiences and adventures.

We loved having our two little sweet girls beside us. This time in our lives was full of joy.

See!?

We knew we had it really good.

Really good.







So we decided to push the boundaries a bit. We decided to have one more baby. So seven months later....


and I am oh so very pregnant with twins. We are still smiling here because we have no idea what's about to happen to us in one week. Because in one week from this picture, the babies are born two month premature, and so begins our still continuing challenge of managing our lives with four young kids. When the babies were born, E was 3 and Cubby had just turned 2. Madness I tell you. Madness.




In all of this, Danny was the rock of our family. He was always working hard, complaining little, looking on the bright side, keeping us chugging along. And so we made it through.


This is the very first time we left the house on a social outing with all four kids. Up to this point, because of their health, the babies were pretty much confined to their cribs at home. We took them to the doctor a few times, but that was about it. This is Halloween 2008. The babies are only 4 months old. Danny and I are smiling because we are victorious! We have succeeded with getting all the kids out the door and into this thing they call the real world.





This next year and a half with the twins woud prove to be the most difficult in our still young marriage. The stresses of Danny's work, the financial strain of the huge medical bills, and the never ending needs of four young children would wear us down in cycles. But as time went by and everyone grew a little, our home life has gradually improved.



We learned that our life would never be the same, and we now take joy in the multiple blessings we have been given.






And so, here we are today...


with love overflowing from our arms.


This is a love story I love to be living.




Danny, we are a far cry from who we were on this day seven years ago, but I have never had more love and respect for you. And seven years from now, can we even imagine our joy?!






And on a side note, here's one more shot from our wedding.

Who's that guy on the guitar? Oh yeah, Luke from the camping trip! Yep, he played at our wedding, while his wife snapped pictures.






And here he is today.

Still helping out his friends. Man, what a couple of tough guys!