Lucky 7

I had been on a blind date before... it was just like you've heard before... nothing in common, I was taller than him, no sparks, etc. etc. etc. Would this one be any different? I hoped so.

My roommate in college, Chrissy, was working at UF with Peggy. Peggy had moved here from the Outer Banks shortly after her daughter (Dawna) and her family moved here from Virginia. Shawn was next. The town they lived in up in North Carolina was a small one--only busy during the spring and summer--a vacation spot. There wasn't much of a future there for Shawn and Gainesville seemed like the place he should move (according to his mother and sister). So Shawn came down to spend Christmas of 1995 with his family here in Gainesville. Peggy had told Chrissy how much she wanted him to move here. Hmmm... Chrissy's roommate was currently single. Why not fix them up on a blind date? Would this one be any different? YES!

Shawn and I met on January 7, 1996 in his mom's apartment in NW Gainesville. There was just something about him. We went to El Indio for lunch and I showed him around Gainesville. After our Tour of Gainesville, I called him up (after agonizing, "Should I call him? Will it look bad? What if he doesn't like me!"). I invited him to go to the movies with me that night to see Jumanji. We went. I loved it. There was just something about him.

Fast forward 5 years and 2 months... March 9, 2001... it's our wedding day! YES! A blind date can really turn into something wonderful! And I just knew it before I met him. You know that song, "I knew I loved you before I met you..." Okay... it's totally cheesy, but I totally felt that way! It was God. Those things are completely "God-things." So there we were, getting married and vowing to spend the rest of our lives together... for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health... and we have! No... these past seven years haven't been perfect... but they have given us so many memories.

I look back on the time in our little townhome and remember that teeny kitchen, the guests who stayed in our extra bedroom, our sweet neighbors. It was so small, but so full of love! And when we bought the house we're in now, I look back at when we were renovating it (GUTTING it because it needed so much help)... eating chicken tenders and hawaiian rolls and drinking cold beer on the livingroom floor--no carpet--just us on the floor with a little step stool as our table. Listening to the radio as we painted and talking about our day. It took three months to get that place in move-in condition. Three months of going there every night after work, spending long weekends working in the yard and bagging hundreds of bags of leaves. But I LOVE that time! And then, when we finally were able to bring Brayden home after a week of being in NICU, and showing him his nursery--all the time and love we had put into making it just perfect for him. These are the days I will remember forever and ever.

So yes, we've experienced our vows and know that it's not always better, richer, and healthier. But the moments that have brought us to today make it all worth while. And I am so happy to be here. Today. I have a Maya Angelou card framed in our bathroom that just makes me smile every time I read it... "In all the world there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world there is no love for you like mine." That's us... so perfect and so meant for each other. Yes, there are days I want to strangle him, or just leave the house for the day because he and Brayden won't lay off each other. But you know, I wouldn't be who I am today without those days. Each moment and experience shapes us. God wants that. He knows that's meant for us. And although I have no idea why I deal with certain things over and over again (can't he just keep his diaper on or potty train?!?!?!?), I know He knows. And me knowing that puts me at ease. I know I am exactly where I am supposed to be and I am so grateful to have this man as my husband and the father of my child. I love climbing in bed and knowing he's right there next to me. I love hearing his keys in the door and the sound of our son saying, "Daddy's here!" I love it. I can't wait to look back on this time of our lives and reminisce about the diaper battles or the never-ending struggles with trying to have grass in our yard. Until then, I'll celebrate today and who we are and what we've become because of each other. :)

This year, we had a fabulous anniversary. We woke up and spent a leisurely morning drinking our coffee and playing with Brayden. We took him over to Peggy's house to spend the day with her and his cousins, Blake and Ashton. From there we headed over to Spa Royale for a couple's massage and facial. OH! MY! GOODNESS! It was Heaven! (AND, in the middle of the massage, Pachabel's Canon came on--the song my bridesmaids and flower girls walked down the aisle to! How perfect was that?) Neil was my Massage Therapist and I must say that it was the best massage I've ever had! And then Mary (my dear friend who battled train crashes and toilet paper explosions to get to our reception -- another story, another blog) gave me one of her fabulous facials. Mary owns Spa Royale and has developed the BEST spa! If you haven't been there, you MUST BOOK AN APPOINTMENT TODAY! Besides having an amazing staff and a gorgeous and relaxing facility, they are the only spa in town that is open on Sunday! Seriously... you must go. Take your spouse/signifant other and do the couple's massage. It's simply the best!

(Shawn, Mary and Me at Spa Royale... Look how tired we looked... we were ready for a serious nap after all that pampering. Plus, I had absolutely NO makeup on after my facial. So I was looking special!)

After the spa, we had lunch at Macaroni Grill. Check out the special stone Shawn saw while we were there! We then went to Down to Earth for me to pick out my new Trollbeads bracelet! I got the B and S initial beads and a gorgeous glass bead. If you haven't been there, you HAVE TO GO! Gina is the owner and has become a dear friend. Plus, a portion of her proceeds go toward medical research about her son's condition (Phoenix's story is displayed in the store). Her shop is located right outside of Belk. Tell her I sent you!





























Needless to say... we had a wonderful anniversary. It was so nice to spend some quality time together. I love you, honey! :)