All because two people fell in love...

I have that saying on my sidebar and how true it is. I often find myself sitting back and thinking - wow. Look what happened because I met the most wonderful man on the planet. Going back in time a little...

I was a probation officer. I first met Brad when I was introduced to him as my new office mate. It was definitely God's doing...Brad wasn't even supposed to still be working there. Yet somehow he stayed there the 8 yrs it took for me to show up in his office. All truth be told, I thought he was a sweet guy, but a little dorky too. After all, he was wearing suspenders! Haha! Anyway, we got to be fast friends. When you spend 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week with someone, you get to know everything about them and how they work and what they like and don't like, their annoyances, their strengths, etc. I felt like I knew pretty much everything about this guy who seemed to know something about everything! He was so smart. Being the new girl in the office, I got a lot of my answers on how things worked and how to do things from him. He was my go-to guy. We both had indirect caseloads so we had a lot of paperwork, but not a lot of office visits. That means, we spent a lot of time in the office with each other, but no one else. Anyway, at the time, I was with someone else and ended up going through a bad break-up. Brad was the guy that was "never going to get married". He was older and set in his ways and didn't need a wife and family to be fulfilled. He was perfectly happy living in his little paid off condo, like the hermit on the mountain.

So, after my bad breakup (divorce), he was there to help me keep my head on straight. He was there to rationalize the important things in life and to help me see the good in everything. Brad has always been my sounding board and my voice of reason.

We never dated while I worked there. It was too wierd. I did eventually move offices and have different office mates and different caseloads. But I always thought of him as more my bestest bud. But right before I left probation, God had a way of making us see the light and let us discover that we were to be much more than friends. We started going to lunch together and talking on the phone on our days off. Then I left the probation office. I think I cried - a lot. I was just moving across town to the parole office to become a parole officer. But it meant the end of our lunch dates and more. It was then that we realized we were more than friends and had our first real date, to lead to many more.

So as they say, the rest is history. We dated while I worked as a parole officer and on Christmas Eve 2003, he proposed in the most romantic way imaginable. On our way from my dad's house to his mom's house for Christmas dinner, we made a stop by his condo (and boy was I mad we were going to be late!) so he could let me open a present a little early. Ugh! I hate having my plans messed up. I really was mad. What was the big deal? Well, I soon found out. I opened the first package, which was a tiny round ornament that opened up to reveal two pennies. If you know anything about Brad, you know how he loves to collect coins, esp pennies. Anyway, he told me one penny had the year of my birth, the other the year of his birth. (Ok, at this point, I knew *something* was going on...this wasn't a typical Christmas present). I opened the next ornament - another tiny round one that opened - that had again, another two pennies. These, Brad advised, had the year that we met and the current year (later to be known as the year we were engaged). And finally, I opened the third, which of course contained the beautiful engagement ring, custom designed by Brad himself, with the diamond only having one tiny imperfection, one that he said he thought resembled an angel. Anyway, as soon as I opened the ring ornament, he handed me a letter he had written telling me of all the reasons he loved me, how he didn't want to live life without me, etc etc...all the gushy stuff. Anyway, at the end of the letter, it said, "now I have something to ask you......" and I looked down and he was down on one knee and of course, popped the question. I said yes, cried some, and we were quickly on our way to his mom's for dinner. :) Only a few months later, we were married at 7F Lodge, in a small outdoor wedding on a beautiful day surrounded by our family and close friends. It was the day my new and better and perfectly happy life began. Exactly five years ago today. March 21, 2004.
I love this man more every single day. Each day of our honeymoon, my heart filled with more and more love. We bought our first house and moved in right when we got married and still live here today. I remember thinking - I can't believe Brad...Brad!...got married - to me! And sold his safety net of a condo to buy this house for us to build our lives in together.

Then we got pregnant shortly after. Brad researched every thing I should eat, not eat, what we should do, not do, went to every single OB appt with me, was the perfect, stand-by-me husband throughout my whole pregnancy especially when I got put on bedrest. He answered all of my insane requests...happily. As soon as Brooke was born, I saw his heart grow to become the best father imaginable. He changed diapers, got up every single night with me to feed her, watched movies with this newborn baby in the middle of the night when she wouldn't sleep to allow me to sleep. He was and is the best father anyone could dream of. I did good.

Now, a wife, a house, two daughters, two dogs, a cat, and fish later, Brad is the most wonderful husband. We are still best friends...just like we were back in the old downstairs probation office. He keeps me happy, content, and is still my sounding board and my voice of reason. He makes sure we have everything we need to be taken care of. I love him now more than I did five years ago and I expect tomorrow I will love him even more. When something good or bad happens, I want him to be the one I share it with. I still cant believe that he chose ME to spend his life with. When, after all, this was the guy who never wanted to get married.....


Happy Anniversary to my Bradley! I thank God for you every single day - for showing us the way to each other. I thank you for loving me as I am and always, for everything you do for me and our children. I love you so much and celebrate that love with you today and every day!