Time Flies

Jacob, on the very day I met him, 2001

March 30th, 2009. I woke up, got ready, worked on my computer, helped my co-worker with CAD, and finally went to my design meeting. At the meeting I wrote down the date on my notepad: 3-30-09. Suddenly I realized what that day meant: 8 years ago on March 30th is when Jacob and I started dating! EIGHT YEARS AGO!

This realization put me in a very sappy, nostalgic mood, so be warned. If you don't want to hear gushy stories of young love, skip this post. But I wanted to write it down for me. We're starting a family now and I felt like looking back at how it all started.

We met when we were 16 at my friend's birthday party. It was one of those movie moments when someone walks into the room, your eyes meet, and you know they're going to be a part of your life. A lot of people don't believe in love at first sight, I can't believe in anything but. He flirted shamelessly, and I felt like he'd been my friend for years.

A week or so later, that same friend (Kim, if you're reading this, yes we know we owe you eternally), gave him my phone number. He called me every day for a week, and I was never ever home. He said he got to know the rest of my family very well during that week. Finally, on Sunday he called one more time. My mom has this rule, where on Sunday's we can't talk on the phone with friends, because it's a family day. I don't know what inspired her to let me break the rule that one time, but we ended up talking for like 4 hours. Again, I felt like I'd known him for years.

The next Tuesday at our youth activity, Kim told me that the boy's rifle team was having practice that very minute at their school which was 5 minutes away. We left the activity early, ran to the gym and I immediately spotted Jacob marching in the line with all the other members of the rifle team. He saw me and broke out the biggest smile I'd ever seen, but bless him, he didn't break formation. We had to leave, but it was reassuring to see him again and have it reaffirmed to me that he wasn't a figment of my imagination.

Our first date was exactly one week after I turned 17, on March 30th, 2001. He picked me up from a tennis match in his mom's Ford Explorer. I was sweaty and red-faced, but he was sweet and told me I looked cute. He took me home, I changed, and we sat in my room talking. And before I knew what was happening, he kissed me. This is only the third time we've seen each other in person, mind you. I pulled away from him, being the innocent, naive girl that I was at the time and said "Well this isn't what I was planning on doing tonight." And with a look that was genuine surprise, and sheer misunderstanding he said, "It isn't?" Like there was no other purpose for us meeting that evening. I couldn't help but laugh. He did officially ask me to be his girlfriend later that night, and he's been the best part of my life ever since.

In these 8 years we've shared countless experiences. He was baptized as a member of the church, we went to prom(s), we graduated high school, I left for college, he went on a mission, we became best friends through our weekly emails, he gave me relationship advice, he came back and proposed, we got married, we've moved 4 times, we've bought new cars, built a life together, and now we're starting a family. 8 years later.

I'm so excited to see where life takes us from here. I'm so grateful to know that no matter what happens, he's there for me. Anyone who knows me, knows I worry about everything. But with him, I never worry. I know we're in this together. And if he hasn't given up on me by now, I don't think he's planning on it.

So thanks for sharing my stroll down memory lane. Here are some pictures of us through the years. Again, this is mostly for me, but enjoy. Laugh at how young we look. And sometime, take a look back at how you got where you are today. It's good to remember the past, when the future's coming at you like a freight train.

Jake and me at my Senior Prom, 2002

Meeting me at the airport after my trip to Florida with Ashley, 2001

At his high school graduation, 2002


One of our engagement pictures, 2005


On our wedding day, 05-05-06

Pink!

Jacob and I went to my 18 week ultrasound today and it was reaffirmed to me what I've felt all along; we're having a little girl! I'm so excited and relieved that my instincts weren't completely off. I had 4 dreams when I first got pregnant that I was holding my little girl. Anyone who knows me knows that my baby dreams are like 95% accurate. I had a dream my mom had a girl before we even knew she was pregnant with Hannah. I had a dream my sister had a girl before I even knew SHE was pregnant. So I thought "If I have THIS many dreams that it's a girl, and it's a boy, my whole psyche will be thrown off." Luckily that didn't happen, and little E. is on her way. (I don't want to tell her name to the world until she's born, but we'll just say I've got a name selected!) The doc said she looks just right size-wise and all her major organs are functioning as they should be, which is always good to hear. And her heartbeat was 160bpm, which they said was right on track.

I just have to say, that it's one of the most amazing things to see your baby in an ultrasound. She kept covering her face with her hands, and squirming around so we didn't really get a good profile shot, but I had tears in my eyes when we saw her little arms and legs moving, and her little heart beating. I'm so happy that the Lord has blessed us with this little girl, and I already love her more than I ever thought possible. Here's to the next 5 months! (We'll see how much I love her when she's kicking me in the ribs and I can FEEL it. :) )