We Still Do

It is encroaching on 10 years of marriage for us. Time goes by quickly and so much has happened that needs to be celebrated. Eric and I had originally met in 7th grade, when we both lived in Illinois. We stayed in touch off and on through the years. However, it wasn’t until Eric got out of basic training in 2010 that we really connected. We ended up dating long distance (Eric in Kansas, I in Arizona) for almost a year before we took the plunge to get married on November 12, 2011. Two days after our beautiful, quaint wedding, I moved to Kansas. Just a short 6 months after that, Eric deployed for over 9 months. That was challenging, however, it definitely brought us closer together. Once we were both back home together in Kansas, we picked up right where we left off. It did not take long to find out we were pregnant with our first baby. Once Olivia came, in 2013, our lives changed for the better. Shortly before Olivia turned 2, Eric deployed again. This time was harder than before for Eric. He decided this would be his last deployment and once he returned, decided to finish his time in the Army. In 2016 we made the trek back to Illinois. We found a house we loved, bought it and settled right in. Our life started a new chapter and it felt great. In 2018 we welcomed baby Connor into the family and felt so full inside. We loved the direction our life was heading. Now, it is 2020 and we have yet another sweet baby girl on the way! We decided it was time to throw a event that would celebrate all we have gone through, good and bad, together as a family. So, in fall of 2021, we will be having a vow renewal. It will involve our closest loved ones, and all three of our children will get to witness how much their parents still love each other 10 years later.