Has it really been 10 years?

So here goes our story: Craig & I met at Southeastern College during the Fall semester of 1996. It was my first semester there and he says he remembers seeing me before I remember seeing him. I lived in the Bethany dorms with a girl named Mandy. I met Jeanne shortly after moving into Bethany and we became friends. Through Jeanne I met the "Wildwood crew" stationed in Lakeland. Which included: Lori Behr, Eric Inman, Eric Jeffcoat, Robbie, Denise, Deborah, Mallory, Lesli, Jennifer Russ, Krista, Samantha, John Temple, and Craig of course.





Well I started going home with Jeanne on the weekends to Wildwood. I would stay with her and hang out with everyone and we'd go to the Assembly on Sundays. Eric Inman & Craig were roommates and it was kind of brought to my attention that Eric was interested in me. Eric & I had a few classes together and saw each other quite a bit. About that time I started becoming interested in Craig, he was holding a bible study over at his apartment and that is kind of how I learned more about him. I remember walking into his apartment the first time and seeing an Out of the Grey poster on his wall and thinking that we had something in common. So I was interested in Craig and Eric Inman was interested in me so it made things kind of awkward.





I asked Jeanne to play match maker and it worked. Craig & I went out on our first date October 6th, 1996. He picked me up at Jeanne's house and took me to the movies driving the "red rocket" that is what we called his old red Nissan Sentra. We saw "Independence Day" and then we went to Friendly's for ice cream. At this point I knew I really liked him but I was also concerned about hurting Eric Inman's feelings. After ice cream Craig decided to take me over and introduce me to a friend of his named Tracy. While we were at Tracy's apartment guess who decides to show up - none other than Eric. So the secret was out. The funny thing is later Eric was the best man in our wedding and played guitar while Craig sang to me. Just telling this story makes me miss him!





We dated for that school year and then I went home for the summer. Craig went home to Wildwood that summer and worked at First Federal. He planned this big "surprise" birthday party for me for the day I came back to Florida in August to start my second year at Southeastern. He held the party at Cheryl & Lennie's house and "surprise" on my beautiful, chocolate, strawberry topped, basket weave, birthday cake that Regent Weber made sat an engagement ring. So in front of all our friends he asked me to marry him. Of course all I saw was that ring - moments later I did say yes. That was August of 1997. That school year at Southeastern we were engaged and we planned our wedding for the following August 1998.





Once again I went home that following summer of 1998 and we spent our last few remaining months of being single apart. That was really hard, I missed him really bad. All of our friends were also getting married that year and I desperately wanted to be with my man. But I was able to spend some great time with my family and plan my wedding from Alabama.





Our wedding was just perfect! My bridesmaids were: my best friend from Alabama Stephanie, Jeanne, my sister Carolyn, and Katie Henson (Vaughn). My youngest sister, Annie, was the flower girl and Jeanne's nephew, Derek, was the ring bearer. Craig's groomsmen were: Craig's brothers Brant & Ron, Aaron Symonds, and his best man was Eric Inman. The girls wore white and the guys wore tuxes with Ascot ties. Mrs. Anita Jones made my cake and Mrs. Debbie Jacobs was my caterer. My dress I found in Alabama at Dillards of all places and Craig was actually with me when I found it. I went back later with my mom and got the dress. It was a simple, Jessica McClintock dress with a scoop neck and flowers in the back. Craig sang a Richard Marx song, "Now & Forever" to me which I have playing. We went to Amelia Island for our honeymoon and stayed at a gorgeous B & B there. We came back to our ghetto apartment in Lakeland and loved life. Craig youth pastored and I was a full time student. Sometimes I don't know how we ate we were so poor but we loved it. Life was way more simple back then and we sometimes joke about how we miss those days of Bonny apartments when all we had to worry about was ourselves.





Eventually we moved back to this area after driving back and forth from Lakeland every weekend. I did my internship at Wildwood Middle School in the Spring of 2000 and then I graduated in April of 2000. We were living in Coleman renting a house from Bill & Janice Stokes. I got a job at the Charter School and he was working once again for First Federal as a Branch Manager in Bushnell. We decided to build a house next door to Brant on some land that he had owned for a while. Four years later Connor was born and as they say the rest is history.





Sorry this post was so long, I know I have really enjoyed reading everyone's story so I wanted to share ours too. In conclusion I wanted to celebrate our ten years together with my Top Ten List like David Letterman. These are the top ten things I love about my man!





1. I love his "Daddy" skills! My kids don't even know how good they got it. He really has great parenting instincts and I just love how he loves his kids. He will share stories with me of things our children have said or done and it just blows my mind how much he loves his kids!





2. I love Craig's sense of humor. From the beginning I have really appreciated his wittiness.





3. I love Craig's ability to somehow be politically correct, tactful and down right nice when I just can't even find the words to express how I am feeling.





4. I love that Craig can play the guitar! I love watching him play and sing!





5. I love how Craig deals with my (and Caroline's) emotional roller coasters with ease. He knows when to shut up and just let me talk and when to say what I can't.





6. I love Craig's family. I love how they have embraced me as one of their own. I hear horror stories about other's in-laws and I praise God everyday for my in-laws!





7. I love how Craig can make anything look easy. Sports, music, games and puzzles it amazes me how he just gets things.





8. I love how Craig is very visionary and I am so the opposite. He sees the big picture and goes for it. I would never move out of my routine if it weren't for him pushing me. He isn't discouraged by my lack of vision but instead challenged.





9. I love how Craig has never said anything about my looks in a negative way. I have come home with some crazy hair cuts and outfits and he just finds the good in it and makes me feel so pretty.





10. I love Craig because Craig loves me. I really feel like his love for me is unconditional and true and even if I screw up a million times I don't think he is ever going anywhere. He is my safe place to fall and that is so comforting to me.





Enjoy the pictures from the past ten years! I hope our story didn't bore you too much!