All you need is LOVE

Happy Valentines Day Weekend!

This post is dedicated to my forever Valentine…

Our love story will always be my favorite.

It started way back in 2000 at Texas Tech University. I was a freshman walking into my very first fraternity party. You can read a little more about that here. Our eyes met and I knew it was something special.

Life took us in two different directions in 2002. Nick graduated and moved to Mexico to work. I wasn’t quite ready to settle down and decided we needed to break up for a bit. That bit last longer than anticipated and included another marriage, two kids and a divorce. OOPS.

The next 10 years would be eventful to say the least. Ultimately, they would help prepare me to be the wife I believed Nick deserved.

Looking back now I am certain God needed time to work some things out in both of us.

A lot of life happened between these two pictures.

I am so thankful for His perfect timing.

This picture is from 2012. A recently divorced mom of two young kids.

I look back at this girl and I can still feel her fear and pain. I wasn’t sure what our future would look like…but I knew I would fight like hell to give these babies the life I wanted for them. There would be no settling, they deserved the best and that’s exactly what we got…

A crazy chance encounter at a TCU/TECH football game changed my life.

Nick and I crossed paths after the game ended and our group of friends headed to a nearby bar to grab a beer and catch up. He had heard about my divorce and asked about my kids. He was respectful and so kind and I got butterflies. BUT he didn’t ask for my number.

Some time went by and I got a facebook message asking if he could take me to dinner.

The rest is history.

We spent months dating before introducing him to the kids. I was never worried about how he would be with them it was more of a respect thing between us and their dad. Neither of us wanted to introduce others into their lives until it was a for sure thing.

I was feeling insecure once about him stepping into this life with two young kids and having an infant family. I’ll remember his response forever…”Your children are an extension of you…..how could I NOT love them with everything I have?!” IS he even real?! That was it, I was a goner. My heart will always belong to this precious man.

We were married on the beach, May 3, 2014 surrounded by our family and friends. Jackson walked me down the aisle and it was perfect.

We knew we wanted to grow our little family and after a miscarriage, our rainbow baby was born.

We decided to not find out the gender and this was one of the most special moments of our lives. You can read more about Hayes’ birth here.

Nick was made to be a dad. He is patient and loving. He leads by example and always makes time for his family. I just thought I couldn’t love him any more but then I watched him become a dad.

No, our life isn’t always perfect. We argue and bicker like any other couple but I truly believe we have that once- in-a-lifetime kind of love. I pray our children find love like this one day.

I’ve said it before but Nick took a broken girl and healed her heart. Through him, I was able to see Gods love for me.

Happy Valentines Day, my love. Thank you for being you.