A Love Story

10 years ago a boy had just finished his sophomore year of high school. He had been a serial dater and left many broken hearts in his wake. Tired of breaking hearts, he prayed to God that he was ready for something more… Three months later, he was approached by a cute girl from a preppy local high school while he was at Frontier Ranch in Buena Vista, Colorado. He spent a great week at the camp, spending as much time as he could with this girl he had just met. He could tell there was something different about her, which prompted his first good decision…he asked her if she wanted to “stay in touch” when they got back home. “Staying in touch,” turned into 10 months of dating. After that, the boy made a bad decision… He freaked out, thinking that he wasn’t ready for what this girl represented. He broke up with her, leaving yet another broken heart in his wake. Only, this girl didn’t go away. He spent a year and a half trying to find someone else like this girl he had met in Colorado. He could never quite say good-bye to this girl, and he could never quite push her from his mind. In the fall of 2002, he started college. It didn’t take long for him to realize that something was missing. Thanksgiving of that year, the boy and the girl were reunited, but all was not right. The boy continued to make some bad decisions as he struggled to live two lives. He tried to live the life that he thought he wanted at one time, while trying to maintain a second life; the life he knew he was meant to have. He tried to push the girl away, trying to not break her heart again, but she would never let him go. She refused to let him be less than he was meant to be. That’s when the boy made his next good decision. Perhaps, it was the best decision that he would ever make. He decided to commit himself to change his life to the one that he was intended to live. He got a new chance at life, a new chance at love. He was finally where he was supposed to be, and with whom he was supposed to be with. In the summer of 2005 the girl went to camp with some middle school students. When she returned, she found her home lit by dozens of tiny candles, and her living room littered with photos, a chronicle of her years with the boy. As it turned out, the boy had made his next great decision. He asked her to marry him. Four years ago today, the boy and girl were married at St. John’s United Methodist Church in Davenport, Iowa. It was a beautiful ceremony, on a beautiful day. The boy and girl were surrounded by all the people that had meant so much to them over the years. The girl looked beautiful, and the boy could hardly believe that she had said, “I do.” It rained when they entered the reception hall, the DJ forgot the boy’s name, and some of their friends had a few too many cream cheese mints, but it was the best day of both of their lives up to that point. The two of them moved into a small, one-bedroom apartment where they finished their last year of college. The apartment was small, but it was a home, full of life as the couple learned what it meant to be married. While they were there, their family even grew by one, as they added a cute little, orange tabby kitten to their family. Upon graduating, the girl showed faith in her husband by agreeing to move south, to North Carolina, so the boy could find a job in his field and fulfill his dream of living back in the South. The couple faced some tough times when they moved. They struggled to find jobs right away, and money got tight. They continued to lean on each other, and to lean on the faith they both had in God. They also added one more member to the family. They added a cute, black and white puppy to keep them company on the long days at home. Eventually, the couple was able to find jobs that they enjoyed, and they found that they were beginning to get the hang of being married and on their own. That’s when they got the most exciting news of all! On a snowy day, January 20, 2009, a pregnancy test revealed that they were adding another member to their family! This member wasn’t a dog or a cat, but a baby! The boy struggled at first with the idea, proclaiming, “Holy S@#$!” when he saw the message on the pregnancy test, and then immediately bursting with tears of joy. The couple grew closer together as they prepared for the new arrival. On September 25, 2009, the couple welcomed their baby boy into the world. He was beautiful! The boy was amazed at how strong the girl was, and how natural she seemed as a mother. As he watched her with her child for the first time, he fell even deeper in love with her. Fast forward almost nine months to a family of five…Andrea, Ben, Caleb, Murphy, and Mia. Andrea and Ben are two people who have gone through ten years of ups and downs together, and grown more in love each day. There are some things they might change if they could, but they know that God has guided them down a road together, even if their paths have diverged at times. Caleb is a baby, just learning to explore the world, teaching us to see new things in the world each day, and to take joy in the simple things. Murphy, a cat, teaches us that some times you just need to take it easy. Mia, a dog that teaches us that the most important thing in the world is just being with the ones you love. It’s impossible to predict what the future holds for this little family, but a few things are certain. This family will continue to love one another, and they will take each of life’s challenges head on, trusting they are in God’s hands.

Happy four year anniversary to the greatest gift I have ever been given, my wifey for lifey, Andrea.

Love,

Ben