Family Values

Sammy and I had crushes on each other in high school but he never

Sammy in high school

asked me out :) Lindsey, Michelle and I used to run figure 8s around the practice football field and baseball field every afternoon (yes, we totally checked out the guys as we ran those miles) and I would talk to Sammy outside the gym when he was done with practice. We liked each other, but the timing just wasn't right. We ran into each other from time to time and he always held a little piece of my heart for some reason. So fastforward to January 2001-my 20th bday. I was living with Michelle, Erin and Samantha...Sammy called Samantha and asked what she was doing and she told him we were all going out for my bday. He got my number and called me that night. It was all over from there. We started dating and at first I told him I wouldn't be exclusive (since I just got out of a long relationship.) In March I told him I couldn't commit. He used the line "It's not that you can't, it's that you won't" so from that day forward I stopped talking to other guys. In June I moved to Dallas and we didn't know how the long distance thing would work, but it

Me in high school

did. I always thought that God brought us back together after we had dated other people so it was meant to be.

We got engaged in April of 2002. The boy can't keep a surprise to save his life! He was going to propose at my sorority formal, or at the baseball game we were going to that weekend, but he got into Dallas late Friday night and had bought me Breakfast at Tiffany's (since I had never seen it) and a few minutes in he busted out the ring and asked me to marry him. We all know my answer...but I was a bit nervous about the whole marriage thing. The following May we got married. I was still nervous....but I knew if I was going to get married it was going to be to

Sammy. We got married in the Presbytarian church in Rockport (because it had a center isle, my church and Sammy's church didn't) and had our reception at the pavillion on the beach. It was beautiful. We finally started living together and adjusting to married life.  

 Marriage is work, anyone who says it isn't is lying. I know one girl who used to tell me it was easy and wonderful all the time. I thought she was nuts, and as it turns out she got divorced 2 years ago. There is alot of sacrafice, submission and compromise. We love each other so much and have been beyond blessed. We have beautiful children, a nice house, wonderful friends and jobs. Supportive families and having a church home are huge parts of what makes us successful too. We try to follow the rule of priority: God, Spouse, Children. We don't always agree, but we talk it out and sometimes I stomp off in a total teenage fit :) For the most part we have figured out how we work and make the most of it. It isn't always easy but it is always worth it. I am really glad he made that call on January 13, 2001.



Honeymoon







wedding