The first 5 years: Happy Anniversary!

On July 11, 2009, I married my best friend. I know that many people say that and few truly mean it. I truly do. Joe is the first man I have truly been comfortable around. To be comfortable to share my secrets and be amazed at the support and acceptance I receive instead of shock and later rejection.

Joe and I met in 2005 when I was hired at the grocery store where he worked. I was in the bakery and he was in general merchandise. Almost from the beginning, a fellow co-worker hounded me to go out with him saying the same old lines, “You have so much in common,” etc, etc. And for months I refused. I was burned before when I dating someone I worked with and vowed never to do so again. In June 2007, she finally wore me down. I told her that IF he asked me out, I would go, thinking he’ll never ask me. Little did I know that another co-worker left the department to seek out Joe and give him a hint to go ahead and ask me out. He would later confess that he thought about it for a while because he, too, had reservations about dating someone at work. He decided to take the risk and he came into the bakery department, jumped up and sat on the table where I was decorating cupcakes and asked me to a movie that night. I was shocked and said yes. 

And they say the rest is history. We would go out almost every night for weeks before officially becoming a couple on July 12.We experienced our first kiss at Knott’s Berry Farm in the Ghost Rider as he didn’t tell me that he doesn’t like roller coasters, quickly kissed me at the beginning and the end of the ride. We did everything together. We went to the movies, Disneyland. He even took me to Las Vegas for my birthday! He would proposed on July 17, 2008 while we were watching The Phantom of the Opera, one of my favorite movie.

Our marriage has had its ups and downs from the beginning. In May 2010, we discovered we were pregnant. A little before we had planned but we were excited and just as the excitement began to spread, we miscarried. Not losing faith we tried again and in October 2010, we were pregnant again! Things were going great and just as we spread the news, we discovered that our baby had died. January 7, 2011 is burned in our memories as a day that we began to lose hope.

But after going through medical testing, we were pregnant again in April 2011. On January 27, 2012, our beautiful daughter Abigail Hope was born. We moved to a bigger home in January 2013 and much to our surprise, found out we were pregnant again on June 25^th. Despite being pregnant before we planned, we were excited. Even though Joe was hoping for a boy, he was excited to learn that we were going to have another little girl. Then our worst nightmare. On October 29, 2013, I was rushed into the hospital because of an incompetent cervix and the doctors couldn’t stop it. On October 30, 2013, our daughter Ziva Rae was born and died. The past 9 months has been an emotional roller coaster for both us but we have great faith in our Lord that he has a plan for us and we rely on His strength every day.

Here on our fifth wedding anniversary, Life has dealt us some pretty strong blows but we are stronger for it. I love you, Joe. I thank God every day for you! You are the husband I was praying for when I was 17. You are a wonderful husband and father!