8 Years!!

Happy Anniversary

Everyone has a story.
Ours is nothing extraordinary (at least to anyone but us), but I love looking back at our beginning.  Our first date was at the hospital where I worked.  David brought me lunch.  What a perfect date.  I was impressed...first, that he was clear that it was an actual "date" and second, that it was just lunch (meaning, if we didn't hit it off, we wouldn't have to spend the next several hours together!).  My first clue that David was someone special was the fact that I liked him from the beginning (a very rare thing for me) and ended up wishing that my lunch break had been longer.  He continues to be, and will always be, the person I most want to spend my time with. 
Oh, how I love this man!!

During our 8 years of marriage:

We have lived in 4 states: Utah, Colorado, Illinois and Arkansas.

When we move again, we would love for it to be back to Colorado.  If we are being realistic, we will most assuredly be back in Illinois.

We have been in 4 rentals: An apartment, a townehome, a condo, and a home.

I keep saying that someday we will own our own home, but I seriously don't know when that will be!  Maybe we need to stop moving around so much!

We have added 4 wonderful boys to our family!

Luke - 6, Caden - 4, Porter - 2, and Ryland - 10 days old.

I have been pregnant or nursing for more than 5 out of our 8 years together.

I think it is safe to say we are both looking forward to life after pregnancy and nursing!

We have been in 5 wards and have held 14 callings (combined).

David is currently in the Sunday School Presidency and I am the Relief Society Meeting Coordinator (formerly the Enrichment Leader).

David has held 7 positions with Kraft Foods and has been with the company coming up on 10 years!

Sales Rep., Regional Training Manager, HR Manager-National Retail Sales, HR Manager-Growth Channels, and HR Business Lead-Walmart concurrent with HR Manager-Manufacturing Plant, and HR Business Lead-National Accounts.

Heather has had 3 jobs.

RN at Primary Children's Medical Center, School Nurse, and Mom.

I am so grateful right now to be able to be at home full-time with our 4 rugrats!!

David began graduate school (as an old man).

We are down to the last 10 months!

Just 2 years to go until our 10th Anniversary trip!

Location still under discussion.

 

Editor's Commentary:
David here... Heather lets me proofread posts every so often and I get to add an addition...my version of our beginning. 

The beginning for me starts about six months before we had our first conversation during the lunch date at her hospital. We were both in the same church group (the singles ward!) and, in what is culturally known to be a flirtatious environment, I noticed a girl that for some reason stood out to me every time I saw her. I never spoke a word to her and she never spoke to me.  I was intrigued by her because she wasn't much of a flirt (I'm not a social butterfly myself!) and there was just something about her that shined when I looked at her (besides her beauty!).  I realized that I needed to get to know her but I was horribly nervous about asking girls out and was atrocious at small talk or flirting when trying get to know girls.  After about six months of strategizing and researching, I had my first conversation with her.  One Sunday I was collecting materials after one of my church meetings and was talking with my roommate when she came up to me and asked if she could grab one of the clipboards I was holding that belonged to her.  When I looked at her I just paused and didn't know what to say.  After a short silence, with my roommate standing by, I handed her the clipboard and just said something like, "Here you go."  What a duphous! My roommate that night teased me about what he thought was clearly a "connection" between Heather and I and pressured me to ask her out on a date.  Finally, after six months of wasted time I called her and left a message introducing myself and letting her know about my interest in going on a date.*  When she called back we ended up with lunch plans.  Everything after that lunch has confirmed why I noticed something different in Heather when I first saw her.  I have always been thankful that she liked me back.  Even though Heather's story began over a lunch, mine began awhile before that.  I am lucky she was available for lunch that day. 

*There's a funny story after I asked her out and she didn't know who I was the next time I saw her.  Ask her that story!  Talk about making a guy feel like you wanted to go on date!