1.10.2013

a look back at 4 years

I can't help but reminisce on this very special day - the 10th day of January.  4 years ago today I said "I do" to a guy and vowed to have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, til death do us part.

Over the past 4 years we have had to demonstrate love to each other through each of these promises.  These years have definitely not been a "breeze" but they HAVE shaped us and have created the marriage that we are still working on today -- and every day.



Let's take a look back, shall we?

(background - 2008: Jesse graduated from Mississippi State in May with a business degree in Construction Management and moved to Birmingham, AL to work for Brasfield & Gorrie.  He proposed to me in August and the wedding planning began!  I graduated from State that December with a degree in Communication - Public Relations.)


2009: Got married in January!  Went on an amazing honeymoon to Mexico! I moved in with Jesse in Birmingham and started my first job with the March of Dimes. Along with many others in the company, Jesse lost his job in June (stupid economy). In July he decided to go back to school to get his masters in landscape architecture.  In August we moved back to Starkville, MS for Jesse to begin his program and I started my second job working with a health promotion program, "Mississippi In Motion."





2010: Jesse finished his hardest leveling year in grad school. We made it through our first summer apart as a married couple as Jesse worked for the National Park Service at the Moses Cone Estate on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Boone, NC. We got our puppy, Maggie. We moved from our apartment into our first house together on Critz Street. I started my masters degree in Health Promotion. I changed jobs (again) to be an Admissions Counselor at Mississippi State University - one of the BEST jobs in the world with the BEST people. I ran a half marathon!




2011: Started out the year with snow in Starkville on our anniversary. SURPRISE! We found out Father's Day weekend that we were going to have a baby! I survived my one and only Orientation on staff at MSU while newly pregnant. We experienced yet another summer apart while Jesse worked for the National Park Service again but this time in Atlanta, GA.  We celebrated with friends and family as we found out we would be having a little boy. Jesse applied to the Presidential Management Fellows program and made it past multiple levels of their selection. I completed my masters degree and graduated in December.

    (I don't know why we wrote 09 here... it was 2011)





2012: We went on a "baby moon" in January to the lovely cabin where we stayed on our wedding night.  We found out that Jesse was officially a Presidential Management Fellow!  He got a call from the Chief Landscape Architect from the U.S. Forest Service about potentially working for them.  He interviewed for and was offered a job as a landscape architect for the Forest Service on the 21st - the day before Turner's due date. Of course, he accepted! On the evening of the 22nd, my water broke and on the 23rd, we experienced one of the most amazing things in the world - HAVING A BABY.  Whoa. I started yet another job: Mom. That should be enough for 2012, but no. That's not our style. Jesse and our friend Chris visited DC and found us an apartment. In May, Jesse graduated with a 4.0.  Seriously, the guy is a genius. In May we went on a trip with Jesse's family to Hawaii.  In June, we moved to Del Ray - in Alexandria, VA.  We have since then been adjusting to the move, Jesse getting settled in his new job, and making this place our new home together.  Oh, and Jesse went on business trips to Pheonix, Arizona and Amman, Jordan.






And that's where we are.  4 years that were JAMMED PACKED.  I am so thankful to have had Jesse to spend these years with.  We have definitely had our for better or worse, for richer, for poorer moments. But for those experiences, I am so thankful, because they have made the to have and to hold, to love and to cherish moments even BETTER.

I love you Jesse and I am excited to see what 2013 and the beginning of our 5th year has in store for our family... one of these days I'm ready for life to slow down. ;)

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