My 4 Boys & Me

Well, here it goes! We've been contemplating giving in and joining the world of blogging for quite some time... we really want to be able to share the special little things going on in our world with our friends & family. Especially right now as we're constantly being entertained by our Westin! So, to start off, here's a recap of our story!

Kreg & I met at Lenny's Sub Shop in spring 2006... that's the short version :) Kreg's sister Kim was my basketball coach in high school and she had been working on both of us to meet since she found out I was planning on going to Harding University... although I would see him on campus from time to time, I didn't want to just introduce myself to him because I figured he probably had a lot of girls doing that all the time! But, when I realized he worked at my favorite lunch spot, I finally did introduce myself one day-- and to my surprise, he knew who I was! At some point that semester he managed to get my number and the next thing I knew, he was flying out to Colorado to visit me over the summer. After that visit, there was no doubt in my mind I would marry him!



Kreg left the country three weeks later to spend the semester in Italy. I was completely jealous but I tried to soak it in vicariously through his experience :). It was a great time in our lives and it really helped us to start our relationship off on the right foot-- slowly, with lots of writing back and forth. When he got back, he flew out to Colorado again and spent my birthday with me, then we drove back to Arkansas together to finish our sophomore year of college. I wish I could re-cap all the fun things we did while we were dating but that would take far too long! We had the time of our lives-- we took road trips all around Arkansas/Texas/Colorado/Missouri, we had lots of Wal-Mart dates & study dates in the library, basketball and football games, campfire dates at Mamaw & Papaw's farm, Sonic runs, KJ's for breakfast on Saturdays, and a week in Florida with my family. If I had to pick three favorite dates from our time dating they would be: seeing the Lion King in Dallas, spending the day in Mountain View and Camp Tahkodah, and watching fireworks and listening to the symphony at the River Market in Little Rock.

Waiting for the symphony & fireworks to start

The Swing at Camp Tahkodah

About to see The Lion King!

Christmas 2007, I was at home spending Christmas with my family and the plan was for Kreg to come in time for New Years. I won't lie, I was hoping with all my heart that he might ask me to marry him on New Years... Christmas Eve is when my family opens our gifts from each other. Usually we start with the youngest, but this year my family said I got to start because a special gift had come for me. As I started opening the special gift, I realized it was my stocking from Kreg. It was filled with all of my favorite things! At the bottom of the stocking was a book he had made that told our "story" up to this point. It was so very sweet! The very last page of the book said that there should be one more thing in my stocking. As I dug to the bottom, I pulled out a ring box :) When I opened it, it was empty... but just at that moment, Kreg came into the room with the ring and a dozen roses! He flew in early and had hid in my basement while my family & I went out to dinner. It was the perfect Christmas gift :) Of course I said yes as soon as I could get the words out!



Our wedding day was perfect. I can't remember it (strangest phenomenon ever), but I have plenty of pictures and a wonderful video to remind me that yes, it was perfect. We got married on May 31, 2008 at Shove Chapel in Colorado Springs. The weather was perfect, all of our closest friends and family were there, and lots of our family members were able to participate in the ceremony. I loved getting married in the gorgeous Shove Chapel! I couldn't get enough of the pillars and stained glass windows and the enormous organ that played as I walked down the aisle! We had an outstanding pianist to play the grand piano and lots of candle light to set the mood! I married my best friend and after all was said and done, that was the best part of all!








We went to Cancun, Mexico for our honeymoon. We stayed at the gorgeous Riu Palace de las Americas, which is an all-inclusive resort. We spent the week lounging in the sun-- by the pool or on the beach, eating wonderful gourmet food, kayaking, shopping, and relaxing! We would go back in a heartbeat and hope we are able to someday!





We spent the rest of the summer in Colorado and were able to go to Italy! It was such a special trip for us because we spent so much time dreaming about being there together and Kreg really did fall in love with the country while he was there studying. We spent ten days seeing Cinque Terre, Taormina, Pompeii, Sorento, and Dubrovnik, Croatia. It was the trip of a lifetime and we still didn't get enough! We plan to go back again and spend the majority of our time in Rome and Florence.

On the via del amore!

Dubrovnik

We went back to Harding to finish our last year in fall 2008. That's when the whirlwind started! We found out in October we were pregnant... couldn't have been more NOT planned, but we were so excited! We got our fist puppy, Max-- half lab, half beagle. Max is a great dog and gave us plenty of practice for our newborn! We tried forever to get him to relax and go to sleep in the bathroom the first night we had him in our apartment... but of course he cried all night until we brought him to bed with us. Prophetic, let me tell you!



Westin Wayne was born five days after we graduated from Harding. My mom & sisters were able to be there for his birth, which was awesome! He is the most perfect blessing and we enjoy every little discovery he makes and every precious smile he flahses. He is all boy and very strong-willed... which he did NOT get from me. I'm learning though, and he really is as sweet as can be!








Two weeks after Westin was born we packed up and moved to Colorado Springs. We bought our first home, and Kreg started working with State Farm. Six weeks later, I started work part-time. While I work (usually in the afternoons), Westin stays with my mom (Mimi to him) which has been a huge blessing to us!

We enjoy spending time at my family's cabin in Estes Park, CO, working on our home and yard, and photography! We're involved with our wonderful church family at Tri-Lakes church of Christ and have been working with the college & 20-something's group there. We're big LOST & the Office fans and Westin & I are crazy about Smallville.

Well, there you have it-- a re-cap of how our family started! I promise the rest of my posts will be shorter :)