I wear it every once in a while. Mostly because I still can.
We dated again our junior and senior year of high school and our freshman year of college, but only a couple of months at a time. This picture is our first date our junior year of high school. He took me out after a football game.
I remember one time saying to someone, if we ever made it through a baseball season together, we would probably get married (he never had much time for me during baseball). On June 20th, 1996 he totally surprised me. He had always acted like we wouldn't get engaged until after college. We had just finished our sophomore year. We went out to eat at Travetti's with his brother, Mick, and his wife, Paula. We ate dinner. I was totally relaxed because I had no clue what was going on and ate a ton. I remember Mick even said, "You might want to save room for dessert." Mick acted like he got a page from work and Paula went to the bathroom. Then the waitress brought a cake out that said, "Will you marry me?" Brad got on his knee and pulled my ring out of his sock (no box). I was shaking. It was so exciting! 
We got married 5 months later over Thanksgiving break our Junior year of college. Brad worked at Sam's. I worked at Kid's Korner. We were full time students. I still cheered. He played baseball. We really had no worries. Not sure how we did it. This was one of our engagement pictures.
We've been through so much together. His dad died suddenly a year after we were married. We had a miscarraige before Zoe. Then there are all the other trials everyday life brings you. 
January 6, 2007 Brad went into the emergency room thinking he had pneumonia and had cracked a rib. That was the night our lives changed. They told us they thought he had cancer. About a week later after some tests and a biopsy one surgeon told us it wasn't cancer, just an infection. We were so relieved. Later in January we went for another biopsy to see what type of infection it was and that's when they came out to tell me it was in fact cancer. Brad was out and they were asking me to sign a paper saying they could put a port in to start chemotherapy. My stomach still hurts thinking of that day. I remember telling that doctor that Brad went in thinking it was nothing and he was going to wake up with a port in. How was I going to explain that to him? 
We fought through 6 months of chemo. It took over our lives. At the end of his treatments he got a virus and was very sick. He was in intensive care at Freeman, when they told us he would need to be life flighted to St. Louis. I rode next to him on the tiny airplane. He lay there completely out, on 100% oxygen. Nothing else mattered at that moment. I couldn't think of anything but getting him better. He was in St. Louis for a week and a half. Our whole family was there. I didn't leave the waiting room and was in the room with him when I could be. I would lay in the bed next to him and just hug him tight. A couple of times he grabbed by booty so I knew there was still a spark in him! He's always loved my bubble butt! 
I could tell a lot of the family didn't think he would make it, but I knew he would. I knew he would, because I can't live without him. I can't even imagine my life without him and I don't want to. 
He is the most amazing man ever. He loves God, adores me, and is a great daddy. 
We really will "stay together forever". I love you Brad!
Aunt Marsha, Uncle Alan, and Kerstin came in Wednesday night and stayed with us. We were so excited to see them.
The whole day (and night) was a lot of fun with family!
Cole and Mason were running around everywhere. They were chasing each other and hiding. 
Cole isn't a very social guy (that's my nice way of putting it). He hates crowds. He really only likes one person at a time. He also doesn't like people looking at him or talking to him so a big birthday party kinda seemed like his worst nightmare.
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