Looking Back

A quick look at the last 10 years of my life:

2000 - I was a freshman at Indiana Wesleyan University majoring in Elementary Education. I was working at a Christian bookstore and coffee shop. I spent most weekends traveling back to Michigan to see Josh.

2001 - Josh came to join me at IWU. He walked onto the basketball team and was a business and criminal justice major. I was still working at the bookstore and spending as much time with Josh as I could when we weren't at the gym. My whole family left Michigan and moved to Kansas.

2002 - Still at IWU. Still spending most of my days either working, at schools or classes, or with Josh. I spent A LOT of time at the gym (which sounds like I was working out, but most of it was me sitting on bleachers watching Josh play ball.) I also made my way to Charlotte and spent my summer with friends. After 5yrs of dating, Josh and I got engaged.

2003 - I graduated college and we got married. We also rented our first house. I began substitute teaching, working at Bath and Body Works, and was a teller at the drive up window at a bank. Josh was finishing his senior year of school and was now the co-captain of the basketball team. Most of my nights were spent in the kitchen cooking for a table full of basketball players. We were so happy and loved this year!!!!

2004- Josh graduated college. We packed up and moved to Charlotte. I didn't have a job and we moved into our friend's basement. Soon Josh started the Police Academy and I got a job as a 3rd grade teacher. We built our house and moved in right before Christmas.

2005 - Josh graduated from the Academy and started working as a patrol officer in a not so great area, but loved it! I was getting use to spending a lot of time by myself. Josh's sister came and lived with us for the summer. School started and I had a very difficult year. We got a puppy (Bo) and then my parents decided to send our families dog (Zeke) to live with us. In October we met a group of people who were starting a church called Elevation and I started going by myself to their Sunday night meetings on and off.

2006 - We were there for the 1st official Elevation service and found ourselves getting more and more involved. Josh was loving his job and working a lot. I finished that very difficult year of teaching and after a lot of prayer decided that I would go back for one more year. We soon found out that we were expecting our first baby girl.

2007 - Alyse Nicole was born. My parents came to live with us for awhile and then moved to Raleigh to be close to us. Once the school year was over I "retired" from teaching and became a stay at home mom. I also started a blog.

2008 - Alyse was my life! Well, except for the time I spent volunteering at Elevation. Josh was also volunteering at the church a lot. He began a "new job" by being put on a specialized unit. We celebrated our anniversary by going on a cruise to the Bahamas. Sadly we had to put our dog to sleep. Most of this year was wonderful and one of the happiest of my life.

2009 - I found myself very busy with a 2 year old! Little Gym, Swim classes, story times, plus keeping up with my responsibilities at home and church. Josh was working, working, working, with a lot of church stuff thrown in there too. I had some not so great moments with a pretty bad car accident and a miscarriage. Soon I found myself pregnant again and expecting baby girl #2.

The last ten years have been great (it probably holds some of the most exciting things of my life in them), and I thank God for all that He has blessed us with. I can't believe how fast the last 10 years have gone by and how much has happened! It's exciting to think about what else God has in store of us for the next decade.