Dear Blonde Girl

Just a little over four years ago my family was on their annual summer vacation up in Cape Cod, Masscahusetts (we all lived in Florida at the time). We went to a Chatham A's baseball game like we did every summer. My parents were enjoying the game, my sisters were off playing and trying to get their baseballs signed by the players, and my friend and I were of course checking out the new players on the team this summer. It was perfect... like always! After being at the game for a little while my sisters came running up with what appears to be part of a torn off Cheez-It box. They handed it to me and it read:

Dear Blonde Girl-

What's your age and status?

They pointed over to the bull-pen and said those guys had sent it over. I never in a million years would have guessed this letter came from a future groomsman in my wedding. We passed the note back and forth a little throughout the game. When the game ended my friend wrote her number on a baseball, got the guys atention, threw the ball to him, and said "Call Me!"

The guy who originally sent the note sent it over for Derrik because Derrik was warming up to go into the game. We all spent the summer hanging out having the time of our lives! The end had to come though and we headed back home to Florida. I was SO sure that this summer romance would surely pass in time, and i'd go on with my life. We still talked and talked and talked into the wee hours of the morning. It just didn't make since though! I was living in Florida, and he was going to school in Washington D.C. After this went on for a little while I convinced my roommate that I was buying her a ticket for her birthday and we were going to D.C. to have a fun weekend. I was too chicken to go up there by myself! After that I continued to take weekend trips up to visit Derrik. He was drafted that spring by the Cincinnati Reds, and I followed him for the summer where was was playing up in Dayton, Ohio. He moved in with me that off season, and we were engaged shortly before spring training the following year.

Now we have been happily married for two years and have the most precious 13 month old son we could ever ask for! I sometimes wonder how we went from being two people having fun on summer vacation to this... it's crazy how it all worked out, but I wouldn't change a thing!

Derrik:

Thank you for four wonderful years together and two amazing years as your wife. Thank you for being such an amazing father to our son. Our life might get crazy at times, but it's our life! As long as your by my side I know we'll make it through anything :)

I Love You!

Some Pictures

(unfortunately digital pictures weren't "the thing" when we first started dating. I have lots of them but they are on the old computer and in photo albums. Unfortunately we don't travel with all this stuff, but I did manage to find a few. AND I have no clue why some of these are so little!)

Our First Thanksgiving

2005

When we were just a family of three

Dorm Room at G.W. - Winter 2006

Spring 2006

Washington D.C. under the Cheery Blossom Trees

White Water Rafting

Pa. Summer 2006

Dayton Dragons

End of Summer 2006

Sarasota Reds

Playoffs 2007

Engagment Pictures - Wedding Rehearsal Night

Chatham A's Field

On the bull-pen bench where they sent the Cheez-It note :)

September 29, 2007

Best wedding photo I have... I need to upload my wedding photos onto this computer!

Winter 2007

First suspected I was pregnant, but couldn't get a pregnancy test because we were skiing in the middle of no where!!!

August 2008

August 2009