Happy 16th Anniversary

This last Friday, August 13 (yes, Friday the 13th!) Chris & I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe we've been married for 16 years! Wow. We met at ACU. It was my freshman year & his sophomore year. I'm pretty sure it was 2nd semester, so 1992. I think he says we met 1st semester, but I really don't remember him much except starting in 2nd semester.

We started "dating only each other" March (?) 1992. Through some trials & break ups (HIS decision!) we made it to February 1994 when he proposed on the steps of the ACU administration building during Sing Song weekend. Awwww My parents & grandmother were in town, along with his parents. We had already had quite the family meeting the day before to plan a wedding date (romantic, I know!) but then he waited until that Saturday afternoon to 'officially' ask (and give me an engagement ring!) Yea!

We, of course, had Sing Song that afternoon & evening, and I got to have my "Pass the Key" with my Siggie sisters. Fun! Lots of school work & wedding planning later, we got married at 2:00 p.m. at Campus Church of Christ on August 13, 1994 in Norcross, GA. Awww....love!

We honeymooned in San Antonio (still one of my favorite cities ever) and lived the first 9 months of our marriage in Abilene were he finished up 1 semester of school, and I finished up my last 2 semesters, along with student teaching. We then moved to Lubbock (May 1995), where he started graduate school at Texas Tech (guns up!) I worked as a teachers' aide and then as a 6th grade teacher at Lubbock Christian School. In July 1997, we moved to Uvalde for him to start his 1st 'real job,' working, ironically, for Texas A&M for one of their extension services. (He's still a Red Raider though!) I taught 2nd grade at Anthon Elementary School for 3 years. Gracie was born in Uvalde in July 2000.

April 2001 had us moving to Aiken, SC. I quit my teaching job right before Gracie was born, and it became obviously apparent that we weren't making enough money on his 1 income, so he looked for a new job with his current company and found one in Aiken. We lived in Aiken, and had another baby (Katie!) and moved from there to Houston (job transfer) in April 2008 (while pregnant with Ellie). We lived in an apartment for 4 months, then moved into our house where we are today.

Whew! We've been around the world and back....literally, from Texas to South Carolina & back again. I wouldn't have wanted to experience all of this with anyone BUT Chris by my side as my husband. He is the love of my life. He loves me despite my many faults. I love that we're at a point in our marriage where we can disagree & even argue over something, but I know we always love each other no matter what. He is my biggest supporter, and I hope he feels I'm his. He is an inspiration to me in many ways. He is calm when I am not. He is patient. He is loving & kind. He is THE BEST daddy to our 3 girls. He is easy to get along with. He doesn't offend people. He is mild mannered. He is responsible. He is cute. He is disciplined. He is a Christian who loves God deeply & seeks to follow His will. Need I go on?

I love you, Christopher Howard Shanks. I'm thankful that many years ago, you decided to fix up 2 of our friends (which didn't work out) and decided that you & I would go together on this 'fix up' date. I'm thankful my red hair caught your eye. I'm thankful me being from Atlanta & you being from New Mexico didn't scare you off. I'm thankful that even when we broke up, you came back! I'm thankful that we are raising our 3 beautiful girls together. I'm thankful that God has a plan for me, and did since before I was born, and it included me attending college in an ugly, West Texas town and falling in love with the grandson of a sheep rancher even though I'd grown up in the "big city." I'm thankful for YOU!