7 Years {And Counting}...

July 29, 2005

Do we look like we could be any happier?  Hehe!  I just thought I loved that dude in the picture that sweet Friday that we got married... I'm happy to say that love grows and grows.  And if you work hard enough, keeps growing :).  Time really does fly.   A friend of ours who almost always comes to greet us at church today came to talk to us.  I told him it was our Anniversary and he of course gave us his well wishes and asked how long we had been married... 7 years, is what I told him.  He said next month him and his wife would celebrate 6 years.  I looked over at his family of 3 small children and learning one on the way and thought, wow we just have our little Trevor to show for all these years of marriage.  Then after our friend left, my mind began to reminisce on all the years of marriage we've shared.  I thought of that day where I knelt across the alter from my best friend and balled my eyes out as I couldn't have thought of anyone I'd rather marry.   As we were dressed in white and saw each other for eternity, I felt such love from my Heavenly Father.

As I sit here now, I think of the fun we shared going to LSU Football games year in and year out.  I think of our 2nd anniversary and how we only had $13 to our name and shared dinner at Jason's Deli and how we had a great time doing it (especially since we got our own ice cream cone too!).   I think about how we happy we were to buy out first house and how I cried and cried because I didn't want to spend the extra $5K to buy it but how I didn't want to lose it over $5K.  And how grateful I am even to this day for the person who helped us with our deposit so we could buy it.  I think about Markus taking me to NOLA for Mardi Gras for the first time (my mom would NEVER let us go) and how I LOVED it!  The Tennis Tournaments I've been to and being so proud of my man!  Going thru Hurricane Gustav as a homeowner vs. a renter like Hurricane Katrina.  I think about how the loss
 of a job affected us... tremendously!  The discovery of our pregnancy and intro to "Momma Jenn-Jenn Blog".  The birth of Our Trevor Christian!  And how he has basically consumed our life and is all we can think about :)  So really and truly I guess it wasn't too fair to compare my family/marriage to theirs as we have seen a lot in the 7 years we have been married.  And my how I wouldn't change a thing!  I've learned so much about myself and most importantly how to love.  And how that love really and truly can get you thru the happiest and the toughest of things as long as Heavenly Father is  included in our marriage.

Markus Christian my how I love you my baby and how I promise to continue to love you forever and ever.  You are my heart!

Bye Bye LSU

It's almost officially official... December 2012 Graduate, could it be?  Markus hasn't quite scheduled his last class (we are in the process of gathering funds... more on that later in the post), but it's right around the corner.  I have so many mixed emotions about this coming semester I don't even know where to begin.  Firstly, I don't believe it.  The day has never felt close.  There has been so many changes both ups and downs in Markus' college education over the last 10 years we have bee together, it's crazy.  I'm waiting for the last curve ball to be thrown this semester... I hope I'm not right and he can get the hell out of there before we shuffle more money into their bank account!  However, it feels like the cleanest new beginning, I'm eager to smell, taste, and reap rewards of all of our hard work.  I think mainly Markus' hard work.  I've been more of the complainer than anything (I'm sure Markus would agree), lol!  He has seriously done some working to make this all happen.  Some days I wonder how he did it all, work full time AND go to school!  I remember his last semester at BRCC he had 5 classes and had to make A's in all of them in order to get into LSU.  <CRAZY!  At times, he worked more than 50+ hours and still went to school.  Yes here have been semesters off here and there.  Sometimes necessary, others not.  But nonetheless we can proudly say that we won't have any student loans to speak of and can walk away from LSU with no excess baggage other than an extra piece of paper we might hang on the damn wall!  And rightfully so!  That piece of paper has earned it's keep at our house and THEN SOME!   We are even clearing out the house making room for it by having a garage sale in a few weeks.  I originally wanted the proceeds to go to something fun, but the dreaded question of tuition rapidly came to the forefront of my mind... and naturally it only seemed fair to give it to LSU.  But it will be the last time!   (Minus Football Season Tickets, LOL!)

I can't help but think of our future and what it holds for us with no college tuition?!?  Which quickly turns my thought process to my little man Trevor.  I have been thinking a lot about his college education.  My mom wasn't in any position to put any of us thru school.  However, always taught us the importance of getting an education.  We knew it and pushed hard to qualify for the TOPS program in LA.  Of course, I forfeited that by moving my Senior Yr. in high school.  But that's another story for another day.  Then Markus was a tenth of a point away from qualifying for the TOPS Program, which fell onto his parents to pay for tuition.  He tells me they paid for his first semester, but when he didn't make the grades, they stopped.  I believe if I'm not mistaken, that he had to maintain a certain GPA and they would continue to pay for it.  That seems fair enough.  But Markus has a different opinion of it all.  I asked him shortly after Trevor was born or sometime around then what our plans were for Trevor and college?  To which I vividly remember him saying he wouldn't pay for it, or to that affect.  I remember being shocked out of my mind, especially knowing how long he (and I) have been paying for his schooling.  Recently, we revisited the subject.  To my surprise he didn't remember saying he wouldn't pay for college.  I was so relieved.  I went on to tell him how to me as a parent, it just makes sense to help your child to put his best foot forward and help out with college!  Is it just me?  Now I'm sure the argument would come into play... as long as you are able, etc. etc.  But isn't that the whole point of starting now, and planning to pay for college?  I feel such a responsibility raising a son to help him to be a provider for his wife and kids one day.  I would hate to see it take him as long as it has taken Markus to get thru college... though there have been some contributing factors to it, I don't want Trevor's to be about $$.  I tell you I would do anything for that child.  Man I love that kid.  But for now, I can just wait for him to get into college... wait and SAVE!