Our Daddy, husband, and best friend, Travis:)

Perhaps I've never mentioned how Travis and I met:) 

Funny enough his dad was my softball coach in high school, and his sister was a good friend of mine; yet I never met him, or saw him once until after his mission. 

I remember it was Jan '07 and he'd just come home from his mission. I was over hanging out with Larisa, so of course I was in softball sweats and my hair was a mess... typically what I looked like each day, but I thought nothing of it. Our friend Cameron came over and we decided to go prank another friends car. That night while the boys trashed the car, Larisa and I sat in the car and talked about boys. I mentioned how I didn't want a steady boyfriend, and she told me about this guy, Phil that she worked with that she liked but didn't think would go anywhere (little did we both know).

I can recall going country dancing with these same people and awkwardly dancing with Trav, but again, not thinking of it. And it wasn't until the end of april that he asked me, but I couldn't because I was headed to a funeral. A few weeks later I was supposed to go out with an ex-boyfriend of mine when Travis called to ask me out a second time. Little did I know he was giving me one more chance then he wasn't going to ask again. Boy i'm glad I said yes and canceled my other plans. 

May 17, 2007 we went on our first date and it was simply the best first date I'd ever been on. And when I got home that night my roommates were there waiting to hear everything. I told them how great it was... and how we'd probably never go out again though:) 

After that we hung out every day. 

Larisa, Kenzie, Trav, and I at our first Halloween

Travis knew right away he said, but he had to play it cool. As I constantly said I didn't want a serious boyfriend, that I wouldn't fall in love that summer, and everything else I muttered off. He said he'd be patient because good things were worth waiting for. And he was right

It seems a life time ago that we were carefree and running around the town just falling in love for the first time. But honestly I love falling in love with this man over and over again. 

Travis works so hard for us and has committed is entire being to making our family his first priority, even if that means having to leave us every once in awhile. As you may recall last year we said goodbye and had to be apart from Sept-Dec, had 1 1/2 weeks together and then said goodbye again until that Feb. Time apart DOES make the heart grow fonder, but I think it has to grow to fix the little break that happens when you have to send away your love over and over again. And your heart breaks a little more when you have kids that intensify that longing to have them home. 

Once again it was time to say goodbye to daddy. Early Sunday morning we dropped Trav at the airport and stayed to watch him until the moment we couldn't see him anymore. The boys cried and held their bears Travis got them before he left and snuggled in their blankets the whole way home: 

His teddybear has a recording of
Travis's voice 

We got to have lunch
together the day before he
left

This little boys is a daddy's boy,
and doesn't he look so much like
his daddy. 

I am so grateful that family's can be together forever. 

I am also grateful for modern technology so that Travis can be a part of our day 

with out being here:)

Face timing while Trav was out on a run

This is his view in Louisiana 

texting travis... while at church...
and wishing he could be with us.

Showing Trav what a good boy
Maddix was that day

We pull daddy up each and every night before bed so he
can talk to the boys, read books with us, and say prayers.
Then Maddix and Travis do this nighttime ritual that
warms my heart every time I see it:)

Face timing during Family home evenings

Life my not go according to plan, and we may not be able to control every aspect, but i'm learning to take the bad with the good. 

Gratitude is my word of the day ;)