Happy 5 year Anniversary

Yesterday September 20th, was our 5 year anniversary. We decided to go away for the weekend without Kaden. Aaron's parents came up to watch Kaden. We had such a good time on the North shore in Minnesota! The leaves are changing and it was so beautiful. It was nice and relaxing and filled with plenty of resting! We missed Kaden so much but it really was a nice time for us to get away since we have not had really much time to ourselves since Kaden joined our family. Kaden had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa but he was so happy to see us when we got home. He had the biggest grin I think I have ever seen when we walked in the door, and it stayed on his face for at least 20 minutes! Also all weekend when ever he heard the garage door open he would run to the back door and yell Da Da. Kaden and I always greet daddy each night at the back door when he gets home.

How did it all start with Aaron and I? We meet in May of 2002. We were introduced to each other thru a mutual friend. That night Aaron and I talked and laughed. However he did not ask for my number so I didn't know if it would go anywhere. A couple days later our mutual friend called me and asked if Aaron could have my number. Of course I said yes. A day later Aaron called me to setup a date. Our first date consisted of Aaron making reservations at Biaggi's, an Italian restaurant we loved to frequent quite often when we lived in Cedar Rapids. After that we went for drinks at a swanky bar. It was a nice night filled with great conversation. The next day at work Aaron sent me flowers... Fast forward 6 months later and Aaron was studying in Italy for the semester. I decided to fly over to England and we met in London for the weekend, it was Halloween weekend. I had no idea that this trip would be the trip I would forever remember. Aaron had bought my engagement ring a month earlier in Italy. He proposed after being there for a couple days. We were walking in Kensington Park and he asked me to sit down on a bench to rest. We were talking and then Aaron started talking about how happy he was. I agreed with him. He started to get down on 1 knee, and I tried to help him get back up b/c still at this point I had no idea he was proposing. It wasn't till he pulled out the ring that I finally understood that oh my gosh he was proposing to me. He had to ask me twice if I would marry him b/c I didn't respond the first time b/c I was so shocked. Of course I said yes after the 2nd time and we were married September 20th 2003! Most of my friends probably thought we were crazy b/c we had only been dating for 6 months. Actually most of my college friends didn't even meet Aaron until we were engaged b/c of living in all parts of Iowa. Aaron was one of the best things that ever happened to me. He truly is the love of my life. We have been thru so much over the past 6 1/2 years of knowing each other. However even when tough times have come our way it has never even bothered our relationship. All the tough times have just brought us closer.

Celebrating our 5 year anniversary is the best anniversary we have ever had and I know it is b/c of Kaden. We struggled to have a family for 3 years and now here we are. Those past 3 years have just been erased from our memories b/c of having Kaden. There are some days that you know you just won't forget. Deciding to adopt is one of those days. Aaron and I had been trying to have a baby for 1 1/2 years. We were still trying fertility drugs but we decided in January of 2007 to go to an international adoption informational meeting that was being held by the 1st agency we were with. After that meeting Aaron and I went to eat lunch. We had just sat down and we started talking about what we had just heard. We both literally looked at each other and said let's adopt. The fertility drugs were starting to wear on us, mind you we had only been on them for 6 months. We just knew that God had a plan for us and we really felt that our child was in Russia. Little did we know that on March 24th 2008 our lives would be changed in a way that we never could have imaged. Meeting Kaden was one of the best days of our life. Picking Kaden up from the Baby Home on May 27th 2008 was another one of those days. We have so much to be thankful for. We were talking about our love for each other this weekend and realized that our love has changed since Kaden has came home. We always loved each other for who we are but there is nothing better than watching Aaron play and love Kaden. It has truly made my love for him deeper and stronger and Aaron said the same thing this weekend about me. Watching unconditional love is truly amazing and I can't think of a better way to see it than thru a father and a son!

Thank you to so many of you that have followed our journey so far. We have so much more to come in our lives but for now we are just so content and happy with where we are at in our life as a marriage couple and as a family!