Celebrating 4 Years of Marriage!

Today Josh and I celebrate 4 years of marriage! Even though 4 years seems like a very short amount of time considering we dated 15 years before we decided to tie the knot. I mean you can't just rush into these things right!! ;)

So here's our "love" story! Hope you enjoy!

Josh and I both grew up in the small town of Teague, TX. Even though we both lived there our whole life, Josh was two years older than me so I didn't really hang around him when we were little. But everyone knew Josh because he was the second half of "The Schneider Twins." Josh has an identical twin brother named Jon. Our families knew each other way before we were born but I still wasn't around him that much growing up. That was until I was in 8th grade and my good friend Lizzie started dating his brother Jon. So, one day Lizzie and I walked up to the local Jiffy-E Mart to get Icee's and Jon and Josh just happened to be there. I talked to Josh for a little while Lizzie chatted with Jon. From that moment, I was in love. So, I guess you can say for me it was love at first sight! He was extremely cute, charming, funny, very sweet and he had the most gorgeous blue eyes (which luckily Jonah inherited). After we left, Josh was all I could talk about and since Lizzie was dating Jon it was the perfect opportunity for me to see more of Josh and find out more about him. So, one day after school Lizzie was over at my house and my phone rang. Lizzie answered it and a look of shock came over her face. She put her hand over the phone and said it's Josh and he wants to talk to you. I was like "whatever" and grabbed the phone out of her hand. I said hello and to my surprise the person on the other end of the line said "Hey Monda, this is Josh" I don't remember much about the details of the conversation except there was something about the High School Sports Banquet on Wednesday and did I want to double date with him and his friend Clint. I said yes before even asking my parents. So, after I hung up the phone (and Lizzie and I stopped screaming) I ran into the living room and gave the most dramatic plea to my parents as to why I needed to go on this date with Josh Schneider! I said something to the effect of if they didn't let me go I would never speak to them again yada yada yada. Well, luckily my parents knew the Schneider family very well and they agreed to let me go since our teachers, some of my friends and their parents would be attending the sports banquet as well. I was so excited!! So, the day of the banquet arrived and I got ready for my first date with my future husband. I was one lucky 8th grader. Not only did I have a huge crush on Josh but I was an 8th grader in Jr. High going to the High School Sports Banquet! Now, let's talk about my outfit choice for that evening. I wish I had a picture of what I wore for the first date because it is priceless. I'm not even sure my description will paint the visual that this outfit deserves. Remember the one piece jumpers that were popular back in 1989 with puffy sleeves and puffy bottoms (they may have only been popular in Teague..I'm not sure)? Well, that's what I wore except let me give you a few of the design details. It was denim with a flowered collar! Cute huh? I accessorized with a pair of red flats and large red hoop earrings. I and my mother thought I looked great! Thirteen and 49 year old females and obviously not one ounce of fashion sense between the two of us! Okay - I retract my earlier statement now that I wish there was a picture because Jonah would be very embarrassed. However, I thought Josh looked really cute in his outfit! He had on white Girbaud jeans and a short sleeve striped shirt tucked in with a brown braided belt which at the time was very much in style (again..maybe just in Teague) The only picture I have of that night is the newspaper picture of Josh and Jon receiving their Tennis awards which is still in a scrapbook at my parents house so I can't share it with everyone today! I know you are disappointed! Anyway, since Josh didn't have his license yet we rode with Clint and his date Nikki to the banquet. After the banquet Josh brought me back home and walked me to the door and gave me a kiss on the cheek. A perfect gentleman. I was the happiest girl alive that night! After that date I for a lack of better terms "stalked" Josh throughout the rest of high school and we dated off and on until his senior year. I think everyone in our town knew that we liked each other and would eventually end up together! Even though I think I had the bigger crush! After Josh went to college we started talking more and more and I made frequent trips to see him in Austin and he came home often to hang out with me on the weekends. He was my date for both of my proms. He came to watch me perform at football games and hang out with me and my friends at parties, etc. My family loved him and I loved his family. We started spending more and more time together and by the time I graduated high school I had decided to go to SWT to be near Josh and he had decided to transfer from UT to SWT so we could go to college together. We made it through a fraternity and sorority pledge year and practically spent every minute together in college. After we both graduated we moved to Dallas and then bought a house together. Finally in 2003 Josh proposed and a year later we flew off to Venice, Italy to get married!

It's been a crazy roller coaster of a ride basically growing up together, going through high school and college together and then watching each other become the adults we are today! And through it all Josh has been my constant rock. He is the one person I can tell anything to and he knows how to make me laugh no matter what mood I'm in. I can't imagine having gone through this journey with anyone else!

So, that's our story, the condensed version. I could write a novel about all of our dating years. Let's just say we've been through it all - tears, laughter, good times and bad times and yet we still manage to show each other everyday how much we love each other and we're still best friends! What more could you ask for??

Here are some pictures of us from high school, college, and more recent years. I wish I had more of our high school pictures to share but they are still in photo albums at my parents house.

My Junior Prom

Trip to Mexico in college

Chi Omega Cotillion

Engagement Picture

Wedding in Venice

Honeymoon in Greece

Friend's Wedding

Vacation to Mexico

Our Baby Shower (right before a new chapter in our life began!!)