Love Always and Forever

I wanted to explain how I got the title for my blog. When Rick and I were dating we used to write notes to each other. Remember how in high school writing notes was the thing? Now it is texting. Anyway, we were always writing notes for each other during class to give to each other in between classes. One particular teacher Mr. Vansickle, V for short, always said to us before Rick would go into his classroom "I love you honey, write me a note." I still remember that like it was yesterday. Rick had V's class and I had Mr. Richardson's class right across the hall so we would wait till the bell rang to go into class. V was always waiting in the hallway to tease us. Memories..... So anyway, after a while we starting signing the notes Love Always and Forever. It stuck and we have been doing it for the past 14 1/2 years.

These are two examples of our note writing days. I had to go through my box of love notes and other little thingys that I kept from high school to find these. I had a hard time finding one that Rick wrote that wasn't in pencil so that it would show up. That was really funny going through those old notes. We were always fighting about something stupid and then asking the other to "please forgive me". Reading some of those made me wonder how we ever made it out of high school. I also have a couple old pictures to share with you as well. I thought as long as I was taking a journey down memory lane I might as well post some more old pictures. I can't believe how young we look. I certainly miss being that skinny. Goodness, look what having two kids will do to a persons body, geesh!!

Rick has been asking me if I was going to put a picture of him playing hockey on the blog so here is the first picture. And Jackie if you are reading this you were originally in this picture with us, I edited it for use with this post, but you are still in the original.

Being high school sweethearts hasn't always been easy. We have both changed a lot over the years and we have had our share of difficult moments. But to have been able to basically grow up together as a couple has been very special. I think that is what has made going through all of Rick's health issues easier to deal with together. I know how he handles things and I know how to deal with him when he isn't feeling good. I think that having Rick get sick has brought us even closer together. We have a bond now over something that most couples never have. I don't know if that makes sense, but it makes sense to me. I wish he wasn't sick, but the blessing is that it has brought us closer together. Like my Mom said to me a while back, it makes me appreciate him even more and to not take him for granted. We don't know what will happen in the future. We are just going to take each day as it comes, and each trial as it is thrown at us. We have made it together this far, we have a lot more time ahead of us.

Until next time,

Jaime