20 Years of Marriage Memories
2003 - The wedding, moving into our first apartment together and finishing our BA degrees. That summer, I start working at a local church's childcare program. We lived on about $1200 a month and Gabe worked on the college campus in the education building. We were able to walk to church because it was only a couple of blocks away. 
2004 - Gabe started graduate school as a history major and we got connected in a young marrieds group through church. Our group was called M.O.R.E. (Marriages on the road to eternity). So many sweet friendships were developed in this group. We served in the children's program at church as kinder and 1st and 2nd grade teachers. I'm hired at the early childhood program on the college campus and we both worked in the same building and were able to both walk to work from our apartment.
2005 - Before we were married, we started saving for a trip to Paris. Over two years later, we finally saved enough to take about two weeks off to Europe! I completed training and was certified as a Program for Infant and Toddler care trainer. Started trying to get pregnant.
2006 - I'm now working at a child services program as an Infant and toddler specialist providing support to early childhood programs. We were part of a new young married/young family Sunday school class called Covenant. Gabe graduates with his master's in history and finishes the credential program. During part of the credential program, I was the only one bringing home an income. Gabe started a job as a financial aid counselor at a local Christian college and is teaching as an adjunct history professor at local junior colleges. This was a hard year of trying to get pregnant. During the waiting, I decided to start the master's program in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood. Towards the end of the year, we started researching fertility options. At one of our first appointments, they had us take a pregnancy test and we were pregnant!
2007 - I finished my first year of the master's program. We bought our first home and waited for it to be built. We moved from our apartment in June of that year, Gabe started a new job at the Unified School District office. This gave us just enough money so I wouldn't need to go back to work after having our baby. We were waiting to find out if it was a boy or girl until birth. August, baby boy Bradley is born! In a matter of 3 months, we moved, changed jobs and had a baby. it was a BIG adjustment. I started serving as co-coordinator with one of my very best friends in the church nursery.
2008 - Our home value quickly dropped (now half what we purchased it for) in the big housing bubble pop of 2008. We owed more on the house than what we purchased it for. It was a scary time as we witnessed foreclosures and many people having to walk away from their homes. After taking a semester off from the master's program, I went back in the fall for another year of school.
2009 - I continued in the master's program and we were pregnant for a second time with a baby girl! In the fall, I took another semester off from school. We continued to be involved in Covenant class leadership with Gabe teaching the class from time to time.
2010 - Continued in my last semester of the master's program. Olivia is born in March. May, I graduate with my master's in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood. We buy our first family car...Susie Suzuki. Gram passes away at 101 years old. We start babysitting swapping with some of our very good friends.
2011 - The kids and I are in a four-car pile-up accident a couple of miles from our house. The accident was my fault, and I totaled my little Suzuki. I struggled to get back to driving after that and a dear friend drove me to where I needed to be for a few weeks. Found Tilly Toyota, our Highlander in Valencia, Ca. Bradley started preschool at a sweet program in Sanger, Ca.
2012 - Attended our first fost/adopt seminar and started the counter foster care classes several months later. I was teaching through an early childhood program offering college units to early childhood teachers. We took a big family trip to Hawaii to celebrate Gabe's dad and mom's 40th anniversary. I started homeschooling Bradley during his (first) kindergarten year. We went to Disneyland for the first time with Bradley and Olivia.
2013 - Joined a local fost/adopt agency. Got a puppy that summer and a month later were matched with a little boy from the foster system. Bradley started his 2nd year of kindergarten at our local elementary school. There were a lot of parent visits for our foster son. This long goodbye was so very hard. Gabe starts a job as CBO of a school district over an hr. away. I stopped teaching classes.
2014 - Bought a second home. We still owed more on our current home than what it was worth so we put it up for rent. Found a Christian couple to rent from us. Said goodbye to our foster son in May. This was so very hard. Had a sweet family summer without fostering requirements. We have our 2nd foster placement in December of this year...a 1.5 year old boy.
2015 - Our 3rd foster placement...Bronson's newborn sister...in February. In April Gabe ends his commute with a local job at our county office of Ed. That summer we adopt Bronson and in November his baby sister Madeline. Olivia starts kindergarten.
2016 - Being at home with "twins" was really hard. I started a blog documenting our days at home and called it "Halls Preschool." That summer, we went to San Diego and stayed at our favorite resort, visited good friends and went to Legoland and Sea World.
2017 - Bradley plays football with a Fresno City league. Maddy breaks her ankle playing with our dog, Bradley breaks his arm in football. Our first marriage retreat. Finished our kitchen remodel. Bronson starts preschool at our local elementary school.
2018 - We celebrated 15 years on a princess cruise to the Mexican Riviera. New flooring throughout the house. We were struggling to get the renters to pay rent and decided it was time to sell our first home. We made no money on it but it felt good to let go of that extra burden. Bradley is baptized, Olivia breaks her foot playing in the sprinkler. In less than 1 year, 3 of the kids had a broken bone. The day after her cast was off, we got a call that our 2 nieces and nephew had been placed in the foster system and they were placed with us. Olivia started horse lessons. Bronson started transitional kindergarten.
2019 - We were managing parent visits for our nieces and nephew and are now 4 months into fostering. With 7 kids at home, it was really hard. Bronson is diagnosed with ADHD. Kiddos reunited with parents around march. Started Things Before Forty (TB40) where we celebrated getting ready for turning 40 by doing things we had never done before. Our first stop was a college football game with our two Big kids. Little did we know, those plans would be limited as 2020 Covid year approached. Went to the Bahia Resort and visited with friends for a couple of nights. Celebrated our anniversary by going to our honeymoon spot in Halfmoon Bay at Cypress Inn.
2020 - During the spring schools are all shut down and turn to virtual learning due to Covid. We all thought it would be a week, but it ended up being for the rest of the year. We bought chickens. Bradley finishes elementary school and we have our first teenager. The exterior of our house gets painted and the vinyl siding starts melting off in the first heat wave. Tahoe for our TB40 with the kids, my parents and our oldest niece. Fall 2020 I start homeschooling all four kids. Our home church was closed for a while. By the fall, we started visiting churches that were meeting in person. My grandpa passes away while in a nursing home. So much was taken during this year and this verse comes to mind, "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten."
2021 - For various reasons, we left our home church of 18 years. It was a tearful and Lord led process and very bitter-sweet. Grandmommy passes away at 102 years old. Went on a family trip to Monterey. First one night camping trip as a family. Olivia has metal plates put in her knees to straighten her legs. Finished our first year of homeschooling. Started attending a homeschool co-op and started my 2nd year homeschooling all 4 kids.
2022 - Became members at a new church. Gabe buys a new truck. Finished our 2nd year of homeschooling the littles and 4th year homeschooling our oldest daughter. Took a month-long trip back East visiting all the way from Florida to NY and Boston. My parents move to our town!!! Olivia's metal plates are removed. Bradley starts football again and is a freshman at our local public high school. Bradley buys his first truck. Gabe and I start serving at the Jr. High ministry at our church.
2023 - Celebrating 20 years of marriage!! As this year begins, we're looking forward to: having two teens, finishing up our 5th year of homeschooling, mentoring a soon to be married couple, traveling to our favorite resort to celebrate 20 years!
Our private pre-wedding day moment was 20 years ago and yet seems like yesterday. Now, with full schedules AND a full house, we have to be intentional in making that quiet time for each other. While we certainly haven't done it perfectly, we strive to fight for our relationship and place the Lord first in our lives. These 20 years have included both hardship and joy, we rejoice in it all as the Lord has given us both.
"When times are good, be happy;
but when times are bad, consider this:
God has made the one
as well as the other."
Ecclesiastes 7:14
I'm humbled to see where the Lord has brought us and am excited to see where He'll take us next. It's truly His amazing grace that has walked us through it all.
Not emphasized in the year to year but a treasured part of our married life:
* regular trips to the beach
* Traveling to my hometown and northern California to visit family
* meeting regularly with accountability partners and amazing friends
* family walks and bike rides
* Regular family dinners together
* Frequent prayers and Bible time together
Sharing the days of childhood to display the importance of motherhood.
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