Life with the Domec's!

5 years ago this week, I was preparing to walk down the aisle with my sweet husband. I had most of the week off from work and we prepared programs, out of town gift baskets, gathered pumpkins and mums, and tried to stay cool and collective before the big day. I LOVED our wedding. It was one of the most special days of my life. I was so very nervous but thrilled to be marrying Guy. Looking back I wouldn't change a thing (except for adding a few touches via PINTEREST! darn you pinterest.). We had a packed house at the ceremony and ran out of food at our reception! We felt so loved by our family and friends. What an awesome way to "kick-off" a marriage.

A few weeks before the big day

Of course a lot has changed since that precious day! I wanted to take a few days this week to think about all that the Lord has done to capture our hearts and how he has brought us together to establish our little family.

To go with the 5 Year theme, here is my TOP FIVE MEMORIES!
1) Our Wedding Day!

So much has changed in photography since then, and I barely have any pictures from that day. I refuse to shell out $20 a print for an 8X10. But here is one of my favorite pictures from that night. I remember driving down the street to our reception with our bridal party and being so excited to celebrate with our friends and family. The Southgate Center has giant windows and we put candles everywhere so when we pulled onto the long driveway leading to the building, you could just see tons of glimmering lights and people socializing. So fun! We had our DJ annouce the bridal party to "Bring 'Em Out" - Guy was so "gangster" back then. :) Then Guy and I strolled in to Harry Connick Jr.'s version of "It Had to Be You," and we had our first dance. Loved making that entrance with my new groom!

2) Of course your first year of marriage isn't complete without a surprise pregnancy!

SURPRISE! You're pregnant after being married for 5 months. :) What a crazy time in our life that was. Guy was sooooo excited and he really was a solid rock during all of my emotional meltdowns and panic attacks. Seriously I had panic attacks. The Lord provided us with everything we needed to get by during those 9 months. I had lost my job when I was 4 months pregnant and we moved in with my parents. It was such a change for us. When most new mom's are decorating nurserys and buying crib bedding, I was just wondering how we were all supposed to fit in our tiny bedroom in the basement. "Baby's sleep through the night right?" Wrong. Being pregnant was hard for me. I am sooo wimpy. Had horrible heartburn and sciatica and I gained about 50 pounds!! But I did enjoy not working and having my mom make dinner for us and occassionally help with our laundry. :)

3) Welcome Mr. Braylen K. Domec!

Wow, the story of Braylen's delivery is for another post but we survived and welcomed the greatest addition to our family. Guy has is so sweet with kids. They love him! And he stepped in and took care of our little newborn when I was dealing with so many changes, and couldn't figure it out! Shew. After only being married for 13 months, and still trying to figure out how to be husband and wife, we had to learn to be parents. Thank you Lord for getting us through Braylen's first year! :)

P.S. Isn't Braylen sooo very handsome??

 4) Owning our first home!

We moved into our current home after Braylen was 1 month old. We love this little house (minus the tiny closets and one bathroom!). I remember my friend Nina who said that she loves to minister to people using their home. I love the thought of people feeling loved and comfortable just by being here. We hope that people always feel welcomed and accepted. One of our college YL guys said it may be small but it feels like a mansion. I love that! God has been so gracious with our finances and has totally provided for us. We have had sooo many ups and downs and he has brought us through. He usually brings Guy through gracefully and I am usually holding onto something kicking and screaming. But here we are!

5) Guy's first day back to school!
I love this memory. Guy has always been the greatest servant to those around him. He is always the first one to help out a friend or anyone in need. He decided that school wasn't for him early on but after so many crazy jobs and circumstances, he knew that going back to school to be an elementary school teacher was the right choice for our family. I remember Braylen and I meeting him for dinner before his first day. We brought him a card that told him how proud we are of him, and then off he went! I know that this is a strange memory, but I love the thought of the 2 of us (Braylen and I) being in his corner. Cheering for him! Yelling from the rooftops that HE CAN DO IT! And Guy being in school has really defined our family the last few years. He has an intense work schedule and is going to school full-time. God has graciously guarded my heart to not be bitter that Guy is not always here. We know that the long term benefits of this decision far outweighs the present. Being in school has also taught us more about reaching and accomplishing goals. One day soon we will look back and be amazed that we made it through!

I hope to share a few other highlights from the last 5 years! What's really funny is that on "major anniversary" years, I am always pregnant. Our first anniversary, I was due in 8 weeks and now on our 5 year, I am pregnant again. So much for that trip to Vegas! :)