The first day I remember my future husband speaking to me was our freshman year of high school. I was 15 and 4'11, he was 4'10 and still 14 (his birthday not being until December), the year was 1999, the month was September.
We were hanging out in the ASB room, which is obviously where the cool kids were! There were chairs and a vending machine with all sorts of treats. His group of friends (all guys) sat in a circle of chairs and once in a while looked over at my group of friends (girls) that giggled and acted silly. I assumed they were making fun of us, because that's what boys did. Turns out, years later I was told, they were actually "flirting." Well, I went to the vending machine, to complete my extremely healthy lunch of chips and peach flavored Snapple, to buy a candy. I walked to the machine and Chase walked to the machine at the same time. I purchased a Reeses Peanut butter cup candy and he used the line I will never forget... "Reeses, huh?" I was all flustered (thinking they were making fun of me and retorted "Yes." and ran back to my safe chair with my circle of friends. I told them the story as if they hadn't seen the whole thing play out in person.
Of course, being a freshman girl in high school I assumed that since he was making fun of me he MUST like me and that he would obviously ask me out. Never happened. A couple of years later, 2002, we were in the same summer school P.E class... Of course we saw each other in the halls and I heard his friends laughing, so I continued to think they were making fun of me. (Later I found out they were teasing my future husband for having a crush but doing nothing about it).
My sister, Justine, and I rode our bikes everyday to summer school. We didn't wear helmets and one day got stopped by a police officer that gave us a warning to wear them or else. So, the next day we wore these ridiculous giant ugly helmets (not CUTE one bit they were like 80's helmets with bright paint splatters on them and everything). We were that cool. Well as we were crossing the cross walk, obviously hoping no cute boys would ever see us, what happens?? We almost get run over, by an entire car full of just that. The driver, a friend to this day, wasn't paying attention to the clearly marked cross walk and skidded to a halt, nearly killing us. Who was in the passenger seat? Chase. Who made fun of our helmets and us almost dying at the hand of his best friend? Chase. Who talked to me during P.E class swim time? Chase.
Summer school came and went. I never got to ride in his bright green Jeep to lunch, (a daydream I had during high school), the very one that sits in our garage today. I spent my days in the library or choir room, doing homework, studying for exams, and of course reading books. Chase wrestled, dyed his hair all sorts of colors, had a few piercings and grew about a foot.
I graduated top of my class, sang the star bangled banner with a group of friends, worked at the dollar movies that summer and went off to Harding, a school in Arkansas, had a crappy boyfriend that I felt I deserved (and know now that I didn't) broke up with that loser, cut off all my hair and started working in a computer lab at school.
Chase ditched graduation ceremony to hang out with friends, continued working at Carl's Junior, and started pursuing his goal of working for law enforcement.
One day, September 19, 2004, out of the blue he sent me an MSN message. Remember those messenger things? Yup, those were the good ol' days. He asked me how I was and I told him I was doing well, recovering from a bad relationship that had ended in July, but that creepy guy wouldn't let it go! I explained where I was, what I was doing and how neat it was to hear from him after all of these years. I came home for Thanksgiving break, we went to see "Shall You Dance" and then went on a walk. November 19th 2004 we had our first kiss.
2005: I came home from Harding for Summer break. I still held my job at the dollar movies and so I worked there. Chase graduated from the police academy and started a job at the Sheriff's department that December. The dollar movies closed. I started working at CSD and continued my pursuit of an AA degree at the local community college, COS.
2006: April came, we were engaged.
2007: January came, we were married. September we bought our home.
2008: I graduated COS
2009: We lost our first child (7/8/9). Chase was baptized (8/12/09)
2010: We were blessed with the life of Claire Dionna Suzanne Dobbins (5/12/10). I graduated from Fresno State with my BS in Child Development.
2012: I graduated from Cal State TEACH with my teaching credential. We lost our 3rd child (11/27/12).
2013: We have shared 9 years together and 6 years of marriage (1/6/7). So far I am optimistic about the year to come.
Through losses, disappointments and failures (mostly on my part), celebrations and victories we have stuck together. I know that we will have many more years together. My husband has accomplished so many wonderful things, but of course our most wonderful accomplishment thus far in life is our faith in God, our daughter Claire and our love for one another.
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