In honor of our 100th post on our blog and in what we have come to realize is blogging tradition, we are posting 100 things about ourselves. We have chosen to blog the story of how it all began up until where we are now. If it wasn't stated here, just consider it not important. And believe us, 90 of these aren't even important. So basically, we would all be better off if in the blogging world you would honor your 10th post and then we could have just blogged about 10 things about us. But, we are rule followers and don't like to cause a ruckus. So, here goes nothing...
1. The Eckerts were established on April 10, 2004.
2. That was 1,289 days ago.
3. They met in downtown Baltimore, MD.
4. On June 14, 2000.
5. At an
architecture firm.
6. During their summer jobs.
7. Amy was a graphic design intern.
8. And Andy refilled printer paper.
9. Andy earned more than Amy per hour.
10. That was 2,685 days ago.
11. They had their first kiss 64 days later.
12. That was on August 16, 2000.
13. They did not know all of those numbers.
14. They used
www.timeanddate.com to figure those out.
15. It was not love at first sight.
16. But Andy sure did know how to make Amy laugh.
17. And so they decided to try to see what would happen from there.
18. Andy left for
UVa for his second year of college, one week later.
19. Amy stayed in Annapolis and started her first year of college, at a community college.
20. They were 3 hours apart. 148 miles to be exact.
21. The next year (2001) Amy moved to Richmond, VA to attend
VCU. She majored in Graphic Design.
22. They were only 62 miles away during those years.
23. Then Andy graduated in May 2003.
24. And Became a Marine officer.
25. And moved to Quantico, VA for more training.
26. But, before then they took a break.
27. Because Andy wasn't ready to fully commit.
28. Amy was heartbroken.
29. There was no other woman who could love him as much as she did.
30. Or would be able to put up with him.
31. They complimented each other so well.
32. She knew it was not the end of their love story.
33. They spent that Summer and Fall apart.
34. And after Andy regained his senses, they got back together on November 23, 2003.
35. Then, on January 2, 2004 Andy asked Amy's parents for their permission to propose to her.
36. They said 'take her!'
37. In a very loving way, of course.
38. Andy was scheduled to deploy to
Haiti and then from there head right to Iraq for 7 months.
39. They had no idea what the future held.
40. But they knew they wanted to face it as husband and wife.
41. It was a few months of chaos and many many different wedding dates, but they eventually got married.
42. Amy was still in college.
43. Andy did not deploy to Haiti.
44. But he did deploy to
Iraq, June 22, 2004.
45. He got home January 31, 2005.
46. He was gone 223 days.
47. Making that 7 months and 9 long days.
48. Amy lived in their home in Camp Lejeune, NC while he was gone.
49. With the company of their precious puppies, Lutalo and
Gamba.
50. And of course,
BJ, the bird.
51. When he came home two brand new kayaks were waiting for him!
52. Amy named hers Sunshine.
53. It was yellow.
54. And Andy named his Red Lightning.
55. It was red.
56. Each boat has their own theme song.
57. And so began their love of kayaking.
58. They lived within walking distance of water.
59. And they used that to their full advantage.
60. Life in NC was good.
61. It was even better after they were with child.
62. Who was conceived exactly 2 years ago this week!
63. They call him the
Hurricane Katrina baby.
64. Andy had just gotten home from a month long deployment aiding in the Hurricane relief efforts down south.
65. Then there was life planning for a baby.
66. That time seemed to have flown.
67. Then there was life after saying goodbye with no born baby yet.
68. That time did not fly.
69. Finally, that time arrived, July 17, 2006.
70. Samuel Andrew Eckert was born at 1:34pm.
71. He weighed 7 lbs 1.4 oz.
72. Then there was life with a baby but no husband.
73. That was a time where no woman wants to experience.
74. But, will always live to tell about it.
75. And it makes her stronger and more capable than she ever would think.
76. Then finally, 20 weeks later, they were complete.
77. Andy returned home on December 3, 2006 after being gone for 6 months.
78. Then life with Daddy, Mommy, and baby began.
79. And they have not been far apart since.
80. February 1, 2007 marked the end of Andy's active duty Marine Corps career.
81. We loaded everyone in the cars and headed to Indiana.
82. Mommy, Samuel, Gamba, Lutalo and BJ in one car, Daddy in the other.
83. Camp Lejeune was our first home together and many memories were made that were sad to leave behind.
84. We made it to
Indiana after 18 hours.
85. It should have taken, oh, about 9.
86. There were a few backups from accidents along the way.
87. And snow, don't forget the snow. There was lots of snow.
88. Andy attended a
log building school to see if he wanted to go down that avenue of work.
89. He loved the trade, but decided it was not worth pursing as a career.
90. For a lack of anywhere else to go and a love for the new church they found, they decided to stay put in Indiana for awhile to see where God would lead from there.
91. They then lost their precious and beloved
Lutalo on April 29, 2007.
92. Not a day goes by where they don't think of him and wish he was there.
93. They moved to the
honey farm exactly 2 weeks later, where they currently reside.
94. Andy is now currently working construction as a carpenter.
95. And Amy is running 'Bushu' which is Samuel's name for their
homeschool.
96. Something that they are both enjoying very much.
97. She tries to get in as much quilting, gardening, baking and cooking as possible.
98. They are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their second son,
Joseph Andrew, who is due to arrive around March 9, 2008.
99. Andy and Amy are 20 months apart in age, And Samuel and Joseph will be 20 months apart in age as well.
100. They could not feel more blessed as to what they've been given and are eagerly awaiting to see what God has in store next.
Yesterday marked the halfway mark of the pregnancy with Joseph. It has been a very blessed 20 weeks. We celebrated by opening one of the jars of salsa I canned this summer. We have been trying to wait as long as possible to dive into them so they would last throughout the winter. It was worth the wait. I'm so glad it turned out well.
We also had a 'Hee-Haw Hootenanny' at our church. It was a blast. There was a chili cookoff, square dancing, a fire truck ride and a wagon ride pulled by horses. Samuel absolutely loved the fire truck and the wagon rides. (Here is where I would enter some pictures of the most adorable kid in the universe, but I forgot to bring my camera. So, just imagine. It's good for ya). 
