Becky & JDubbs: A Retrospective

Becky & JDubbs: A Retrospective

I look back on this past decade not nostalgically, but more in awe of how far I've come. When this decade began I was a sophomore in college, just beginning to find my niche and discover who I wanted to be. JDubbs had settled on his career and was getting serious about how to achieve his goals. Neither Jax nor Em were even twinkles in our eyes, but 2000 was the year that JDubbs and I dated for a brief but incredible summer, and four years would pass before we rekindled that old spark. The 2000's were about us as individuals, what made us who we are, made us fall in love with each other, made us like each other enough to want to actually get married, and begin our life as we know it.

Here's a run-down of the last ten years of our lives, with some pictures. JDubbs answers were his own, verbatim. You can tell he was bored after his first few answers. They get shorter and shorter:

JDubbs, 2000: Wellesley, MA, Super-Senior in college. Planning his escape to California post-graduation

Becky, 2000: Fairfield, CT, Sophomore/Junior in college. Had a love affair with a co-worker, JDubbs, from which she never recovered :)

JDubbs, 2001: Solana Beach, CA. Drove cross-country, got a new job, lived on Jaime's floor. Experienced first earthquake. Experienced 9/11 on the West Coast.

Becky, 2001: Fairfield, CT, Junior/Senior in college. Sorority president. Lived at Avalon with great friends.

JDubbs, 2002: Solana Beach, CA. No longer living on the floor. Freedom! Finally had his own room! Got a real job.

Becky, 2002: Fairfield, CT. Graduated college, started grad school. Interned at Newtown High School, the best school at which she will ever work.

JDubbs, 2003: Clairemont, CA. Chief of Security at the San Diego Museum of Art.

Becky, 2003: Fairfield, CT. Finished graduate school. Got my first teaching job. Loved it.

Ooh, look at how we spent New Year's Eve 2003/2004. Kissing each other at PB Bar & Grill! Yes, that's me behind all that hair.

JDubbs, 2004: Clairemont & Normal Heights, CA. Living on his own. Big car accident. Hung out with his future wife. She didn't know that yet.

Becky, 2004: Fairfield, CT/Pacific Beach & North Park, CA. Went to London. My head exploded that the world was bigger than New England. Moved to San Diego to change my life. Did it ever.

JDubbs, 2005: Ocean Beach, CA. Moved in with Becky. Fun at our disposal.

Becky, 2005: Ocean Beach, CA. Moved in with JDubbs to an apartment with an ocean view (from the bathroom window). Watched many sunsets, drank a lot, and got to know each other even better.

JDubbs, 2006: Ocean Beach & Carlsbad, CA. Growing up.

Becky, 2006: Ocean Beach & Carlsbad, CA. Got engaged! Quit my terrible job. Moved to Carlsbad and began working at FUHS, where we met several lifelong friends.

JDubbs, 2007: Carlsbad, CA. Traveled. Got married. Got his Lexus. It was awesome.

Becky, 2007: Carlsbad, CA. Had the most perfect wedding anyone could dream of. Traveled the world (Italy, Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Mexico) and lived the life of two gainfully employed people with no kids or mortgage.

JDubbs, 2008: Carlsbad, CA/Middle of Nowhere, VT. Transition year. Our life, as we knew it, changed. Jax...awesome.

Becky, 2008: Carlsbad, CA/Middle of Nowhere, Vermont. What a year!! Pregnancy, house, Hawaii, x-country trip, puppy. Moved from the extreme southwest corner of the country to the extreme northeast. Jax was born. A life-altering year, with only good consequences.

The day we brought Jax home from the hospital

JDubbs, 2009: VT. Living the American Dream, good and bad. No more landlord to call.

Becky, 2009: VT. Getting used to being a full-time mom rather than teacher. Well, I guess I still am that. Getting used to living in the middle of nowhere. Maybe I'll accomplish that in 2010. Em is conceived. Here we go again!

What dramatic twists and turns our lives took! With two kids, a dog, and who knows what else will hit us, I'm sure the next ten years will be just as memorable!