Nicole

Well, I have been married now for 7.5 years and we have a beautiful little girl that is 16 months. We tried for 6 years and it finally happened, and we found out 4 weeks ago that we are having another beautiful child the first week of December! We got married right out of high school, and we moved to NC so he could play football. While we were there I met the most amazing friends I could ever have! They are our extended family. We had to grow up pretty fast, Derek got hit playing ball and he had to have major back surgery. He almost died on the operating table. I can't express the pain and sadness we both felt in those months that followed the surgery. It was a hard road, but he's doing great. The surgery was in December of '99 right before our first Anniversary. In 2001 I had to have neck surgery, because a disk ruptured at c-6 c-7 (right at the bend of the neck). I was in pretty bad shape, couldn't move my arm for a while. Then on my Birthday in March of 2002, Derek had to have shoulder surgery, and we moved back in May of 2002, we thought we would leave before one of us or both died!!! =) Well we moved back here to Titusville, and in September we were fishing and our puppy was attacked by an alligator, the gator cracked my knee cap with it's tail and my husband had to beat the alligator until he let the dog go. We had to have the leg of the dog amputated, but he's a healthy loving dog. We were on the news for a solid week. The gator was 9 feet 4 inches long. So needless to say, a few weeks later I had to have knee surgery. Then one more surgery the start of 2003 and all was fine. That is until I got pregnant with our daughter, well I didn't know I was and we were on a cruise and Derek split his foot open in Mexico and had to have 30 stitches! Gosh, um we've definitely had a rough road!!!! I think that's why I respect life so much now and live life to the fullest. So, now we have our daughter who is so bright she never stops amazing me, and one on the way. I don't think of all the pain we have been through, because I've learned that we can't go on with the future if we live in the past. I wish for all my family and friends, that they see how precious life really is! ~~Hey UCF buddies, I wouldn't be able to make it without you! Hubba you complete me!!!! and Mike you are one of a kind!! Lauren is sweet and well I like saying ELLIOTTTTTT. LOL. I love you guys!!!!