thecoghlans: 7 Years & Counting

This past July 29th Dan & I celebrated our 7 year wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been married for 7 years and together for 10 - time sure does fly by. . . I still remember my Dad introducing us at Waynesburg College on the day of our matriculation. I remember thinking to myself, “Man, he’s pretty cute.” My Dad followed the look of interest on my face with a stern, “Don’t even think about it – he’s one of my pitchers.” Little did we know Dan had other plans; during that same day (before we were even introduced) he was telling his friends, “I’m going to marry her one day.”

After spending the rest of our college experience (2 ½ years) being inseparable & then carrying on a long distance relationship, we got engaged in December 2004. Dan’s proposal was completely unexpected & a pleasant surprise . . . We had just returned to my parent’s house after visiting a few of our friends in Waynesburg; it was absolutely freezing outside & there was even snow on the ground. As I started walking up to the house Dan grabbed my hand & said, “Lets take a walk around the park.” I instantly said, “No way! It’s freezing out here” & dismissed his suggestion. Somehow he talked me into it & off we went. If you’re familiar with the Waynesburg College campus, you know that there are a line of 4 parks totaling a little under a mile & the last 2 are right next to my parent’s house. We only made it to the gazebo park before I started complaining that I was freezing & wanted to go inside; we cut through the park & started making our way back. During the holidays, the gazebo is lit by a dim, yellow spot light & it’s really beautiful. We decided to go in & sit for a few minutes – apparently all part of Dan’s plan. He then got down on one knee & after some very sweet & romantic words asked me to marry him. After some very long kissing (=P) we made our way back to my parent’s house to tell my family. My Dad’s reaction to the news: “It’s about time!” My Mom’s reaction: Crying. Ben’s reaction: Congrats, Sister!

We were married on July 29, 2005, at the Presbyterian Church, across the street from my parent’s house & the gazebo park. We’ve survived my move from Pennsylvania down to Virginia, adjusting to our roles as a married couple, home sickness, tight budgets, the purchase of Lexi, our move to our townhouse in Sterling, coaching schedules, sicknesses, heart breaking losses of family members, workout fatigue & stubborn tendencies. I can’t imagine being married to anyone else – he’s my best friend. Yes, we have our moments where we want to ring each other’s necks but those are very few & far in-between.

To celebrate our anniversary, Dan & I decided to keep it low key. We went to see the new Batman movie & after that we headed over to Lightfoot Restaurant in Leesburg, VA. We wanted to go to a place that we’d never been before & we heard some really good reviews from our friends. Here are some photos we took of our day/night:

Dan's attempt at taking our photo.

I'm always the one that gets the task of taking the pics.

Trying to get a good family shot is difficult...

I love this one of Lexi's face - Dan was holding a treat by the camera (LOL!)

This one will do. =)

Getting ready to head out.

Lovebirds.

Me & my Lexi.

He looks good in pink.

Alright, I'm going to let you in on a little secret - I love to be dipped. My favorite is being dipped on the dance floor & if it's during a great 80's song it can totally make my night. Below are Dan's attempts at dipping me while using the timer on my camera - I couldn't stop laughing...