Our Story

 Chris and I met at a basketball game. In high school. Circa 2001. 


Here are some early pics of us. You can laugh. I do! 

I'm pretty positive that this is our very first picture together.

I just can't caption this one. 

We go way back. :)

We have been together since I was 18.

We went to college together at Southern Illinois University. Chris graduated in 2006, me in 2008. Carbondale, IL will always hold a special place in my heart. 

Right out of college, Chris coached basketball at colleges in Illinois and Texas. I was still in school, getting my degree in special education. 

One of Chris' teams

Coaching in TX

Chris proposed to me in 2007 while I was visiting him during my Thanksgiving break from college. The team he was coaching in Texas was playing in Kansas. It was the perfect place for a proposal! I can't think of another time I've ever been to Kansas, but I will always think of it as a fine state! :) 

We're engaged!!!

In 2008, we moved to Chicago and got our first apartment.... Chris worked for a sports scouting agency and I my first teaching job with Chicago Public Schools.

We got married in March of 2009 in my hometown (hey hey Marshall, IL!)

In 2009 we moved from Chicago to Bloomington, IL. Chris took a job with State Farm Insurance and I taught at Bloomington High School. We bought our first house, got a dog, and met some of our favorite people! I fully expected to live in Bloomington for the rest of our lives. But.......

Our first house!!

Lexi as a pup

In 2011, Chris was given a great opportunity with his company to go to San Diego, CA. It was bittersweet leaving our Bloomington home but also an exciting adventure! I started working with a Charter School that serves mostly at-risk youth. It was crazy and scary moving across the country to a city where we didn't know a single face. But the thing is, there are wonderful people everywhere and we always seem to find them. 

On April 2, 2013 we were given our biggest blessing... Titus Christopher Brooks. 

Getting ready to head to the hospital

Happy Family

Tired Dad

Titus is here!

So, there's a (brief) summary of the last several years... it's been a whirlwind to say the least! While I couldn't have predicted the last 5 years, I'm super thankful for all of the experiences Chris and I have shared and for the amazing people that we've been blessed enough to meet. 

While at this point, I don't feel like I've stayed anywhere long enough to consider one place "home", each place we've been in holds a special place in my heart. Home is where the heart is, right? Each of these places are a little bit of "home" to me:

Marshall, IL

Carbondale, IL

Chicago, IL

Bloomington, IL

San Diego, CA

We'll see what the next 5 years brings!!