Four Years Ago

Four years ago today I stood in front of family and friends and pledged my life to Ysmaille Eliacin. I can honestly say it was the best decision of my life. Not to say we haven't walked through some difficult times, because we certainly have, but he is an amazing husband and I am so blessed and honored to be his wife.

Eric and April Lehman celebrated their four year anniversary yesterday and I really liked her "time capsule" of what the past four years have held, so I am totally going to steal the idea.

June 25, 2005 Ysmaille and I got married in Port-au-Prince, Haiti during a very tumultuous time in the country.

June 26, 2005 We left for our honeymooon in Punta Cana, DR. After eight hours on a bus and four on a taxi we arrived to our destination.

July 2005 Knowing how difficult things were in Haiti, we decided to stay another week in the DR with great friends, Karly and Tania Desrosiers.

October 2005 Ysmaille and I traveled back to Santo Domingo so he could get a visa to visit my parents in Pennsylvania for Christmas. God orchestrated amazing events to give us the visa we longed for.

December 2005 Ysmaille visited the US for the first time. My parents tried to convince us to stay, but we knew we needed to go back.

February 2006 Elections in Haiti caused major turmoil. People stormed through the gates of Hotel Montana (where we got married), turned over cars in the streets, and burned tires in protest of election results. Ysmaille got another visa and this time we knew we needed to leave Haiti.

March 5, 2006 There was a shooting at Church on the Rock. It happened right before our eyes and I knew our decision to leave was the right one for us.

March 6, 2006 We arrived back in the US and lived with my parents for 2.5 months.

May 2006 We finally rented our first apartment at 511 Center Street.

September 2006 Angela and Hans got married, the first sibling on either side to join us in marital bliss.

Much of 2006 and 2007 was a blur of trying to survive. I was substitute teaching when I could and Ysmaille was taking odd jobs wherever he could find them. God was an awesome provider during this time.

February 2007 Ysmaille recieved his green card, got a social security card, a drivers license and a job all in a week or so.

August 2007 I became a full-time employee of the Chambersburg Area School District as a EAP Reading Coach.

September 2007 Josue and Erika got married, making them the second of our siblings to "tie the knot".

November 2007 Although we didn't even own our own house, Ysmaille and I took the plunge and bought two rental units.

March 2008 Ricot and Mandy got married. Now we had three siblings who have joined the ranks as a happily wedded couple.

March 2008 During this same month we moved into our townhouse on Gleneagles Drive.

June 2008 Dukens and Angela also joined the married couples list. Four of our siblings got married in less than two years.

August 2008 I was able to transfer from a reading coach to a third grade teacher.

October 2008 We bought our townhouse on Halloween.

January 2009 We went on a cruise to Grand Cayman and Jamaica, something we really wanted to do together before we had children.

May 2009 I graduated with my masters degree in Educational Leadership.

June 2009 We celebrated Ysmaille's parent's 50th wedding anniversary in Florida, then traveled to spend some time in Haiti.

When I look over what the past four years have held I am so thankful for God's mercies. His hand has been on our life in ways we couldn't have imagined. I thank God for bringing our two distinct worlds together and for giving me the lifetime love I have always longed for. Let the world know I LOVE YSMAILLE ELIACIN today, tomorrow, and forever!